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| Sunday, 11 July 2004 |
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Eastern security enhanced Eastern Corridor by Rashomi Silva As a human bomb exploded in Colombo last week killing four Police personnel, the diplomats here re-urged Tiger rebels to renounce terrorism and honour the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) signed with the Government. "Although no one has claimed responsibility for the bombing, the incident bears the hallmarks of an LTTE attack," a US Embassy statement charged last week. The LTTE however insisted they have no hand in the incident. "We suspect this has been carried out by elements that want to disrupt the peace process," the Tamilnet website quoted the LTTE political wing leader Thamilchelvan as saying. However, both the Army and Tamilnet reports showed that there had been a remarkable decrease in violence in the East in the recent past. Increased security measures and lack of organisation and leadership among the Karuna faction might have been the likely causes, Eastern security sources said. In two separate incidents, LTTE Batticaloa political wing leader Senadiraja was wounded and another LTTE cadre was killed when Karuna loyalists opened fire. Immediately after the death of the LTTE member, Army Commander Lt. Gen. Shantha Kottegoda sent his newly appointed Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Chula Senaviratna to coordinate the security situation in the East. Maj. Gen. Senaviratna spoke to field commanders and instructed them on minimising the violence in the cleared area, military spokesperson Col. Sumedha Perera told the Sunday Observer. LTTE challenges Commenting on the LTTE's repeated accusation of Army involvement in violence in the East, a senior military official said the rebels were trying to cover up their own tension by blaming the Army. According to Eastern sources, the entire LTTE administrative set-up has been in disarray since last April. The income generated from the East dropped notably while recruitment reached an unprecedented low. The LTTE received its heaviest blow when Karuna robbed the LTTE of its Eastern civilian support. "Despite the current disorganised state, the Karuna faction enjoys more than 95 per cent of civilian support in Batticaloa and Ampara districts, civilians have also started trusting the government troops more," Army sources said. The Biggest challenge the LTTE faces today is overcoming the distrust between the cadres. "Beneath the veneer of normalcy, there is an undercurrent of tension in the LTTE; two cadres posted at a checkpoint would tend to look at each other more than concentrate on the enemy," a senior military official said. Meanwhile, analysts and commentators here voiced their reservations over the dawning of peace to the troubled East, once Karuna joined the political mainstream. Joining main stream politics would give Karuna more recognition home and abroad, but it is doubtful if this decision would lead to lasting peace in the East, they said. Karuna's political activities will be centred on the East and therefore are bound to be in collision with Tiger supremo Prabhakaran, who believes in his undisputed right to rule the North-East, they predicted. Army version Speculation was rife that LTTE renegade leader Karuna was approached by the security forces when he was in Colombo. The LTTE has every reason to be disturbed over the development as Karuna was one of their highly trained cadres who knew the ins and outs of the LTTE. The LTTE argument was that since both the Government and the LTTE have embarked on a long road to peace and reconciliation, exploitation of the unprecedented LTTE split would distort the strategic military balance on which the talks were based. Government forces too could argue that the split presented a unique opportunity that could not be resisted by the Army. "What the country experiences today is a ceasefire and not a permanent peace. The LTTE is preparing for war by smuggling arms, continuing with its recruitment and training, why should not the Army find more about the ongoing activities of the LTTE?," Army sources questioned. |
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