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| Sunday, 25 December 2005 |
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LTTE proves it cannot rehabilitate by Ranga Jayasuriya The LTTE has been fighting a shadow war at different scales through out the ceasefire.
The simultaneous claymore mine attacks at a Navy convoy, killing 13 sailors on Friday are another indication that the Tigers have now brought its shadow war to a new intensity and that have no intention to restrain themselves whatever may be the pronouncements of the international community, especially the donor co-chairs. Only a few days ago that the co-chairs to the Tokyo Donor Conference, who met on a routine evaluation meeting in Brussels,called on the LTTE to "put an immediate end to their on-going campaign of violence" They warned that," failure to demonstrate a willingness to change would not be without serious consequences." But, one distinguished trait of terrorism and extremism, irrespective of its place of origin is, it views flexibility as a sign of weakness. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is not an exception. Indeed, through its sheer reluctance to adhere to the ceasefire agreement, the LTTE has shown it repeatedly that it is no more than a bunch of garden terrorists who had no intention to rehabilitate themselves. Nadukudah explosions A Navy convoy of a truck and a bus, 15 sailors aboard each vehicle were heading to the Talaimannar Navy base from Mannar when they were blown up in two simultaneous explosions near Nadukudah at 2.25 p.m. on Friday. The bus was gutted with a fire after the explosions which gives the impression that the convoy has been ambushed with Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG) after the claymore mine explosion. Three soldiers were rushed to Anuradhapura Hospital and one succumbed to injuries. The President summoned an immediate meeting of the National Security Council Friday evening to discuss the fall out of the incident. Military spokesman said the security forces cordoned off the area and a search operation was in progress. The twin claymore mine explosions came only a day after the Sea Tigers attacked two navy dinghies, which were on a routine patrol mission. A flotilla of about 10 Sea Tiger boats surrounded and fired at the dinghies. Three sailors were missing since the incident and the Tiger political chief S.P.Thamilselvan has written to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission saying that two sailors were killed during the confrontation and the third who was "rescued" by the sea Tigers and taken to an LTTE boat drowned when the boat, which had been damaged in the confrontation sank. Tiger cadres swam ashore carrying one of their injured, leaving the wounded sailor aboard the sinking boat, The Tiger political commissar wrote to the SLMM chief Hagrup Haukland. Thamilselvan said armed LTTE cadres were travelling by sea -carrying arms for self protection, he said- and would continue to do so till there is an agreement between the government and the LTTE on the sea movements of the LTTE cadres. The Tigers are testing the government's patience and indeed the government has stated its patience is wearing thin as announced by the Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickremenayake. The Prime Minister having visited Dalada Maligawa told the reporters that the government was urging the parties engaged in violence, not to force the government to seek an alternative, when its commitment to an negotiated political solution still remains undiluted. Hostile acts The government said in a statement after the Sea Tiger attack at the two Navy boats,"... It is apparent that there is a concerted effort by the LTTE to raise the intensity of the violence in the North and East. The government will continue to act with restraint, but take all necessary measures to ensure that the Security Forces are not impeded in carrying out their legitimate tasks". "These provocative and hostile acts carried out by the LTTE on a regular basis, is testing the patience of the Government, especially at a time when President Rajapakse is making a resolute effort to resume talks and move the peace process forward." "It is regrettable that the LTTE has chosen to totally disregard the statement issued by the Co-Chairs on 19 December 2005. We urge the international community to exert maximum pressure on the LTTE for release of all Security Forces and Police personnel taken hostage by the LTTE and to desist from engaging in hostile acts that would further escalate the volatile situation in the North and East," the government statement said. Next day, the government issued another statement, this time condemning the killing of thirteen sailors in Mannar. The government repeated that the Tigers were carrying out deliberate and pre-planned attacks thereby obstructing the government's peace effort. The statement said such attacks were an impediment to the peace process, however reiterating that the government's efforts to a negotiated settlement could not be obstructed by such violence and that it was proceeding with consultations with all relevant parties to move ahead the peace front. Bipartisan process But, one important point for the government is that it can not achieve an unilateral peace. Peace is a bipartisan process and unless the main adversary who now remains glued to terrorism, rehabilitates itself, the government's peace effort is bound to collapse. This is a delicate process for the government. How can it talk peace to a movement, which has institutionalised terrorism as its driving force. The Wickremesinghe Administration soon after its election victory in 2001 embarked on an ambitious effort to seek a negotiated settlement. Despite, the achievements of the CFA and LTTE's repeated pledges of its commitment to a political solution, it should be recalled, more than anything it was stepped up military offensives and especially the induction of ruthlessly efficient weapon systems that broke the LTTE's courage, forcing it to the negotiation table. Condemnation Add to this was roaring international condemnation of terrorism on the eve of the September 11 attacks. The ceasefire agreement albeit its loopholes, leaves a positive balance sheet, its achievements are greater than its losses - That is a fact that we have highlighted many a time. But the CFA is now a cover for the Tigers to continue with terrorism, while enjoying privileges offered by the agreement. The increasing number of attacks of the security forces in the Jaffna peninsula could not have been possible during the pre ceasefire period. The entire Jaffna peninsula was swept and counter-insurgency tactics, which any self respecting government fighting terrorism would have consented, were in force. It is under a totally different set up that the security forces now face the undercover LTTE agents who had sneaked to the security forces' controlled areas in the North and the East and easily mingle with the civilian population after every attack on the security forces. On Friday and Thursday alonge, over a dozen attacks had been carried out against the Security Forces by the LTTE cadres who attack using civilians as a shield. Two soldiers were injured in hand grenades and fire attacks in Irupalai and Thurinelvely on Thursday evening. One soldier was injured when two LTTE cadres riding a motorbike lobbed a hand grenade at troops on duty at a piquet point in Irupalay and the other soldier was wounded when LTTE gunmen fired at an army check point in Thirunelvely. Same day, troops also arrested two LTTE cadres riding a motorbike alone with hand grenades and pistols in Jaffna. The Navy found a claymore mine with a detonating code in Kayts on the same day morning. Grenade in Padikkiya Same day, LTTE cadres lobbed a hand grenade at an Army point in Padikkiya, Trincomalee. Troops later arrested five suspects. On Friday, an army Sergeant attached to Military Intelligence Corps was found dead in Nuwara Eliya. The deceased, Sergeant Danapala was on his way to the Nuwara Eliya police station when he was killed. On the same day noon, LTTE cadres riding in motor bikes lobbed hand grenades and fired at troops in Chavakachcheri, killing one woman who was caught in the fire. Same day, the sea Tigers attacked two Navy dinghies in the seas off Mannar. On Wednesday afternoon, an Army corporal was killed and two officers and four soldiers were injured when LTTE gunmen hiding behind a roadside building, lobbed hand grenades and fired at a military vehicle in Kachchai, Jaffna . Kopay grenade attack Three police constables were injured in a grenade attack at Kopay police station on the same day and two soldiers were injured in another grenade explosion in Kalviyankadu, Jaffna. Understandably, the Tamil polity is helpless before the LTTE's spree of ceasefire violations. It has been made subservient to Prabhakaran's cause. It is open to question, if they are free to select their destiny, whether Tamil polity would follow Prabhakaran's dictates, having already suffered for two decades for a cause which is hard to achieve given geo-political reasons, let alone the ultimate military response such an effort could face with, as evident in the latter stages of the Eelam war. But, the reluctance of the Tamil polity to challenge the LTTE's authority also makes it a victim. Last week a few dons of Jaffna University, including its vice-chancellor took to the streets, protesting the stepped up security measures. None of these academics ever voiced concern at the conduct of under cover LTTE agents who blasted the two claymore mines two weeks ago - and continue with attacks at the security forces- forcing the security forces to beef up security measures. One thing most LTTE sympathizers need to reckon with is that though theer can be other legitimate rights, there can not be a legitimate right to terrorism. It is objectivism that is lacking in the Tamil polity right now. Jaffna university academics need not parrot the dictates of the LTTE as already the LTTE proxy, Tamil National Alliance is doing it in the well of the House. On Monday, the Army fired into the air to disperse a demonstration of Jaffna University students and staff, wounding seven demonstrators, including Professor C. Mohanadas, the Vice Chancellor, when protesters hurled stones at the security forces. Rape and murder The protesters were on a procession to the SLMM office to hand a petition condemning the rape and murder of young girl, Tharshini Ilayathamby, whose body was found in a well in the High Security Zone of Punguduthivu. The villagers accuse the Navy personnel of the murder. LTTE political commissar S.P.Thamilselvan later wrote to the Norwegian Ambassador, Hans Brattskar urging, to "initiate meaningful steps to bring about calm and peace in the Tamil homeland" and calling on the international community "to prevail upon the government to pull back its forces into the barracks and bring about normalcy in the life of the peace loving people". He said," as a planned continuation, the military has accelerated its pace of harassment and attacks on civilian population. The military has adopted the most indecent pattern of attacking selectively many of the Tamil academics and the education community at large... We fear that the military expanding its nefarious activities to public thoroughfares, educational institutions, densely populated residential areas and public places where people congregate would unfortunately lead to serious consequences". Critical juncture " At this critical juncture when the Tamil people are in the fringe of their patience and subject to military violence let loose on them, the international community has a moral obligation to prevail upon the government to pull back its forces into the barracks and bring about normalcy in the life of the peace loving people," it said. But, if Prabhakaran truly needs peace, he should first restrain his cadres, who given the very nature of the command structure of the LTTE can not act with out the consent of the hierarchy. But, Prabhakaran is gradually exposing himself to the international community, who still tolerates the presence of LTTE fund raisers and activists in their amidst, that he can not rehabilitate nor can his movement.
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