Sunday Observer Online

Home

News Bar »

News: No proof of Navy attacks on Indian fishermen - FM ...           Finanacial News: Space crunch in Colombo Port hits trade...          Sports: Fijian Jimmy Bolakoro overstays his visa ....

DateLine Sunday, 13 May 2007

Untitled-1

observer
 ONLINE


OTHER PUBLICATIONS


OTHER LINKS

Marriage Proposals
Classified
Government Gazette

Re-settlement proceeds amidst adverse reports

The Government will take a further step ahead tomorrow in the East with initiating the process of resettling the displaced civilians in the West of Batticaloa and South of Batticaloa amidst confronting massive challenges specially due to adverse reports about the situation and attempts to belittle the victories of the Security Forces.

The resettlement, according to authorities, will first commence in Vellaveli, Porathivu, Mandur and Vavunathivu located West of Batticaloa with the completion of the process of issuing special identity cards for the people returning to their villages.

This will be a significant victory for the Government, in the face of major criticism levelled against the Government by certain groups who had not even, trod their feet in the district of Batticaloa after the escalation of violence in the East in the middle of last year.

The Government too, lifted the travel restriction imposed on envoys and diplomats visiting the Eastern Province last week with Security Forces given assurance that the situation in the East is totally under the control of the Forces and the Police.

The diplomats who had totally depended on media reports and other sources to brief their respective Governments now have the chance of visiting the area to observe the situation with their own eyes.

Humanitarian mission

The decision to advise diplomatic heads to seek prior approval from the Foreign Ministry when travelling to Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Ampara was taken two months ago follows an LTTE mortar attack targeting a group of diplomats in Batticaloa on a humanitarian mission.

The group accompanied by the Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe came under attack soon after arrival at the Batticaloa airbase.

Therefore the clearance given for the diplomats by the Foreign Ministry will be a great opportunity for the diplomats based in Colombo to observe the situation and compare how effectively the Security Forces have reacted to a crisis of this nature despite some lapses due to logistic and administrative problems.

As one senior Military official in the Eastern theatre suggested, the Security Forces in the East handle the overflowing number of displaced people, first from Vakarai and secondly from West and South of Batticaloa more effectively than the US authorities handled the situation when they were hit by Hurricane, Katrina.

Therefore, the Security Forces should be commended for handling this situation effectively, amidst facing the terror threats of the LTTE. However, they are now poised to see and an end to their almost one year long task in the Eastern theatre commencing from the noble task Mavilaru of to restore water supply for more than 30,000 people South of Trincomalee.

According to Security Forces, the process of resettling more than 60,000 to 65,000 will be completed by the end of next month as the Police Special Task Forces has taken steps to establish civil administration in the West and South of Batticaloa by establishing Police stations and removing booby traps and mines that will hamper the process of resettling people in the area.

The STF has also taken steps to strengthen the security along the Chenkaladi - Maha Oya A-5 road that was taken fully under their control on April 11 to be open to the general public very soon.

With these developments the overflowing number of displaced civilians in the Batticaloa district will be decreased drastically in the coming months as the resettlement of 17,000 people in Vakarai has already been completed.

Resettlement process in the South will soon be completed once the civilians displaced from South of Trincomalee are also resettled in their villages and also in alternative places.

With these developments taking place with regard to resettlement of displaced civilians, troops in Batticaloa are now engaged in their final battle to defeat the last batch of Tiger cadres, in the Thoppigala jungles surrounding the jungle and confining their activities only to that territory.

Desperate calls

The Security Forces, this week heard the desperate calls by the Tiger cadres, to LTTE leadership in Kilinochchi appealing for help as they are running short of ammunition to face the Security Forces.

The Kilinochchi LTTE leadership has responded to this appeal that anyhow they will rescue them either by sea or by using their aircraft, they would rescue the remaining leaders in Thoppigala jungles.

Whatever, the remarks made by the LTTE leadership in Kilinochchi, it has to be noted that even Sea Tiger leader Soosai failed in his effort to transfer a number of Tiger leaders escaping from various parts of the East failed to transfer them to Mullaitivu having deployed 25 boats due to heavy resistance form the Navy.

Therefore, it would be a dream for the Tiger leaders to escape Thoppigala jungles to escape by air using their light aircraft which can carry only two people at a time. Under these circumstances, the Security Forces in the East have to be in much more vigilance to avert the movement of Tiger cadres from East to the North.

The Security Forces and the Police in Batticaloa and Ampara have been instructed to strengthen the security in the two districts since there is a possibility for the desperate Tiger cadres who are now mingling with the civilian population to create problematic situation making use of the explosives and suicide jackets hidden at various parts of the East.

Though some civilians were unhappy about the increased security situation in the Ampara district, the Police had to take these measures in view of a possible LTTE attack targeting the civilians. If the Tiger cadres are allowed to do make such a calamity in the East the entire efforts made by the Security Forces with greater commitment will go in waste, as such incidents can easily change the public opinion on the situation thus demoralizing the troops.

Desperate acts

Any such possibility cannot be ruled out considering the desperate acts done by the LTTE by exploding several bombs in Batticaloa and also exploding a bomb inside a civilian bus in Kondawattuwan in Ampara when their bastions in West and South of Batticaloa were about to fall to the hands of the Security Forces.

Though not connected to the resettlement of people the incident took place yesterday in Marandamadu in the Ampara Kalamunai road in which two power transformers were blasted by the LTTE using explosive devices was a clear indication to say that the Tiger outfit would resort to such desperate acts to sabotage the process of resettlement of people. The Tiger outfit resorted such desperate acts when Security Forces wera making arrangements to resettle the displaced civilians in Vakarai too.

However, Special Task Force (STF) taking control of the newly liberated in the West and South of Batticaloa areas making all efforts to ensure a better environment for the displaced civilians to return to their villages. Now it is obvious that the Tiger outfit has been completely disturbed due to these developments as they are only talking about the heroic acts they have done using their light aircraft.

As pointed out by this column few weeks back the LTTE air wing has now become a boomerang for the Tiger outfit as they are running cover of the air attacks of the LTTE desperately to protect their air capabilities which were very proudly shown to the world as their latest assets to increase their fund raising campaigns and for their recruitment drives.

The Government now has expedited the process of enhancing the air defence capabilities of the Air Force with increased number of radars been fitted to detect suspicious air movements and to modify the available aircraft as interceptors.

The Air Defence System which had not taken any root until 2005 despite intelligence reports about the Tiger air capabilities since 1998, now taking roots in the country with the assistance of the Indian Government and the efforts made by Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa with the assistance of the three Forces Commanders.

The Air Force will soon be equipped with state-of-the-art equipment to counter the air threats of the LTTE more effectively than expected by the common masses of this country. Even under the increased alertness by the Security Forces and also by the public the LTTE is not in a position even to take off their aircraft to the air for any mission.

If any such act will be detrimental to the LTTE of losing not only their aircraft but also their pilots.According to the assessments by the Security Forces, though they expected suicide mission using the light aircraft available with them, targeting sensitive economic centres or Presidential palace, the LTTE has abandoned such a mission as it is extremely difficult for them to acquire such air assets due to current trends which are extremely hostile to the organisation.

The other factor contributing towards this, is their inability to train pilots for such a task, in the same way they train suicide cadres to target VVIPs in the South. On the other hand the Tiger outfit cannot keep such well trained Tiger cadres within their organisation as becoming a pilot is not as easy as becoming a suicide cadre.

Therefore, the remaining pilots who had trained in South Africa will also have to face the same destiny, as of a suicide cadre if they continue with this dangerous game anymore.

That was why the Tiger outfit is now making desperate attempts to influence the international community's attention towards the North East conflict to come out of this disadvantageous position as they are not sure even about their strongholds in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu as troops are going ahead with the noble task of liberating the Tamil civilians in Wanni from the Tiger grip.

The only tool they may use against the Government is the human rights situation as they are aware that was the only tool that can bring international pressures on the Government to stop the ongoing military operations against them in the North East.

However, President Mahinda Rajapaksa made the Government position clear to the US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher pointing out the necessity on the part of the Government to be vigilant in the interests of national security whilst explaining the security situation in the country.

He also explained the measures and efforts taken by the Government to ensure a better human rights situation in the country despite the challenges posed by terror acts of the LTTE.

Effort to fight...

However, Richard Boucher ensured the Government right to neutralise the air capabilities of the LTTE and assure US Government support towards its effort to fight terrorism in the country.

According to diplomatic sources, many countries are happy with the manner the Government is tackling terrorism in the country, despite their concerns about fewer number of human rights violations taking place. The extent of international support towards curbing fund raising activities of the LTTE was apparent during the past few weeks many LTTE activists engaged in fund raising activities in Europe, Australia and the US were brought to book.

Such assistance by foreign nations will definitely help the Government in its effort to get rid of terrorism of the LTTE in the country and to give just solution for the Tamil people in the country without dragging the feet of the Government which is about to reach results of its efforts of eradicating LTTE terror in the country.

EMAIL |   PRINTABLE VIEW | FEEDBACK

Gamin Gamata - Presidential Community & Welfare Service
Villa Lavinia - Luxury Home for the Senior Generation
www.lankapola.com
www.srilankans.com
www.greenfieldlanka.com
www.buyabans.com
www.peaceinsrilanka.org
www.army.lk
www.news.lk
www.defence.lk
www.helpheroes.lk/
 

| News | Editorial | Financial | Features | Political | Security | Spectrum | Impact | Sports | World | Magazine | Junior | Letters | Obituaries |

 
 

Produced by Lake House Copyright © 2007 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.

Comments and suggestions to : Web Editor