Budget outcome

Blow to unpatriotic boost for anti-terrorism

The nation overcame yet another obstacle in its fight against terrorism with the Government sailing through the Third Reading of the Budget vote in the Parliament with a majority of 47 votes securing 114 votes in favour of the Budget.

The Government had to engage in yet another tug of war apart from its fight against terrorism to see that the Budget proposals passed at the Third Reading vote in the Parliament.

Finally, those who thought in the interest of the national security once again fulfilled yet another national requirement to make the Government's successful efforts to defeat LTTE terrorism from the Sri Lankan soil, a realistic one.

Therefore, it was yet another blow to the LTTE which made every effort to topple the Government at this decisive moment in the effort of eliminating terrorism as they were sure about their defeat in the Wanni at the hand of the Security Forces with the heavy losses they faced recently in the Wanni battle front.

The Security Forces, with the dispel of uncertainty in their way forward to defeat terrorism now can engage in their fight against terrorism with renewed vigor as they are now receiving unprecedented support from the common masses whatever the effort made by mainstream political parties to topple their endeavors.

Not only the common masses the international community too is strongly backing their fight against terrorism as they continue to suppress terror operations, and fund raising activities of the LTTE at the highest level while many of the friendly nations are strengthening the hand of the Government by providing fresh military assistance to continue the fight against the LTTE.

The basic factor that has never been realized by the United National Party which made a desperate attempt to topple the Government at this decisive juncture, to fulfil the requirement on the part of the LTTE is that the people of this country whatever the hardships they have to face in their day to day lives still think about the country.

The people have realized the fact that if the current process of defeating the LTTE militarily with the view of restoring democracy in the North and East is paralyzed due to Government change, there won't be any chance to defeat the LTTE in the future.

The most unfortunate thing is that those who are working according to vested political interests are unable to understand this situation properly.

Though the Security Forces have not achieved the success to extent of the climax of the Jaya Sikurui operation in 1998, the people have kept full trust on the military strategy adopted by the Security Forces as there is no chance of a fall back of the territory to the LTTE as it happened in the late 1990's.

But things cannot be taken so lightly in the present context as the LTTE continue to renew their strategies to take the situation in their favor by destabilizing the situation in other parts of the country-specially in the East.

That was the strategy the LTTE continued during the past few months starting from the lightning attack on the Thalgasmankada, Army detachment and subsequent claymore attacks that took place inside the Yala National Park.

The Security Forces are still making efforts to track the Tiger cadres who infiltrated into the Yala National Park and have made a major breakthrough in their investigations.

The Security Forces believe that the LTTE cadres have now moved towards the Moneragala area in the border of the Yala National Park as they no longer can operate inside Yala due to the heavy presence of military personnel inside the park.

However, the Security Forces have received confirmed intelligence reports that the group is handled by the Tiger leader Ram and they have been given instructions to operate in the South anyhow to destabilize the South to lessen the military thrust on the Wanni fronts.

The idea is to scatter the Security Forces personnel all along the Eastern Province, Southern tip of the country and other parts of the South.

Adding to this situation the LTTE is trying to raise their head again in the East as Security Forces received intelligence reports that a group of 20 Tiger cadres under the leadership of Ariselvan have landed in Eethalampattu area recently to destabilize the situation in Vakarai and Verugal area and to activate the sleeper cadres in the Verugal and Eethalampattu areas.

The recent incidents that took place in the Eeethalamapattu areas were believed to be acts of these Tiger groups headed by Ariselvan operating in the area.

The Security Forces are taking precautionary steps to curtail their terror operations by deploying fresh battalions in Verugal area and North of Thoppigala which has been threatened by intelligence cadres operating among the newly resettled people along the Chenkaladi Maha Oya road.

Due to pending threats on the Batticaloa Air Base, Colonel Tillekeratne the Brigade Commander 232 Brigade based in Tharavikulam has been appointed to look after the security of the Batticaloa Air Base.

The intelligence reports indicate that the LTTE is preparing for an attack similar to the Anuradhapura air base to show the outside world about their capability to operate in the East.

On the other front the LTTE has inducted their cadres in the Mahavilachchiya and Vilpattu jungle in the South of Mannar to destabilize the situation in the South of Mannar in an event of a major military thrust on the Wanni defences.

The LTTE is making these desperate attempts to prevent the formation of the 59 Division of the Sri Lanka Army, which has already been formed to back up the troops in the Wanni FDLs from Mannar to Kokkuthuduvai.

Brigadier Nandana Udawatta has been appointed as the General Officer Commanding the 59 Division. He was the Deputy GOC of the 57 Division based in Kalmadu. Brigadier W. B. Jayasundera has been appointed as the Deputy GOC of the 59 Division.

Lt. Col. A. Ariyawansha, Lt. Col. Maneesha Silva and Lt. Col. Palitha Fernando have been appointed as the Brigade Commanders of the 591, 592 and 593 Brigades which come under the 59 Division.

The newly formed 59 Division is most likely to be deployed in Weli Oya to strengthen the security in the area especially the security of the civilian population living there in the Weli Oya sector who are continuously facing threats from the LTTE.

The 57 Division and the Task Force -1 which is going to be formed as the 58 Division is currently launching major thrusts on the LTTE defences.

Heavy fighting is reported in the area during the past one week as the LTTE has deployed Sea Tiger cadres and cadres from the Charles Anthony Brigade to thwart the efforts of the Security Forces.

According to intelligence reports newly recruited Sea Tiger cadres have been deployed in the North of Mannar where troops attached to Task Force -1 is operating due to the severe manpower shortage they are facing due to ongoing fighting.

LTTE suffered heavy losses amounting to 38 deaths and over 55 casualties on December 11 during the clashes erupted on the Mannar and Vavuniya fronts in Wanni.as Tiger leaders 'Bhanu' and 'Jeyam' made a desperate attempt to retake the land captured by the Security forces in the South of Adampan in the Manthai, Narikkulama and Parappakandal.

The initial reports received from the Mannar battlefronts indicated that 20 terrorists were killed and 30 suffered injuries. However, later reports revealed that 33 LTTE cadres were killed and 55 others were injured during yesterday's clashes. Three soldiers lost their lives and 16 others suffered injuries during the clashes.

Though the ground captured by the Security Forces earlier in the South of Adampan were little affected due to this attack the Security Forces were able to flush the Tiger cadres from the area in subsequent attacks on Friday.

However, the ongoing fighting in the Wanni battle front is not in favour of the LTTE as they are facing a severe shortage of manpower in the Wanni.

Therefore, the LTTE is making every possible attempt to shield the areas in the East and the South by deploying their cadres to destabilize the situation.

The increasing manpower of the Security Forces with the recruitment of 29,300 soldiers to the Sri Lanka Army can face this challenge effectively deploying fresh battalions to secure the areas captured by the Security Forces in the East and deploy well experienced troops to FDLs in the Wanni and Jaffna to launch a major thrust on the LTTE.

According to Sri Lanka Army 16,000 soldiers who are now undergoing training and pass out from different Army Training schools will fulfil the required strength to keep the areas intact from any Tiger attacks.

Therefore, the Sri Lanka Army is gearing up to take the full control of the areas captured from the Tiger cadres in the Wanni and in Jaffna by strengthening its man power.The Sri Lanka Army has not received such a response in the recent history as the recruitment drive could fulfil not only the requirement for this year but also half of the requirement for next year.

On the part of the international community there is an overwhelming support both from Pakistan and India for the efforts of the Security Forces by providing required military supplies for the Security Forces on a concessionary basis.

Pakistan is already considering a fresh package of military assistance amounting to US $ 31 million to Sri Lanka to strengthen their fight against the LTTE while India too is extending its support by way of cooperating with the Sri Lanka Navy to stop arms smuggling by the LTTE.

Therefore, by sailing through the Third Reading Budget vote the Government has put the Security Forces strongly against the LTTE and to bring an end to LTTE terror on Sri Lankan soil.

The Government too should be determined to bring the desired results out of the available opportunity to defeat LTTE terrorism by strengthening the hands of the Security Forces to usher permanent peace to the country.