Never forget this day in your life time
by Dhaneshi Yatawara
[email protected]
President Mahinda Rajapaksa inspects the recovered armaments
during the Vakarai Liberation operation |
The commandos after the Thoppigala victory |
Police elite force personnel in Kanchikudichchiaru jungles |
The Mavil Aru anicut |
|
The much acclaimed Eastern Provincial Council election and the
reintroduction of democracy, is welcome news for the entire country.
Political rallies and their decorations were a common sight in the East
for the past few weeks. Many with various views on holding the
Provincial Council elections. Yet, after the liberation of the Eastern
Province from Tiger stronghold, people started to smell a fresh
fragrance in the wind.
If the Eastern Province was not liberated from the clutches of the
LTTE but allowed to remain under the power of the gun and terrorism,
restoration of discipline, development and democracy would have been
just another dream for Sri Lanka.
The innocent people would never had the slightest hope for a peaceful
future. Now they are armed with the right to elect their representatives
unlike in the gloomy past - the era of LTTE’s omnipotent ruling. If not
for the heart and will of our soldiers we will not enjoy our lives to
the utmost.
We are in clean shoes while his get dirty and muddy, being in the
jungles and mud puddles in the Forward Defence Lines. Yes, it is true he
is doing his job. Yet, for taking up such a job, loaded with risks and
totally devoted to protect others, it’s worth highly valuing the courage
to take such a decision and continue the rough line of conduct.
Starting from 20 July 2006 in Mavil Aru till capturing the Thoppigala
(Baron’s cap) area with the LTTE’s ‘Thora Bora’ base by 11 July 2007,
Sri Lankan security forces’ determination to liberate the East never
died.
The undying history
True patriots never forget the people who paved the path towards a
free living at the cost of their blood, toil and sweat. Yet, let us take
a glimpse at the history, though it is not faraway but for the fear of
it getting further away from our memories.
Since 20th July 2006, when the LTTE closed the Mavil Aru sluice gates
making 15,000 acres of paddy fields into bare lands and 30,000 farmers
helpless, the Government decided that ‘enough is enough’. People were
suffering, the whole North and East were intensely suffering from the
iron clutches of the Tigers, not to mention the fear and anxiety the
rest of the country was undergoing.
In this backdrop, within six days the Sri Lankan Army decided to
launch the humanitarian operation to recapture the Mavil Aru annicut in
order to make the people and the area free from terror threats. In less
than two weeks Army succeeded in reopening the sluice gates and chasing
away the terrorists from the vicinity.
The security forces did not stop their operation to liberate the East
- a precious part of our motherland forcibly held by the Tigers. From
Mavil Aru security forces headed towards Trincomalee south, i.e. Muttur
and Sampoor.
While the troops were getting close to the Mavil Aru annicut Tigers
intensified their attacks on civilian settlements in and around Muttur
area. Hence, while concentrating on recapturing the Mavil Aru the troops
had to liberate Muttur as well. For the well trained and disciplined
soldiers this was no challenge. Muttur was accordingly liberated.
Thousands of people were displaced since they left their homes taking
a handful of assets in fear of LTTE offensives. After liberating the
area the Government along with the security forces started resettling
people in their original homelands.
According to statistics available 37,000 people are resettled. After
the liberation, people started returning to their homes and at the
moment not a single camp for Internally Displaced is in existence.
Since early September 2006, Tigers were threatening the strategically
important places and civilian settlements located North of Trincomalee
bay by firing mortars and artillery and continued to hold the Sampoor
area in the South of Trincomalee bay. The Trincomalee town and its
inhabitants were in danger. At first, the Security Forces retaliated
using Artillery fire power but the Tigers continued their offensives.
Hence, the forces were compelled to launch an operation to liberate
the Sampoor area in order to ensure the security of the commercially,
militarily and strategically important places.
The biggest risk the forces faced was that LTTE was using innocent
civilians of Sampoor area as a shield. But the troops reached well
fortified LTTE targets compelling the terrorists to withdraw from the
area.
During this operation that started in August 28, 2006 and continued
till September 04, troops killed more than hundred LTTE cadres whereas
only 24 soldiers sacrificed their lives for the sake of the country.
In the Muttur operation 152 LTTE cadres were killed in action, while
six of our brave soldiers died.
Following the victory, the troops had to launch another nine day
operation starting from 01st October, to free the Manirasakulam general
area in the West of Muttur.
From 01st October itself, the humanitarian operation to liberate
Vakarai started and lasted till mid January 2007. Terrorists started
attacking Army detachments in Mankerni and Kadjuwatta, located south of
Vakarai, placing their artillery and mortar fire positions against
civilian settlements in Vakarai and Kadiraweli areas. The LTTE was
making a worldwide propaganda accusing the Sri Lankan security forces
for attacking civilian settlements.
Due to the incessant harassments meted out by the Tigers in uncleared
areas civilians, in large numbers, moved to Government-controlled areas.
Army launched a humanitarian operation to liberate the unfortunate
victims of the Tiger ruthlessness. On the 9th November, LTTE cadres
fired at a group of innocent civilians who were escaping for safety.
During this operation, LTTE suffered a heavy loss including some of
their senior cadres. On November 11 the Navy handed over the body of
Arivu Charles to the International Red Cross. Arivu was the deputy
leader of the LTTE in the Vakarai area. In an another incident, an LTTE
area leader, Vidugan Master was killed.
During the entire operation almost 700 LTTE cadres were killed and a
large number was injured.
A large stock of weapons was recovered from the area during the
operation and afterwards.
It included a number of heavy weapons like 120 mortar guns.
Simultaneously the Police elite forces were carrying on another
operation in the Kanjikudichcharu jungles in Ampara district. During a
month long operation to eradicate terrorism from these areas, the Police
Special Task Force captured a number of LTTE strongholds.
STF officers captured the Stanley base on 08th January 2007 and three
days later destroyed another LTTE camp named ‘Janak’. Another two LTTE
strongholds Nalini base and Camp No. 02 came under the STF. By mid
January 2007, many of the Tiger bases in this jungle were captured by
the STF and in early February an LTTE camp called ‘Jeewanandan’ came
under STF control.
Due to this execessive pressure from the Police elite forces, Tiger
cadres in the jungle were forced to retreat in all directions. This
capture blocked the hidden supply routes of the LTTE towards Vakarai and
its vicinity from the Thoppigala area, the Tiger stronghold in the
Eastern theatre.
During the month of March and early April the army succeeded in
getting control of Batticaloa West covering Wellawali, Kovilporativu,
Periyaporativu, Vavunativu, Kokkadicholai, Illuppadichenai, Unnichchi,
Rugam, Karadiyanaru.
At present Batticaloa is under civil administration and has become a
focal point for the present Provincial Council elections.
Since the beginning of 2007, the Sri Lanka Navy intensified their
patrolling in the seas. As a result arms and ammunition supplies to the
LTTE were largely hampered.
The Navy blocked almost all the international supply routes while the
Army, the Airforce and the Police elite forces were blocking the
internal supply routes putting the Tigers at a total chaos.The Navy was
able to destroy several ships that were supplying arms and ammunition to
the LTTE.
The presence of heavy weapons, ammunition as well as missiles in all
the destroyed ships was proved during the search and clear operations.
If these stocks reached the Tigers it would have given them immense
capabilities to destroy our forces. Sri Lanka Navy was on vigilance
round the clock.
In addition transporting Army battalions to and from required
locations was carried out by the Navy successfully. The intense
situation arose when the Security Forces launched their operation to
clear Thoppigala which was the main LTTE bastion in the east.
This operation that lasted since April 25 till July 11, 2007 cleared
Thoppigala, Pankunaweli, Narakamulla, Galkanda, Lindagala, Tharavi,
Kotiyagala areas.
The Sri Lankan Air Force continuously bombed identified LTTE
locations within the area. As a result the strength of the LTTE started
deteriorating rapidly. Loads of weapons, ammunition, vehicles and
accessories were found during the fighting and the subsequent search and
clear operations.
Being attacked from all three fronts, the LTTE had no option but to
flee away from the area mainly towards North and the South. The history
never repeated in the East. After the liberation, the LTTE was not in a
position to carry out attacks hampering the development drive in the
East.
Currently, troops are moving away from the area letting the civil
administration to resume its operations.
It was the soldier, be it the Army, the Navy, the Airforce, the
Police and STF who sacrificed their lives to pave the path and bring in
normalcy to the entire Eastern theatre.
It is our bounden duty to hold in esteem the supreme sacrifices our
forces made for the sake of our motherland.
Let democracy flourish on this fresh land and make it truly the land
of the rising sun! Let us not forget the past because history is what
brought us to present. |