From Mavil Aru victory to the arrest of KP

The humanitarian operation and the end of LTTE:

Sunday Observer and Daily News Defence Correspondent Ranil Wijayapala has extensively reported on the humanitarian mission of the Security Forces from the banks of Mavil Aru to the shores of Mullaitivu, where they finally defeated the LTTE, the world’s most ruthless terrorist organisation. Here, he recalls those historic steps of the heroic Tri Forces personnel in their quest for freedom for all Sri Lankans.

The Government of Sri Lanka and its people now breathe an air of freedom without a semblance of fear of LTTE terrorism that devastated the country for three decades as the alerted intelligence sleuths lay their widest ever dragnet to hunt down the last remaining threat to the country’s national security with the arrest of self appointed Tiger Chief Selvarasa Pathmanathan or famously known as KP in a South East Asian country this week.

His arrest, which surprised the entire world like the death of Prabhakaran, marked the end of the terror regime of the LTTE with the rounding up of Selvarasa Pathmanathan considered and confirmed to be the last terror leader of the gang groomed by its leader Velupillai Prabhakaran who died in the banks of Nanthikadal lagoon when Army troops surrounded his location on May 19, 2009.

All the other terror leaders, who had been groomed by its leader Velupillai Prabhakaran to become partners of his terror kingdom, were killed hours before his death at the hands of the Security Forces as they made their final desperate escape bid from the Mullaivaikkal area on May 18, 2009.

Final reports now indicate that all the top rung and middle rung terror leaders, who were behind Tiger leader Prabhakaran, were killed either on April 5, 2009 or on May 18 ,19, 2009 during fierce battles in Mullaivaikkal area.

So, defence authorities did not want to keep room for even a shadow of the Tiger outfit to exist freely, to spoil its triumph over the most ruthless terrorist outfit of the world although this ghost Tiger leader was wandering all over the world hiding his terror identity.

As KP was finally caught in the worldwide security dragnet against LTTE terror, some elements are trying to expose it as the global hunt down on Tamil leaders fighting for a fair cause of justice for the Tamils.

But the underlying fact here is that as hours, days, weeks and months passed after the triumph over world’s ruthless terror outfit, people tend to forget the cruel ruthlessness of the LTTE.

Many are not aware of the fact that the defence authorities, certainly with the assistance of friendly nations supported the cracking down on terrorism, roping in the last Tiger leader (there may be other surviving Tiger leaders, but KP was the most prominent Tiger leader to survive after the defeat of the LTTE) exactly three years after Security Forces achieved its first victory against the inhuman acts of the LTTE the opening of the sluice gates of Mavil Aru.

It was the blessings of the humble peasants in Trincomalee South, who made out their living through paddy cultivation, bestowed on the Security Forces who fought fearlessly to open the sluice gates of the Mavil Aru anicut to restore the water supply for the people. It would certainly have given the Security Forces a tower of strength to reach new heights in their fight against LTTE terrorism.

And today, all these victories against terrorism reflect the great efforts of our Forces who fought for a genuine cause as they first fired shots against the LTTE to regain the control of Mavil Aru sluicegates which were arbitrarily closed by the LTTE depriving water to more than 15,000 population of their lifeline, paddy cultivation.

Although, the closure of the Mavil Aru sluice gates back fired on Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, who repented his wrong calculations and decisions, it was a matter between life and death for 15,000 population, even for the Tamils living in Selvanagar and Thoppur and Muttur areas in Trincomalee South.

The humanitarian operation to secure Mavil Aru sluicegates by the Commando troops on July 26, 2006 was made after serious consideration of the ground realities as the Government was well aware of the fact that there was no other solution than a military solution to restore drinking water supply for 30,000 people.

The Government was aware that Tigers would make undue demands to achieve their terror goals taking one of the basic human rights for ransom, but painting a humanitarian picture for their demands which had been the hallmark of their terror operations.

This was evident after LTTE forwarded conditions to open the Mavil Aru anicut through Norwegian facilitators who hurriedly flew to Kilinochchi to have discussions with the LTTE on the issue. The conditions forwarded by the LTTE to the Government were flatly rejected with Government Defence Affairs Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella saying, “Water should not be a negotiating tool”.

The Government was matured in its thinking and was holding its patience to the maximum by the time the LTTE came out with this most brutal act against humanity. Though the LTTE tried to justify the closure of Mavil Aru , the previous and follow up terror operations by the LTTE very precisely indicates that the closure of Mavil Aru was the first step in its master military plan to take full control of the North and East.

They were marking time to hunt down the top military brass and weaken the military, whilst engaging in peace negotiation with the Government to hoodwink the international community. Their first target was the Army Commander, Lt. General Fonseka. But he was fortunate enough to survive the devastating suicide attack by the a female suicide cadre inside the Army Headquarters in Colombo on April 25, 2006.

By the time the LTTE closed down Mavil Aru, Lt. General Fonseka was recovering from his wounds in Singapore and was about to return to Colombo to take up the full command of the Army. However, the Government could not wait till his return to carry out the mission to regain the control of Mavil Aru anicut since it had to be done as priority issue.

The Chief of Staff of the Army Major General Nanda Mallawarachchi, who was appointed as the Acting Commander of the Sri Lanka Army after Lt. General Fonseka took wings to Singapore for medical treatment , was instructed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Commander-in-Chief to launch the limited operation to regain the control of Mavil Aru anicut.

At the initial stage, two squadrons from the 1 Commando Regiment under Major Handunapthirana were deployed for the task of regaining the full control of Mavil Aru anicut and then 22 Division Commander in Trincomalee Brigadier Mendaka Samarasinghe (now Major General) was entrusted to oversee the military operation.

The military operation was launched as thousands of civilians staged protests in Kallar along with Sinhala Urumaya bhikkhus led by Athuraliye Ratana thera.

Troops based in Kallar had to fight a two-way battle to advance into the Mavil Aru anicut, their main goal on one side and preventing the protesting civilians stepping into Mavil Aru through Kallar area.

The 222 Brigade Commander Lt. Colonel Sarath Wijesinghe took charge of the controlling of the protesting civilians whilst Commando troops engaged in the humanitarian operation while Parliamentary leader of the Jathika Hela Urumaya, Athuraliye Rathana Thera, was trying to lead hundreds of protesters to reach the Mavil Aru sluice gate which the LTTE had closed depriving farmers of water.

Accusing the government of being afraid of the terrorists, Rathana Thera, accompanied by three other monks, said they would take over the sluicegates and provide water for the people.

But the Commander of the 222 regiment Lt. Colonel Sarath Wijesinghe prevented the angry mob of farmers from reaching the sluice gate guarded by about 25 LTTEers. Lt. Colonel Sarath Wijesinghe advised the restive mob that it was very dangerous to reach the spot without being well prepared and the Army personnel at Kallar camp were not enough to make adequate preparations to reach the sluice gate and open it.

With a promise to the villagers to open the water gates within 24 hours, Army moved forward towards the west gate of Mavil Aru covering the irrigation engineers. In the process, LTTE fired mortars towards the Army, and the Army counter attacked.

The complex nature of the operation was evident only after troops launched their operation on July 28, 2006 as the LTTE had commenced this operation keeping the major supply route from Sampur area whilst taking full cover of the Mavil Aru bund to fight against the advancing troops. Few Commando troops had to sacrifice their lives as LTTE had heavily booby trapped the area to prevent troops reaching the anicut.

However, the LTTE plans were evident on the third day of the Mavil Aru operation. On August 01 at 2.25 p.m the LTTE launched barrages of artillery rounds into the Trincomalee Naval base from their heavy calibre guns located in Sampur area. They launched this attack in support of the sea attack on the troops carrier which was carrying more than 700 troops from Kankesanthurai to Trincomlee to reinforce the troops engaged in the Mavil Aru operation.

Now it is evident that the LTTE had attacked the ship which was carrying nearly 600 commando troops based in Jaffna peninsula in support of the Mavil Aru operation.

Fortune was always with the troops as the LTTE attempt to launch an attack on the troops carrier which was about to enter Trincomalee harbour was effectively foiled by Naval troops.

If the LTTE was successful in their mission the history of the Eelam war IV would have been a completely different one today. It was the courage of the Security Forces in their fearlessness in facing the enemy that always spurred them on to survive desperate Tiger attacks.

The launch of the attacks on Kaddaparichan, Muttur, Selvanagar and Mahindapura Army detachments forced thousands of civilians living in Trincomalee South to flee from their villages. If not for the officers of the calibre of Major Senaka Wijesuriya, (now Colonel) second in Command of the 6 Sri Lanka Light Infantry Battalion based in Muttur, the story today would have been a completely different one.

Along with the Mavil Aru operation, Army troops and Naval troops fought back fearlessly to defend their camps for days until reinforcement arrived to flush them out.

It was a major plan by the LTTE to completely take over the route connecting Batticaloa to Trincomalee and then link it to the North across Yan Oya to create a free corridor between the East and the Northern jungles and to isolate the Trincomalee Harbour which was the bridge connecting the troops in the Jaffna peninsula with the South.

The LTTE took the same approach to chase away the Sinhalese and Muslim population living in the South of Trincomalee to ensure that it was a Tamil dominated area. But, troops were able to foil all those master plans by the LTTE whilst engaging in the Mavil Aru humanitarian operation.

The LTTE ran amok in Trincomalee and launched claymore attacks targeting the Security Forces plying on Kanatale-Kallar Road which became the main supply route for the troops engaged in the mission.

Troops engaged in the mission were changed from time to time from Infantry troops to Commando troops and Commando troops to Infantry troops as the resistance of the LTTE was so heavy.

Special Forces troops were deployed from the Southern edge of the Mavil Aru to directly target Tiger cadres taking cover of the tank bund and to isolate LTTE cadres dominating the tank bund.

It paved the way for a major breakthrough in the operation and for the troops to take control of the Mavil Aru sluice gates. However, all these operations were carried out without the knowledge of the public as thousands of civilians had abandoned their villages by this time and were unaware what was going on inside. But the true result of this humanitarian operation was evident around 8.30 p.m. on August 08, 2006.

People living in Kallar village, the first village to benefit from the waters flowing from the Mavil Aru, saw water first flowing in the canals. The news spread all over the country but with an ambiguity as LTTE too claimed that it had volunteered to open the sluice gates of Mavil Aru.

But it was following the press release issued by the Media Centre for National Security that cleared the doubts of the people about the achievements of the valiant troops.

The press release said, “The sluice gates of the Mavil Aru anicut were opened at 8 last night accomplishing the noble objectives of the humanitarian mission which lasted 19 days.

“The free flow of water from the Mavil Aru anicut was stopped on July 20 by the LTTE terrorists, depriving life sustaining water to over 15,000 families and damaging over 30,000 paddy lands. This inhuman act by the LTTE terrorists was a threat not only to their livelihood, but also to their very survival.

“Since no responsible government can turn a blind eye to such an inhuman atrocity, after resorting to all possible peaceful means, a limited military action was launched to open the sluice gates”.

“Meanwhile, as diversionary tactics, terrorists tried to overrun the Muttur town killing civilians and destroying property, forcing them to flee for safety.

The Security Forces were able to drive away the terrorists and take full control of the town.