In the run up to historic victory:

How the diplomatic offensive was won

By Manjula FERNANDO

While the battle against the LTTE was raging in the North, Government 'forces' of a different kind braced for a tougher battle in the diplomatic front.

International pressure to stop the humanitarian operations was mounting at the beginning of 2009 and the Government was threatened with losing much needed financial aid among many other things.

The Government was, however, determined to stand firm and continue the military operations targeted to salvage the civilian hostages who were by then transformed into a pathetic human shield to protect terrorist leaders, and also wipe out ruthless LTTE once and for all from Sri Lanka.

Offensive

The government's resolve was unshaken despite the fact the key players of the Western world stepped up their 'campaign to meddle with our internal affairs to somehow halt the military offensive. Their pressure lever was financial aid and bargaining point was the civilian casualties.

The Foreign Ministry and the Disaster Management and Human Rights Ministry led an offensive of a different nature in Geneva and New York. The key personalities behind this fight included Dayan Jayatilleke, Prof.Rajiva Wijesinha, Deputy Solicitor General Yasantha Kodagoda and heads of missions in New York and Geneva, in addition to the subject ministers and their Secretaries.

A section of the international community instigated by the massive LTTE propaganda machine, which had been tasked to salvage the sinking LTTE and its leaders who by then were about to be annihilated by Security Forces, mounted pressure on Sri Lanka by various means to stop operations against the LTTE.

There was pressure on the IMF to delay Sri Lanka's $1.9bn aid loan.

The Guardian, UK reported on this issue: "The International Monetary Fund came under growing pressure yesterday to delay a $1.9bn (Euro 1.3bn) emergency loan to Sri Lanka, as Colombo emphatically rejected British and French calls for a ceasefire in its campaign against the Tigers.

Ploy

A day after David Miliband, the foreign secretary, and his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner called for a truce on a visit to the country, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that he "did not need lectures from western representatives".

The paper reported that President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa were met by the two foreign ministers where the President has rejected calls for a ceasefire maintaining the call which banked on international humanitarian concerns was a ploy to save remaining Tigers.

He reiterated the operations would stop only after the capture of Prabhakaran dead or alive.

The country's efforts to win their diplomatic struggle were yielding results. Majority of the Security Council members were extending unconditional support to Sri Lanka in its fight against LTTE terror. The Asian, Middle Eastern and the African blocs in particular were expressing solidarity with Sri Lanka before the UN body. The following Reuters report is a case in point.

UNITED NATIONS, April 30 (Reuters) - The members of the U.N. Security Council agree there is no point in punishing Sri Lanka by withholding a $1.9 billion International Monetary Fund loan or other steps, the council's president said on Thursday.

"I have not heard anyone suggesting that," Mexican Ambassador Claude Heller, president of the 15-nation council, told reporters after an informal session on Sri Lanka.Asked if all members of the council agreed that penalties such as withholding the loan were unnecessary, Heller said, "Absolutely."

But Sri Lanka's Central Bank said on Thursday that there was no delay in its application for the loan and negotiations were in the final stages.

British Ambassador John Sawers said London agreed that punishing Sri Lanka did not belong on the agenda."

Backing Sri Lanka from the start were the two veto-wielding UN Security Council powers China and Russia. The two Asian giants used their might to help scuttle any adverse moves by the Western block to suppress Sri Lanka.

Waste time

As soon as Sri Lanka declared victory over LTTE after annihilating the outfit and almost all its top rung military leaders in May 19, 2009 the Chinese Government was ready to acknowledge our triumph. Chinese Foreign ministry spokesperson Ma Zhao announced "As a friendly neighbour, China has kept a close eye on how the Sri Lankan situation developed. We sincerely hope Sri Lanka will make efforts to accomplish national reconciliation, social stability and economic progress."

Russia who readily defended our mission, too did not waste time in congratulating our successful mission in eradicating terrorism. The text of the release issued by Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Andrei Nesterenko read,

"Moscow welcomes reports of the completion by Sri Lankan authorities of their operation against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) extremist organization, resulting in government forces restoring control over the entire territory of the country and freeing civilians held by LTTE as a "human shield."

Guarantee

The Russian side supports the fight of the Sri Lankan government against terrorism and separatism and for state sovereignty and territorial integrity.

We hope that the end to the bloody armed conflict that lasted in Sri Lanka for more than a quarter century will be a guarantee of the establishment of an enduring peace, security and stability in the country.

Moscow wishes the government and people of friendly Sri Lanka success in rapidly overcoming the consequences of the conflict and in achieving economic and social progress based on consensus among and respect for the rights of all the ethnic and religious groups inhabiting it."

Instigated by the strong LTTE international propagandists, the Western bloc did not stop their campaign to reprimand Sri Lanka over the military campaign against LTTE, even after the conclusion of the war.

Barely a week after the LTTE war was completed, a UNHCR special session was convened on a request by 17 states of the 47 member body, including Britain, France, Canada, Germany, Italy and Switzerland.

Despite the fact Sri Lanka needed accolades for its outstanding achievement against a banned terrorist outfit which had assassinated two state leaders, including a Prime Minister of a foreign nation (Former Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi), and goes on record for perfecting the concept of female suicide bomb by designing the suicide belt, the country was to face war crimes charges. The attempt was to the pave way for an international commission of inquiry.

Sri Lanka defiantly took up the challenge. In response a counter resolution, "Assistance to Sri Lanka in Promotion and Protection of Human Rights", was drafted. This counter resolution was co-sponsored by 12 countries including India, China, Russia, Bolivia and Cuba.

The result of the vote was as follows:

In favour (29): Angola, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, China, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Madagascar, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Uruguay, and Zambia.

Against (12): Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, and United Kingdom.

Abstentions (6): Argentina, Gabon, Japan, Mauritius, Republic of Korea, and Ukraine.

Sri Lanka supported by its allies told the special session that the extraordinary meeting was an effort to meddle in the country's internal affairs and insisted the focus now should be on the country's recovery of its three decade long bitter-conflict.

Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe who led the Sri Lankan team said his government was "sick and tired" of international pressure. The outcome of this special session was of historic importance to Sri Lanka. Almost two thirds of the members voted in favour of Sri Lanka subsequently adopting the Sri Lankan resolution instead of the one moved by the West. Cuba supported by our allies blocked a move by the Western bloc to propose amendments to the resolution.

UN Permanent Representative and former Foreign Secretary Dr.Palitha Kohona addressing a seminar in Sri Lanka in January outlined the difficult situation during the final stages of the battle. He said the International Community went on the overdrive attacking Sri Lanka and we had to present our case to other countries and prove that the military option was the only choice for Sri Lanka.

"We had to use other means to end the violence perpetrated by the LTTE with tact and foresight and the government succeeded."

"A train full of military hardware for Sri Lanka was plying from one end of Europe to the other looking for a country willing to ship the material to Sri Lanka and finally Poland agreed to allow the use of one of its ports for that purpose," he said.A number of countries from the western bloc, particularly the UK, US, France and Germany threatened to curtail assistance provided to Sri Lanka to make it submit to their terms, but the country never yielded to their demands and convinced other countries to provide it with military assistance and they helped.

Dr.Kohona said Russia, Poland, China, Israel, Pakistan Japan, India and the Czech Republic were among the countries which readily assisted Sri Lanka in its hour of need. India played an important role in Sri Lanka's military victory over the LTTE when the UK and France urged the government to 'pause' its humanitarian operation in Nanthikadal lagoon to rescue beleaguered civilians fleeing from the clutches of the Tigers, when the noose was tightened on the LTTE.

"When we didn't accede to their request and said that we could on our own handle the 'Humanitarian Operation', they threatened to invade the country by other means, but our diplomatic skills helped us to avert the situation and finally achieve our goal of eliminating terrorism and the perpetrator the LTTE," he said.

Diplomatic front

Notwithstanding the acute political pressure originating from Tamil Nadu, India played a pivotal role in quietly backing Sri Lanka in the final phase of the LTTE war. If not for its role, the task for the Sri Lankan Government would have been much harder and a prolonged one.

China in addition to its role in the diplomatic front played a crucial role in arming Sri Lankan troops.

Pakistan had always been a close and a strong ally of Sri Lanka in its fight against the LTTE. Sri Lanka had always turned to Islamabad during its hour of need especially when there was an immediate need to bolster its fire power.

Soon after the 2006 ceasefire collapsed after LTTE unilaterally decided to dodge the Oslo Peace Talks for no apparent reason, the government wrote to its long time ally. Knowing the past tactics of the LTTE, the country was in urgent need to bolster its military capability.

This was a request we have made repeatedly especially during the final stages of the LTTE war and a call we have seen being fulfilled without a moment of delay.

Finally the determined efforts of our 'diplomatic forces' in the international battle field started to yield results.

The US and the United Nations which had been pressurizing the Sri Lankan government to give up the humanitarian operation and enter into a ceasefire suddenly changed tracks.

The following news report says it all:

"The United States Friday called on remaining Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka to lay down their arms and surrender to a third party.

The United States is calling for the surrender of beleaguered Tamil rebels in Sri Lanka and for authorities in Colombo to allow United Nations personnel into the last combat area, and to sites where Tamil refugees fleeing the fighting are being registered and temporarily housed.

A BBC Report added:

"A senior UN official has urged Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels to lay down their arms and let the UN help trapped civilians to leave the conflict zone.

Claude Heller, Mexico's ambassador at the UN in New York, spoke to reporters after chairing an informal meeting of the UN Security Council on the issue.While the 15-strong Council passed no resolution on the conflict, Heller said he was voicing members' concerns.

The ground battle with the LTTE ended a year ago. Nevertheless the dark separatist forces have yet to be silenced forever.

These forces still work over time for the LTTE cause fuelled by the Tigers' unimaginable mass of black money. The 'LTTE-Sri Lanka' had only one face but the true face of the 'LTTE-international' is hard to fathom. It will take a Herculean effort to wipe out this network, but the Sri Lanka is determined to do just that.