A stunning disclosure

Several crucial issues came to light at the proceedings of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) which began last week in Colombo.

This gave a vivid picture of the pathetic security situation which prevailed in the country at the time President Mahinda Rajapaksa took office as the Head of State in November 2005.

LTTE terrorists, having taken the maximum advantage of the controversial Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) regrouped to strengthen their military capabilities, putting the country's security at grave risk when President Rajapaksa was elected the First Citizen.

Considering the deplorable series of terror attacks which were launched indiscriminately after the 2005 presidential election, President Rajapaksa had no option whatsoever but to go the whole hog to crush terrorism.

Former Defence Secretary Austin Fernando told the Commission that there had been no proper consultations with the Security Forces Commanders before the then Prime Minister and the present Leader of the Opposition, Ranil Wickremesinghe signed the CFA with the LTTE.

Testifying before the LLRC, chaired by former Attorney General C.R. de Silva on Wednesday, the ex-Defence Secretary said that he had no authority to intervene though the CFA dealt extensively with issues relating to national security. As Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, there was little or no chance for him to interfere with the decisions of the then Government.

In a stunning disclosure, the ex-Defence Secretary said that he got to know about the CFA only through the then Commanders of the Sri Lanka Army and Navy. Though the military officials at that time had expressed serious security concerns, the Wickremesinghe-led Government at that time had turned a Nelsonian eye, thereby permitting the facilitator Norway to finalise the CFA in next to no time.

The former Defence Secretary Fernando also admitted that he too had been perturbed by certain provisions in the CFA.

Incumbent Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, testifying before the LLRC on Tuesday, said that the huge losses suffered by the Army during the battle against terrorism since 2006 had revealed the intensive fighting capability of the LTTE.

Defence Secretary Rajapaksa said some people had conveniently forgotten the heavy price paid by the Security Forces to liberate civilians who were living under trying conditions.

In point of fact, the Security Forces, who attempted to maintain a zero civilian casualty rate imposed by the Government, had to pay a heavy price. Parallel to the humanitarian operation to liberate innocent civilians held by the LTTE terrorists, the Government adopted measures to minimise civilian casualties and provide relief to the civilian population at every stage of the operation.

Former Human Rights and Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe had said that the international community had an opportunity to maintain a regular dialogue with the Government and the top military leadership through the Consultative Committee on Humanitarian Assistance (CCHA) during the battle against terrorism.

It was the President who appointed the CCHA following concerns raised by a section of the international community, particularly the Co-chairs of the Sri Lankan peace process - the US, EU, Japan and Norway.

Minister Samarasinghe headed the CCHA throughout the Security Forces' campaign against the terrorists, until the top LTTE leaders were vanquished on the banks of the Nanthikadal lagoon in May last year. The CCHA to its credit met every month since 2006 - even at the height of the Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi battles.

Surprisingly, nobody complained of any human rights' abuses by the Security Forces during the campaign at the CCHA meetings. Despite waging a war against a brutal terror outfit, Sri Lanka stood out as the only country which fed the terrorists. The Government continued to provide food and medicine to LTTE-held areas throughout the campaign, though the Tigers brazenly seized supplies meant for civilians.

Though the LTTE screamed to high heaven about civilian casualties and projected themselves as the sole representatives of the Tamils, the Tigers cared two hoots and fired at food convoys, despite the Government making every effort to feed the innocent civilians forcibly held by the LTTE as a human shield.

The Government did everything within its means to look after the interests of the civilian population. The advancing Security Forces never for a moment hesitated to provide relief to those displaced during the battle amidst some of the bloodiest fighting in the battle. The international community is deeply cognizant of the Government's sincere efforts and the humanitarian rescue operations by the Security Forces risking life and limb.

Despite risking the soldiers' lives, the Government even restricted the use of heavy weapons fire and air power on the Wanni east front when the operation entered the final stage. The government declared a No Fire Zone east of the A9 highway though the LTTE continued to fire heavy weapons from No Fire Zones until the end.

A section of the international community turned a blind eye to LTTE atrocities, particularly the deliberate use of civilians as a human shield. The UN and other interested parties ratcheted pressure on Sri Lanka to abandon military action, though they did precious little to make the LTTE release innocent civilians.

When the LTTE realised the danger of allowing the international community to co-operate with the Government on humanitarian matters, the Tigers targeted CCHA members on their arrival in Batticaloa by air on February 27, 2007. This was a subtle attempt to thwart the international community from playing any role in the CCHA.

Has the West and the UN forgotten the LTTE attempt to target the group of diplomats with mortar fire? The targeted group included the then US Ambassador Robert O'Blake, German Ambassador Juergen Weerth, Italian Ambassador Pio Mariani, EU, French, Japanese representatives and heads of several UN agencies, who toured the East to look into the people's humanitarian needs.

Though the LTTE terrorists attempted to apportion the blame on the Government, saying that the terror outfit had not been informed of the air movement of foreign dignitaries, they were acutely aware of the presence of foreign envoys.

Sri Lanka should be commended for its mechanism to provide relief to the civilian population from the inception of the military operation against the world's most ruthless terrorist outfit.