Opinion:
Tigers carried out indiscriminate bomb attacks
By K.M.H.C.B. Kulatunga
Yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of one of the deadliest LTTE
attacks during its three decades of terror.
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The Central Bank building
after it was bombed by Tiger terrorists.
(File photo) |
Some of the Western countries which attempt to level war crimes
charges against Sri Lanka and discredit the Security Forces of our
country act as if they had not heard of LTTE atrocities.
US Ambassador Michele J. Sisson who has shown an extraordinary
interest on an isolated attack at a centre operated by a foreign group
belong to a Christian religious faith (which does not belong to the
Catholic church) must have a closer look at how the LTTE destroyed the
most sacred place of Buddhists.
Those Western countries who now pontificate on human rights and
transparency had been in deep slumber when the LTTE bombed Sri Dalada
Maligawa. Hardly anybody in the West was concerned about the
indiscriminate bomb attack. Hence they they must at least now take a
closer look at the damage they Tiger terrorists had done some 25 years
ago.
Massive explosions
On January 25, 1998, the LTTE exploded a massive truck bomb inside
Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy when the hill capital was preparing to host
Independence Day celebrations. The attack left the original moonstone
shattered into 43 pieces. But remains of the original carvings are
reconstructed in a museum inside the temple.
Three suicide LTTE Black Tigers drove an explosive laden truck along
Kandy's Raja Veediya, firing at soldiers manning road blocks around the
place and crashed through the entrance and detonated the bomb around
6.10 a.m.
There had been two massive explosions. The truck contained 300 to 400
kg of high explosives. The explosion killed 16 people, including the
three LTTE suicide cadres. A two-year-old infant too was among the
unfortunate victims.
Over 25 people, including four women, a monk and a police officer
were among the injured. a professor of geology P. W. Withanage also died
due to shock after hearing of the incident. The powerful bomb attack
left most of the buildings within a radius of 5 km damaged, and glass
panes broken.
On the following day, the Government officially banned the LTTE as a
terrorist organisation. The Government had not banned the LTTE until
then as it had made every effort to bring the LTTE to the democratic
path and have peaceful negotiations. The 1998 Independence Day
celebrations were shifted to Colombo following the attack but the
foreign dignitaries including Prince Charles arrived in Colombo.
Sentenced to death
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Security forces personnel
in an APC in operations against the Tigers. (File photo) |
In October 2003, three LTTE cadres involved in the attack were
convicted by the Kandy high court and sentenced to death. Two others
were sentenced to 680 years of rigorous imprisonment and third to 490
years. According to the Mackenzie Institute part of the LTTE's incentive
for the attack was to spark widespread mob violence against the
country's Tamil minority, by the Sinhalese majority, as happened in
1983. But it did not happen after this incident.
This is one of the many indiscriminate bomb attacks carried out by
the LTTE. But some Western countries are still showing an extraordinary
sympathy towards the LTTE as if they have come from the seventh heaven.
What puzzles us the most is the double standards of the certain
Western politicians who are more concerned about the human rights of the
LTTE terrorists killed in action are totally blind to these numerous
atrocities by the Tigers.
Moreover, certain Colombo-based diplomats are overstepping their
limits to meddle in internal affairs of a sovereign nation.
Meeting in Chundikulli
What business did US Ambassador Sisson have when she met Northern
Provincial Councillor Ananthi Sasitharan in Jaffna at a time the Defence
Ministry was exploring the possibility of rehabilitating her in view of
her alleged LTTE links.
The controversial meeting had taken place at Hotel Margosa,
Chundikulli, Jaffna on Wednesday evening. Among those present were
Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran and Tamil National
Alliance (TNA) MP M.A. Sumanthiran.
Sasitharan, a mother of three, contested the first-ever Northern
Provincial Council elections held last September on the TNA ticketand
was elected to the NPC.
Reports said that the TNA delegation had dinner with Ambassador
Sisson at Hotel Margosa. However, a US embassy spokesperson has said
that they don't have any details to share with media on any discussions.
What the Colombo-based Western diplomats should bear in mind is that
Sasitharan is not only an elected representative of the people. She was
married to Trincomalee district LTTE political wing leader Elilan and
still shares separatist ideology.
Foreign intervention
By meeting a person of such calibre, US Ambassador Sisson has clearly
overstepped her boundaries and meddled in the internal affairs of a
country. Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa addressing religious
dignitaries and civil society representatives in the Eastern Province at
Hotel East Lagoon in Batticaloa on Thursday, lashed out at those who had
been pushing for foreign intervention in Sri Lanka even after the
eradication of terrorism in May 2009.
As the Defence Secretary has quite rightly pointed out, foreigners
would only make matters worse. Therefore, all communities should resolve
to settle their problems themselves. An irate Defence Secretary alleged
that the US Ambassador had overstepped her mandate.
Emphasising the pivotal importance of thwarting foreign interference
in domestic issues, the Defence Secretary said that the country could
proceed without advice from diplomats. Those living in the Northern and
Eastern regions know the measures taken by the Government to restore
normalcy since the eradication of the LTTE.
Masquerade
The government speedily handled resettlement, de-mining,
rehabilitation, as well as disarming of armed groups subsequent to the
conclusion of the conflict.
A section of the LTTE couldn't be accepted as a political wing.
During the Norwegian arranged Ceasefire Agreement, terrorists had
masqueraded as political activists to operate in government held areas.
LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran attempted to differentiate the LTTE
fighting cadres by a non-existent political wing which was never
involved in democratic politics. The LTTE only belied in bullet and not
the ballot.
Those who had been accusing the Government over accountability issues
weren't bothered about the TNA calling the LTTE the sole representatives
of Tamils in late 2001. Sri Lanka has the ability of solving its own
issues, especially post-terrorism issues as Rajapaksas had been in
politics for 75 years. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been in politics
for over four decades and is one of the most senior and respected
leaders in world politics.
Harmony
Hence, he does not need expert advice from foreigners to handle local
matters. As the President had once stated, no foreigner could have a
greater pain on issues of local people than our own leaders.
The masses will never forget the immense sacrifices and dedication
made by the Security Forces to establish peace and harmony in the
country by eradicating terrorism. Their efforts have enabled all
communities to live in harmony, thereby saving the lives of 21 million
people who had been subjected to immense hardships due to LTTE terror.
All Sri Lankans, irrespective of their political and religious
affiliations, are always with the soldiers who liberated the country
from terrorism. The true sons of our soil must be assisted to fulfill at
least some of their needs and requirements. Moreover, the society should
be with them to strengthen their mentality.
It is sad that certain Western politicians who thrive on the Tamil
Diaspora vote and funding by the LTTE rump try to disgrace these brave
men who had sacrificed their life and the limb to give us a better
future. If not for their heroic efforts, we would still have been
subjected to indiscriminate bombings of the LTTE.
Next target
We would never allow the Western politicians to take our brave sons
before international war crimes tribunals. The West should see the
peaceful environment that has been established after the eradication of
the terrorism. Are they blind to see these magnificent development and
peace of mind enjoyed by all communities?
The next target of the LTTE rump is to use some of the Western
politicians to bring resolution after resolution to take Sri Lanka to
task at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). But the
Government is ready to face any challenge it may encounter at the
upcoming UNHRC session in Geneva.
As Plantations Industries Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe has said, the
Government has done everything to protect human rights and address
issues arising in the aftermath of the conflict.
All these efforts have been done in a very transparent manner and the
world has not been kept in the dark about what is happening in Sri
Lanka.
Sri Lanka had achieved social, economic and political stability while
ending nearly 30 years of terrorism with much sacrifice. We will not
allow anyone to destabilise these gains we have made with so much
sacrifice and hard work.
We will give a better meaning to the sacrifices made by the brave
sons of our soil. Despite whatever the conspiracies hatched in the West,
we will not any force to rob Sri Lanka's hard-earned peace. |