|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 25 July 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
LTTE vacates jungle bases in East Eastern Corridor by Rashomi Silva Tamil National Alliance legislators sounded an upbeat note last Friday when they said the dark clouds gathering around the LTTE will soon drift away leaving the collected energies of the North-East populace striving hard to achieve a common goal. Referring to the unprecedented split within the LTTE, the TNA legislators said the splits were common occurrences in liberation struggles anywhere in the world, "yet those splits were never successful in altering the courses of the struggles." This attempt by the TNA to convince, Karuna issue was not a grave concern for the LTTE was however quite paradoxical to their previous statement, when a few weeks back TNA parliamentarian Gajendra Ponnambalam said the stand of the TNA was that no date for the peace talks should be fixed till the government brought the situation in the East under control, showing clearly the Karuna issue was a real concern for them after all. Expressing a similar sentiment last Thursday LTTE political wing leader S.P. Tamilselvam said the presence of armed cadres including Karuna loyalists in the East raises serious concerns. According to an official web site of the LTTE, Tamilselvam had complained to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission head Maj. Gen. Trond Furedove that presence of paramilitary in the East would endanger lives of their 'unarmed' cadres, in the cleared territories. The complaint was made when he met the latter in the LTTE headquarters in Kilinochchi. When questioned about the allegations of the presence of armed cadres, Military spokesman Col. Sumedha Perera said the security forces abided by the CFA and accordingly no armed groups were intentionally allowed to enter or operate in cleared areas. While there is no dispute over the disarming of armed cadres operating in the North-East, in keeping with the CFA, the invariable question that arises is whether not the armed LTTE cadres roaming in the cleared North-East themselves are not a part of the so called paramilitary? According to the same CFA the government forces and the Police are the only authoritative bodies allowed to carry weapons or any other 'war like item' in the cleared parts, making all the other 'weapon carriers' a part of paramilitary? The LTTE would deny the presence of armed cadres in the cleared parts, but then how can one account for the frequent deaths of so called Karuna loyalists, and how was an EPDP Regional Council chairman killed by an unidentified gunman, in the cleared town of Akkaripattu, a senior military official questioned. With the outbreak of the LTTE fractional war last April most of the political work of the LTTE was in a state of stand still, majority of political offices in the East were run by Karuna loyalists, but the state of affairs was in grave disorder sources from the East confirmed. East in disorder The LTTE's evident state of negligence of political affairs and it's poor public relations had given Karuna loyalists a fair chance to win public confidence. Apparently, the renegades interview in BBC and SLBC Tamil services had worked as a moral boost for his supporters who were wondering about the whereabout of their leader. The renegade came on air recently and expressed his desire to run for a political office in the East. Amidst charges, counter charges and mid day murders the LTTE activists in the deep jungles have started vacating their jungle bases and were shifting towards the Security Forces held areas, Army sources from the East said. "In the East we do not have clearly marked borders between the government and LTTE held areas, as we do in the North. Recent developments showed the LTTE was eager to avoid jungles and are in the process of moving their offices and camps closer to the security forces controlled areas," a senior military official from the East said. What follows from the development is, the LTTE fears possible attacks from Karuna loyalists, despite their hard criticism on the Security Forces they have placed trust and their lives in the hands of the security forces. Despite the mounting tension in the East military officials ruled out a possibility of another fully fledged war breaking out between the LTTE and Karuna loyalists. "Both parties will have to consider many factors before going for large scale offensive operations. They will have to find means of evacuating battle causalities, transporting cadres, replenishment of troops. All These activities will prove to be a tough task for both parties in the wake of increased security measures," a senior military official told this column on the condition of anonymity. "But both parties will go ahead with their hit and run tactics, making life in the East edgy," he said. More killings At least five deaths were reported last week including that of a Chairman of Regional Council and a one LTTE member. Army official web site said three of the deceased are believed to be Karuna loyalists while the other was an EPDP member. According to LTTE sources the 28 year old LTTE member was killed on Friday by Karuna loyalists. The assailant had gained access to the uncleared East from Puliyankawal in Polonnaruwa district. What the development shows, is though the situation in East is largely under control and the likelihood of a fully fledged fractional war is remote life in the East is far from safe. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
