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| Sunday, 29 August 2004 |
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Arms and the Tiger Light Refractions by Lucien Rajakarunanayake One had the feeling there was nothing funny to write about this weekend. The news was full of more killings in the East and another in Colombo too. Defence Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake asked the Tigers not to push the government too far. The Army Commander told the Tigers that enough was enough, so far and no more after Sri Lankan soldiers came under fire in government held territory. The SLMM was as usual said to be trying their best to bridge the gap between the truth and falsehood of the LTTE, and the Prime Minister was photographed peeping into a military bunker on a visit to Weli Oya. That is a lot of grim stuff for one week. To add to all this was the inglorious performance of all our Olympic athletes, adding to the disgusting performance of the non-participating captain, the mention of whose name would only sully this column. The leaders of the National Olympic Committee were already busy putting all the blame on the athletes only, suddenly discovering that Sri Lanka's Bronze at the Sydney Olympics was only a fluke. That was after several millions had been spent on a team that apparently did not even try to do their best, while costing the country hardly affordable millions at this time, except for swimmer Conrad Francis from abroad, who paid for himself although he too failed to qualify in his event. The only saving grace in the week was cricket. The series win over South Africa in the ODIs and Marvan Atapattu's performance in steering the team to victory in the third match, sacrificing a century by just three runs in the process. One felt like telling the Editor there was nothing to write about for this Sunday, until Thamilchelvan, made that hilariously serious statement to the SLMM that under the Ceasefire Agreement, the Tigers had the right to purchase and bring in arms to Sri Lanka, as much as the Sri Lanka government had. I'm sure there will be many an apologist for the Tigers who share this opinion, and will ask the government to give serious thought to this and not provoke the Tigers by interdicting arms imports by them, and threatening the end of the Ceasefire. To be frank I am also one who agrees with Thamilchelvan. Of course they have the right to purchase arms and bring them here. Or else, how can they keep their cadres armed. But it is not as simple as Thamilchelvan puts it. They do have the right to purchase arms, but they do not have the right to smuggle them into the country. That is why the Sri Lanka Navy had to intercept and even sink some vessels that were suspected of smuggling arms into the country, and the LTTE made no big noise against it. That is why the LTTE blasted one of its vessels where arms were discovered, while two members of the SLMM were still on board, causing a major threat to their lives, while the Tiger cadres on board were killed. What Thamilchelvan must understand is not the right of the LTTE to purchase arms, but how they bring them into Sri Lanka. We can have no problem if the LTTE, under whatever clause of the Ceasefire Agreement, purchases arms abroad and brings them into the country with the proper declarations made to the Customs. If the Customs approves of such imports, how could we ever object? I'm not so certain of the LTTE's Ceasefire Agreement conferred right to bring in arms, but sometime ago it was obvious that far from arms, it did not have the right to even bring in a powerful radio transmitter into the island, to strengthen the Voice of Tigers, extend its reach and also obstruct radio communications by the security forces. It is well-known that in modern warfare, communication is a vital weapon. It is because Thamilchelvan and the LTTE did not have such a right, that the previous UNP government used the devious means of having it imported from Singapore in the name of the Norwegian Embassy here, had it cleared from the Customs as diplomatic cargo and thereby preventing any search, and also issued the necessary papers of treachery to have it transported all the way to Kilinochchi, without being checked at any military check-point on the way. One wonders whether the story of how these papers were issued will be published in the memoirs of any secretary to a Prime Minister. Not only the LTTE, but anyone in Sri Lanka has the right to import weapons into the country, as long as it is cleared for entry by the Customs. Apart from arms this is why the LTTE had to seek government permission to import duty free cars for its "Peace Secretariat". That fact that some area of the country is under the armed control of the LTTE, does not mean that there is any separate State in existence within the boundaries of Sri Lanka. Despite the various flag hoisting and other ceremonies of the LTTE, this is yet a single State. The rhetoric of Thamilchelvan, about the right of the LTTE to purchase arms being comparable to the right of the Sri Lanka government, does not alter that position. It is the same for the LTTE's claim to have special rights at the sea bordering areas held by it. This is not provided for anywhere in the CFA, and the suggestion that the LTTE be given a stretch of sea for its own operations had to be opposed even by Ranil Wickremesinghe, when he was in the give-everything-to-the LTTE mode of governance. Therefore, Thamilchelvan should know that he can bring in arms through the correct route of Customs inspection and approval, which will help the government know something of the LTTE's arms inventory. Smuggle the arms and the Navy is bound by the same Ceasefire Agreement to prevent it for the defence of the country. One can be certain that there will be no more diplomatic status given for any arms imported to Sri Lanka by the LTTE, even if sought for by the Norwegians. Try your luck Thamilchelvan. Keep the Customs informed of your next load of arms, whether shipped or airlifted. |
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