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| Sunday, 15 January 2006 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Govt
withstands provocative attacks
Bull's Eye by a Special Defence Correspondent The blast of the Navy bus by the LTTE on Thursday killing ten sailors and critically injuring several others looks like a Tigers' tit for tat act against the United States warning the LTTE on the previous day.
It seems that the Tiger leadership has overestimated its guerrilla power to challenge a super power. Velupillai Pirabaharan committed this crime just few hours after American Ambassador Jeffrey Lunstead spoke at the American Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday night. Pirabaharan's decisions in defiance of America's warning is best evidence for the international community to judge LTTE's terrorism and none commitment towards peace through negotiations. America's assistance During his speech Ambassador Lunstead who pledged America's assistance to the Government forces to become 'stronger' to face Tigers if they do not stop violence and return to peace talks would have perturbed Pirabaharan and his retaliation could be the blast of the Navy bus. This would no doubt open the eyes of the Co-Chairs including the United States to understand that the LTTE's sole aim is not freedom of any form for the Tamils but terrorism. The blowing of Navy bus despite America's warning is also good evidence of Pirabaharan's megalomaniac attitudes which would bring more serious casualties not only to the Sri Lankans but also to the other parties trying to involve themselves in the peace process. The message being conveyed to the international community through this massacre would be the readiness of Pirabaharan to hit anyone big or small if they try to influence him on a peaceful settlement to the North East conflict rather than supporting his separatist dream of Eelam. Pirabaharan accuses international community In his message to Tamil National Resurgence Convention on January 10 at Muttur, Pirabaharan accused the international community of taking dilatory action to deceive them and urge the entire Tamil nation to prepare for war instead of peace. Pirabaharan committed huge massacres of Sinhalese to provoke them and expecting retaliation on Tamils in the past and having failed all such efforts, his newest tactic is to call upon the entire Tamil community to rally round him thereby labelling every Tamil, a Tiger. The Co-Chairs should now understand that the LTTE struggle is totally terrorism which has been spreading its ugly wings to other parts of the globe. It is well-known that the LTTE is a global terrorist group with close connections to the Al-Queda, and it is a dire need to eliminate such affiliated groups too if Al-Qaeda's to stop violence against world super powers including US and Britain. Last week, the Asian Times.com website quoted newspaper reports confirmed the findings by Pakistani intelligence of lethal weapon dealings and drug smuggling between the Al-Qaeda and the LTTE from the bases in Afghanistan and Thailand. So it is high time for the countries of the Co-Chairs to act promptly, as the LTTE has already engaged in crimes since last December. This cannot be considered as mere violation of the CFA. Some constructive steps such as imposing direct sanctions against the Tigers, stopping their activities including fund-raising, money laundering, illegal weapon and drug smuggling and deporting LTTE activists from their soil should be taken to curtail LTTE crimes. We reported last week of the LTTE target to capture Jaffna and deploying cadres on vital positions in advance. Attacking the Navy is another step of their tactics in the same strategy to destroy Naval power and limit their sea surveillance which would later be convenient for the Tigers to unload illegal weapons to support the offensive against the forces in Jaffna. Similar attacks would be launched at the Air Force too in order to reduce the Government's airpower and the LTTE has planned to destroy fighter jets and other aircraft in a major attack. When the power and capacity of the Navy and the Air Force is crippled, the Government reinforce capacity would be weakened and under such circumstances, the LTTE hopes to launch its final attack on the peninsular. LTTE air power The LTTE Eastern Leader Bhanu publicly admitted that they have air power and told the Tamil National Convention in Muttur that their Air Force is ready for a mission. They expect to use this newly formed Air Force too in the proposed attack on Jaffna and other vital military installations. Although the Intelligence revealed the LTTE airstrip at Iranamadu, the Iranamadu airstrip has been defunct and it is maintained as a dummy to deceive and disappoint any enemy offensive, intelligence sources learnt. However, the group has developed a new airstrip in another strategic point in the Vanni Jungles for their light aircraft to take off. While LTTE violence is escalating as Tigers are preparing the grounds to capture Jaffna, the ordinary people in the LTTE stronghold have been caught between the devil and the deep sea as they are neither able to live in peace in the Tiger held areas nor can they enter the Government controlled areas. Refugee camps The refugee camps in Vavniya have been closed temporarily for newcomers recently to stop infiltration of suicide cadres in the guise of refugees. Teenagers who do not want to join the LTTE are kidnapped in the Tiger-held areas, and some of the helpless parents tried to commit suicide as they could not bear the loss of the beloved children. There is no authority to complain to and as a consequence, the degree of suicides due to the LTTE influence has been on the increase. This situation would be a good eye opener for those human rights activists who take to city streets protesting against security operations launched by the armed forces and the police to nab city criminals. Without engaging in eye washing activities such as street protests to justify their quota of funds pumped by various international NGOs and even by the LTTE, those who appear for human rights should walk into the Tiger held areas and try to redress the real victims as they are the most affected people in the hands of a terrorist dictatorship in the Vanni. Support to Government Meanwhile, the majority people in the South have pledged all support to the Government in its action to counteract the perpetrators those who are responsible for the current wave of violence in the North and East as well as in the city. President Mahinda Rajapakse's statement during his speech in Horana last week well indicated the Government's strength to act against such violence to protect the people and the national territorial integrity of the country. The Government has so far tolerated all the LTTE provocations including the one on Thursday since last December including major onslaughts in Pesalai and Point Pedro. The international community has praised the Government for its patience, but the damage to life and property can no longer be brooked. People do not expect the new Government to repeat the previous Government's passive attitude of conniving at Tiger violence and cowardly attacks on the forces. President Rajapakse urged the LTTE not to misunderstand his restraint of the terrorist acts and abuse his Buddhist values of great patience which has given a strong signal to the perpetrators to stop their violence and come to talks. The warning would not be typical boasting similar to that of
Pirabaharan's in his martyr's day speech. Because the international
community having well realised the true face of the LTTE would stand by
justice as the LTTE has already imposed a secret war on the Government. |
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