Business interests vs national interests
 

Commonsense by Y. King

Business tycoon Dr. Lalith Kotelawala's verification to his questionable statement to the Gulf News website that the LTTE terrorists are freedom fighters, seems that this business magnate does not want to deny his statement. His verification is evasive in meaning and it looks an attempt to put down possible protests by social groups or others who are concerned on national security and against separation of this country.

A remark by a person of the calibre of Dr. Kotelawala cannot be taken for granted as his ownership of businesses relating to land, buildings and housing are fast spreading throughout the country. The LTTE would probably be over smart than Dr. Kotelawala, and the day Dr. Kotelawala's sympathy be abused by terrorists, one can easily imagine the calamity they would do to the people and the country.

It is now a known fact that certain business barons set up subsidiaries to hide their identity, and entertain LTTE blood money through LTTE proxies in Colombo. People in this country would never expect Dr. Kotelawala among them but it is also known that Dr. Kotelawala's companies are thriving business in the North and East hassle free.

Is this the reason for Kotelawala to give a pat on the Tigers, is the roving news in town. People are well aware that Dr. Kotelawala loosened his purse strings on election propaganda against the UFPA candidacy during the Presidential elections last November. This could obviously be his fear of action against the terrorists, which has become a reality today. Kotelawala might have thought that his remark would convince the Tigers to allow his businesses to thrive without any threat in the North and East even during the rising hostilities.

What Dr. Kotelawala has not realised yet is that his entire group of conglomerates would be in dire bankruptcy, if the majority peace- loving people irrespective of their communal differences who do not condone terrorism and separatism, withdraw to make transactions with him. However, irresponsibility on the part of socially influential people such as Deshamanya Kotelawala to label terrorists as 'freedom fighters' would set wrong precedence in the society that would endanger the sovereign state, its territorial integrity and the lives of people.

HR groups' stony silence on Vakarai

So-called local and international Human Right (HR) activists who took to the streets even on an arrest of a terrorist suspect in Colombo, failed yet to venture any action against the violation of human rights of over 35,000 civilians who have been kept hostage by the LTTE to be used as a human shield in Vakarai. TNA MPs last week accused the security forces for preventing food cargo to Vakarai.

The culprits were the LTTE who shelled security forces escorting food cargo. Though MP Sambandan used his parliamentary privileges to cover the perpetrators, his tall tale was unfolded before the UN, SLMM and other NGO officials who joined the security forces to escort food lorries to Vakarai.

Vakarai is a small area, where the LTTE's only hold in the East and the Tigers are using every horseplay to save it, and the LTTE's action to bring their defences forward during the lull period of food cargo movement bears testimony to this. About 200 cadres and other fighting equipment were bought forward, and security forces did not repulse them in order to ensure no casualties to the food convoy. No HR group or individual had the courage to speak a word against this nefarious act of using food and human life to strengthen their military aims. It is believed that the SLMM, UN, and other INGOs officials witnessed this scenario. If you are humble in your service here, impartial by the duty, what are your reactions to the LTTE's abuse of food and civilians as a weapon.

Opening A9 for whose benefit

The LTTE has been attempting to mobilise all forces including those involved in the peace process including INGOs to press the Government to open the A9 road at the expense of humanitarian facilitation. The LTTE tactics are so clear now after the Vakarai incident where they used food cargo movement and international facilitators presence to move forward their defence lines.

The cat has jumped out of the bag in a small way in Vakarai, and the terrorists would regain their lost grounds in Muhamalai in the same manner if the A9 was open to transport food. Those who agitate to do so, should be held responsible for such anti-peace masquerades

Military continues strikes on sea Tiger bases

Repulsing the terrorists after every attack was found to be of no use as the damage to life and property couldn't be retrieved. "Why don't the security forces locate the bases from where the attacks are originated and destroy them", a military strategist argued last week. The forces are following suit, doing more surveillance, locating the enemy positions and striking hard especially by air, he said. Forces gained several successful targets during the last week destroying arms vessels, suicide boats and several sea Tiger bases. The more the terrorist military power is weakened, the more the possibility of the LTTE agreeing to negotiation. Security forces are continuing such strikes while peace negotiators (politicians and facilitators) are working on the peace process, he said.

Regional support vital

Before the President left for the Asian Mayors' Conference in Indian, he sent Premier Ratnasiri Wickramanayake on a tour in several East Asian countries. The Premier was assured by the leaders of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam to take measures to prevent the LTTE using their soil as transshipment bases to smuggle illegal weapons to Sri Lanka. From wherever the LTTE buy weapons, they bring the consignments first to these bases, later reload them to their cargo vessels (Intelligence believes that the LTTE run around seven cargo vessels), sail near Sri Lankan waters and put into small trawlers to be smuggled to Sri Lanka. The assurance given by the leaders of these countries to take every measure to stop the nuisance would be a boom in the Tiger combat operation in Sri Lanka. India's support to thwart such illegal sea operation in Indian waters would also be of paramount importance in this effort.

LTTE sea power: world threat

As no other terrorist group, besides the LTTE, has sea power, the LTTE has posed a fatal threat to the entire world if the LTTE increases its sea capability. Media reports confirm that certain other terrorist groups in the world have been trying to acquire nuclear weapons and if they get successful by any chance one day, they would probably seek LTTE support to transport such lethal weapons to the destination of target.

Even they would anchor LTTE vessels on the high seas and use them as floating locations to develop nuclear power. For these reasons, the assistance of the countries in the region is vital as the LTTE has no boundaries when they want to achieve their targets.

The assassination of former Indian Premier, the late Rajiv Gandhi is the very clear testimony to this effect.

Therefore the LTTE would be a threat to the entire world. India's Sethusamudaram harbour too would be in danger if the LTTE develop its sea power. Intending to prevent such future dangers, the security forces have taken every measures to nip the sea Tiger power in the bud for the safety of the country's national security in particular and the world peace in general.

Heroes day, a flop

So much so that the so-called 'son god' got scared, he never came out from his hide-out to make his annual prosaic speech. Prabakharan did not appear for a photograph but asked to reproduce a photograph of one of his dummies. The typical hartal, threatening the shoppers to put their shutters down, raising black flags in regional towns were conspicuously absent this year.

This affirms the loss of public support, confidence and sympathy towards the LTTE as this warlord has proved himself no freedom fighter of the Tamil people.

Al Jazeera, taken for a ride

Al Jazeera television has telecast a video footage of child conscription in the East with fake narration that the Sri Lankan security forces assisting Karuna group to abduct children for combat operation, a Sri Lankan domiciled in Australia who watched the footage wrote to the Sunday Observer .

We are unaware of a reporter named Romesh attached to the Al Jazeera based in Sri Lanka. If Al Jazeera happens to telecast this type of fallacious, superimposed type footage under concocted narration, the credibility of a upcoming television channel would perish.