Opinion:

LTTE suicide bombers caused indescribable devastation

by Sarath Malalasekera

Senior Attorney-at-Law, Upali Senaratne said the countries which sponsor the UNHRC Resolution against Sri Lanka are misled by false propaganda, doctored video footage disseminated by the Tamil Diaspora.

Addressing a well-represented group of professionals who gathered to discuss current affairs focusing mainly on the US-sponsored UNHRC resolution against Sri Lanka on human rights in the country, Senaratne reminded the audience how horrendous the situation of the country was for three decades when there was a reign of terror unleashed by the LTTE. He said the LTTE was regarded as the most ruthless terrorist organisation in the world by the FBI.

“Most of the countries proscribed this organisation.

The deployment of small children as child soldiers, using human bombs namely suicide bombers, caused indescribable devastation in the country,” said Senaratne, who is also the former Chairman of Coconut Development Authority (CDA), Land Reforms Commission (LRC), Ceramics Corporation. He is presently the Chairman of the Consumer Affairs Council.

Scourge

Every government before the present one grappled with this problem with a view to eliminating this scourge but couldn’t.

The governments of J R Jayewardene, R. Premadasa, D. B. Wijetunga and Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga strove to fight at times, and negotiate at other times, both here and abroad under the aegis of countries like Norway, but with no success.

The LTTE from 1980’s onwards had a killing spree in Sri Lanka assassinating, among others, the former Prime Minister of India Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, the President of Sri Lanka R. Premadasa, the Minister of Defence Ranjan Wijeratne and Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. Among some of the Tamil leaders who were killed in cold blood were Amirthalingam, Natarajah Raviraj, T. Maheshwaran, Joseph Pararajasinham, Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam, Sarojini Yogeshwaran and her husband V. Yogeshwaran, Sam Thambimuttu, and P Dharmalingam. They all were respected Tamil politicians in Sri Lanka.

“Mayor of Jaffna, Alfred Duraiappa was assassinated by Prabakaran in his young days. Activists and intellectuals like Kethis Loganathan and Rajini Thiranagama were also killed by the Tamil Tigers.

They attempted on the life of Chandrika Kumaratunga but they failed. They carried out deadly attacks against innocent civilians such as the massacre of devotees at Anuradhapura, Digampathana bombing, the Kebithigollawa massacre, attack on the Temple of the Tooth Relic and the suicide bomb attack on National Milar Muslim festival where 13 civilians were killed and a minister was permanently incapacitated and disabled. They attacked the Mutur Muslim prayers in 2006 and also they massacred people in the Kaththankudy Muslim Mosque,” he said.

Senaratne pointed out that the LTTE had links with other terrorist groups in the world including Al-Qaeda which is a threat to the whole world today. Senaratne also referred to the fact that the government tried its best to negotiate with the LTTE for a peaceful solution but did not succeed.

We had Thimpu talks in Butan in July 1985. And then, the Rajiv-JR talks in 1987 ended in the most infamous Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord. The government engaged in direct communication with the LTTE leadership and in 1990’s held talks on and off with them at the Hilton hotel in Sri Lanka but nothing helped to bring about peace. In 1999 there was a cessation of hostilities after talks but in the same year the LTTE unilaterally broke this cessation of hostilities.

New talks were scheduled in Oslo but though the LTTE flew to Oslo, they refused to participate in talks.

Thereafter, the LTTE heightened their activities by the massacre at Kebithigollewa and closed the sluice gates of Mavil Aru and cut the water supply for 15,000 villagers in government controlled areas.

The forces retaliated for three years. And finally, with the great leadership of President Rajapaksa, and the indomitable courage of the Forces, Sri Lanka defeated the LTTE and brought about peace. It was an end to the era when parents were scared to send their children out even for their education.

Stamped out

Parents used to travel in two buses to the same destination thinking that one would be safe if the other one is attacked by suicide bombers. My daughter was studying at the University of Kelaniya at the time had a narrow escape at Borella when the bus which came after her bus to Kelaniya was attacked and several people died.

The ruthless organization which gave the world the impression that they were invincible was stamped out by killing the terrorists with the minimum of causalities.

Senaratne also referred to the international dimension of the problem.

The whole world was against terrorism at the time as the great United States was also attacked by terror in September 2001, with attacks on the World Trade Center buildings and the Pentagon.

President George Bush on September 21, 2001 addressing a joint session of Congress and the Nation said, “The only way to defeat terrorism as a threat to our way of life is to stop it, eliminate it and destroy it where it grows.”

Senaratne said that is what Sri Lanka did. Bush further said on the September 20, 2001, “our enemy is a radical network of terrorists and every government that supports them.” Ours is the only country where terror was eliminated even though this organization had tremendous capacity to terrorise countries in the world.

Development

The senior attorney-at-law went on to highlight the work done by the government. Having brought peace to the country by the defeat of the LTTE, the government set up units to develop the North and the East where the Tiger terrorists kept even their own men in their custody through extreme terror.

Child soldier recruitment came to an end, Tamil cadres were rehabilitated, those who could not attend schools and universities got the opportunity to resume their studies, roads were developed, infrastructure was developed, schools, hospitals and libraries were re-established, the LLRC was set up, resettlement of displaced people began and people could get back to their homes.

In Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar, Mulathiu and Killinochchi North East Power Transmission Development Project has started which costs the government Rs. 5,217 million.

Under Negenahira Navodaya spending Rs. 6,530 million lighting the Eastern Province has started.

The target is to supply electricity for 40,000 households. Through Uthuru Vasanthaya all districts in the Northern Province is to be provided with electricity which will cost the government Rs. 4,271 million. Iranamadu irrigation project costing Rs. 2,842 million provide irrigation facilities for both Yala and Maha season cultivation.

This is done in order to enhance agricultural production and marketing. Spending Rs. 18,000 million on Mundeni Aru Basin Development Project has been launched for the purpose of providing irrigation facilities for 5,550 hectares of new lands which will benefit 11,000 farmers providing domestic and industrial water supplies for Batticaloa district, reducing flood impact of downstream areas.

A new bulk depot in Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mulathivu, Mannar and Killinochchi is being established. This is for the purpose of improving fuel distribution in the Northern Province.

And some of the other projects include: Northern road connectivity project, Provincial Road Projects, reconstruction of Madawachchiya Madu railway lines, Madu-Talaimannar railway line, Omanthai-Palai, Killinochchi-Jaffna railway line for 70,000 households to be provided in Puttalam, Mannar and Vavuniya with piped water, setting up a fishing harbour Jaffna and Mannar, establishment of inland fish water breeding centre at Iranamadu, setting up of a new local cement manufacturing plant at Kankesanturai spending Rs. 15,600 million, South Eastern University Project, setting up a Faculty of Engineering at Kilinochchi spending Rs. 2,437 million.

These were just a few projects which the government has launched for the improvement and progress of the North and East.

Senaratne said everyone should help the government of President Rajapaksa to tide over this difficult period which UNHRC has started, through a virulent campaign against Sri Lanka with false and malicious propaganda and distorted news. Senaratne said that he is confident that one can envisage a bright future for Sri Lanka as the emerging Wonder of Asia under Mahinda Chinthana which is the only viable vision for the future of the country.