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Jaffna front stabilises as Tigers run out of steam

by our defence correspondent
This week saw the main war front in the Jaffna Peninsula stabilizing itself significantly, as the LTTE drive lost its steam in the face of fierce determination by defending soldiers, after months of continuous fighting.

As this column noted in the last two weeks, the Tigers’ assault had been going on continuously since late March. This is the longest sustained period of fighting on one front in the entire war, as far as LTTE operations are concerned. The Tigers suffered a huge number of cadres killed and wounded, and it is clear that they are facing an acute shortage of fighting cadres for immediate operations.

The stabilising of the front was a creditable achievement by the armed forces, whose performance in the month of May showed a vast improvement over the debacles of March and April.

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The Tigers are only a few kilometres away from Jaffna itself, but it is difficult for them to try to capture the city, since the bulk of army troops and cadres are facing each other in the Chavakachcheri area further east.

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To this end, the army began a series of small limited operations this week, which proved to be quite successful.

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On May 26, the army destroyed two LTTE supply barges in the Jaffna Lagoon. The barges were detected and engaged by armoured fighting vehicles at Kilaly. Two LTTE Majors and a Black Sea Tiger were killed.

On the same day, four LTTE cadres were killed in artillery duels and ground confrontations at Columbuthurai, Sarasalai and Chemmani.

On May 27 and 28, the front was quiet, except for sporadic artillery and mortar dueling that did little damage to either side.

On Sunday, Navy Dvora craft destroyed two Sea Tiger boats off the Chalai Sea Tiger base in the Mullaitivu area, the first sea action in many weeks.

On Monday, May 29, the army launched its first counter attack in recent times, pushing forward in the Chavakachcheri, Sarasalai and Arialai areas. Troops backed by armour and artillery captured some ground recovering 14 bodies of terrorists. Seven soldiers were killed and 32 wounded. Another four soldiers were killed at Tattorankotte at the same time.

Troops continued to operate offensive patrols ahead of their defences during the rest of the week, killing at least 15 Tigers.

The stabilising of the front is due in part to a massive supply effort by the Navy, which carried troops, supplies, ammunition and new weapons systems to the peninsula. (Censored)

Meanwhile on Wednesday, a major skirmish raged between the Special Task Force and the Tigers on the Ampara-Badulla road, in which 17 cadres were killed and 42 wounded. The STF had spotted a concentration of cadres and brought down a mortar barrage, forestalling the LTTE attempt to stage an attack. With this, it is clear that the Tigers are once again stepping up operations in the east, which is good news for the troops in Jaffna, since it will mean diverting cadres away from the north.

Last weekend, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga made the welcome announcement that there would be no evacuation from Jaffna, quelling rumours that the government was making plans to abandon the Peninsula.

The President made it very clear, in an interview with an Indian television station, that the armed forces would not retreat, and that (Censored) Only in such a case would the government consider India’s offer to lend humanitarian assistance to evacuate troops, she said.

Her announcement came a few days before the United States’ Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Pickering visited Sri Lanka. Pickering renewed the Clinton administration’s stand on the Sri Lankan war, making it very clear that the US considers the LTTE to be a terrorist group with no right to claim statehood for anyone.

Pickering made the interesting comment that even if the LTTE wins on the battlefield, it will not achieve Eelam, since an essential facet of statehood is that the new state must be recognized by the international community. With powerful nations such as the US and India openly opposing the LTTE, as well as Sri Lanka’s strong relations with China.

Russia and France, the international community, particularly the United Nations, would never be persuaded to recognize any state maintained by the LTTE.

The increased intensity of fighting in recent months has also caused concern among other nations in the South Asian and South East Asian region, who are quietly taking a long, hard look at LTTE operations through their countries.

Last week, reports came in that security officials in Thailand pounced on a private shipyard at Silae Island in the Bay of Bengal, where they found a 10-metre long midget submarine that was believed to be being built for the LTTE.

The Tigers have showed a great interest in undersea warfare in recent months. In February, naval sentries fired at a suspicious movement in the darkness on an island in the mouth of the Trincomalee harbour. The next day, they found an abandoned human torpedo vehicle armed with enough explosives to attack and sink a ship in the harbour mouth. It is believed that the Black Sea Tiger who was supposed to operate it was wounded and fled, or was killed and his body washed away by the tide.

Diffusing a gaseous situation whilst...
The Pickering visit proves a morale booster for Sri Lanka

by Deshavimala
The brief visit of US Under-Secretary for Political Affairs, Thomas R. Pickering to Colombo on Monday was of great benefit to Sri Lanka which is engaged in a war, fighting separatism and terrorism. Pickering’s statement that Eelam would only be on a planet of the dead is a clear statement to Velupillai Prabhakaran, who has waged the war for separatism. The statement boosted the morale of the nation and helped the government fighting to safeguard the unitary character of the nation. Above all the US has recognised Sri Lanka as one multi-ethnic nation.

Our immediate neighbour, India too is on record saying they are for a united Sri Lanka but regrettably has not come forward to help Colombo militarily to crush the LTTE which seeks a separate state. India has been talking CENSORED Instead, she is determined to arm her troops to crush the LTTE and reports from the north indicate that troops have had a few successes during the past fortnight.

CENSORED The Indian press this week stated that the request was made by Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.

A columnist of "Hindu", Major General Ashok Mehtha, reported this week that Kadirgamar made the error first by going public that his (Kadirgamar’s) country would ask Indian help to defend Jaffna and in a remote contingency CENSORED may get trapped there. Though Mehtha has made such a claim in his column, no official statement to this effect has been made either by Colombo or New Delhi. Kadirgamar maintains that Indian help may come down the road and has not ruled out that possibility though he had not been specific about the Indian help he was referring to.

The Indian press has been highlighting the need for India to ensure the unitary character and the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka over the past few weeks. While New Delhi stated it was for a united Sri Lanka it did not come forward to help Colombo militarily when Jaffna was under tremendous pressure CENSORED Ashok Mehtha in his column had asked whom New Delhi was supporting. He had categorically asked the Indian government whether its support was for a sovereign government or for a banned terrorist organisation. He claims that despite assurances to Sri Lanka that Tamilnadu will not become a base for LTTE’s nefarious activities — trafficking in drugs and smuggling of weapons. A recent investigation by New Delhi television has revealed an elaborate network of illegal activities carried out by LTTE operators from South of Tamilnadu.

Maj. Gen. Mehtha has made very serious charges against the Indian Centre saying that Tamilnadu political leaders who objected to New Delhi’s military help to Colombo even connived with the LTTE against the IPKF which was here during the Jayewardene regime. He has warned that if the LTTE succeeds in Jaffna it would be a Saigon like situation which would definitely endanger the security of India. Mehtha has said that the LTTE would not accept any ceasefire when it had power and had warned that greater dishonour would come to India, the regional influencer, supporting a terrorist group win a war with horrendous implications for India and Sri Lanka.

Mehtha’s warning is an eye opener to New Delhi about the regional security of South Asia. The Indian’s who a week ago said CENSORED Sikh terrorism reached its peak in the early 1980s with militants taking control of the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered her troops to storm the temple which is sacred to the Sikhsand subdue the enemy. Indian troops not only attacked the terrorists but also caused damage to the Temple. India never allowed the Sikh terrorists to obtain a separate state which they (the terrorists) claimed.

The Sri Lankan government has expressed displeasure about the publicity given in Indian quarters with regard to the story of evacuation of troops. Official sources in Colombo said that such moves would only undermine the morale of the army battling to save the country. Indians claim that it was Kadirgamar who first spoke CENSORED on May 03 when the Eelam war entered its third phase. Kumaratunga in two interviews with the Indian media categorically stated that she had no intention to pull out troops and it was a last resort. Kumaratunga’s statement boosted the morale of the fighting forces and also gave hope to the people who were in suspense about the situation. Government troops under the leadership of Maj. Gen. Janaka Perera have been fighting since May 03, the day the war took a serious turn.

The government is determined to defeat the enemy while hoping for a political solution to the problem. Kumaratunga in her drive to attack the LTTE at international level has succeeded with US Under Secretary Thomas Pickering assuring that US would not recognise any division of this country. The President herself committedly worked towards this goal while political analysts blame the foreign office in Colombo for the failure in foreign policy.

Analysts claim that the servile attitude adopted by the foreign office towards India was one reason that New Delhi acted with caution with regard to prompt military help. Securing of weapons from countries like Pakistan, China, Czech Republic and Israel is described as due to the efforts of Kumaratunga Sri Lanka’s relations with UN also appears to be sour with no meeting being held between Kadirgamar and Kofi Annan for the past four years. Sri Lanka has no representation in the UN bodies except for Jayantha Dhanapala who was accommodated by Annan by creating a new post as Colombo did not back Dhanapala for the post of Chairman in the UN Atomic Energy body.

Unbearable burdens

While the government is engaged in a war, steps taken by certain government institutions and privatised ventures have imposed unbearable burdens on the people who are already faced with the high cost of living. Three weeks ago the Ceylon Electricity Board announced a hike in electricity rates followed by Sri Lanka Telecom which spoke of a hike on telephone charges. This week Shell Gas shocked the people with an increase of Rs.105/ for the third time this year on a domestic cylinder. This increase not only shocked the people but also the politicians in the government who have to face another general election in the coming months. Political quarters went berserk last Wednesday morning with the news of the gas increase.

Shell Gas when it entered into an agreement with the government four years ago pledged to pass over the profits they make when prices were low in the world market to the consumer. This never happened. Authoritative sources said that the agreement only provided for ten per cent annual increase in prices but Shell Gas had increased thrice this year violating the agreement. This agreement between the government and the Shell Gas is yet to be made public though the UNP opposition had called for it many times in parliament. The PA dodged the issue when it was raised by Ravi Karunanayake both as a PA MP and an opposition MP now. The situation was the same when Karunanayake raised it at Consultative Committee level.

The increase in gas prices was the main topic when cabinet met on Thursday. Kumaratunga herself was annoyed over the huge increase and expressed her displeasure on the attitude of the Shell Gas at this time of crisis. The President said the increase should be suspended till the present crisis was over.

Ministers Alavi Moulana, Batty Weerakoon, G. L. Peiris and Mahinda Rajapakse were critical of the Shell Gas move. The entire cabinet unanimously called for a decrease or for the suspension of the increase. Kumaratunga directed Minister Peiris to ask the Treasury to summon the management of Shell Gas the same evening to sort out the matter. This was done by Peiris but there was no positive response from the Company at that meeting. The management was only pointing out the losses they incur as a result of the hike in prices in the world market.

PA and UNP MPs now have called upon the government to disclose the agreement in order to take legal steps against Shell Gas if the latter had violated the agreement. However, Shell Gas expressed confidence that they had increased prices in keeping with the provisions of the agreement. The public are at a loss to know which side was telling the truth.

The government has not increased salaries of public servants to meet these rising costs. Instead it had called upon the people to co-operate at this time of war. Public and private sector employees are donating money from their salaries for the national cause despite difficulties while ministers and MPs have not rejected their huge salary increases granted recently.

Today gas has become essential as firewood given up a decade ago. Those who live in flats are prohibited to use firewood as a safety measure and to avoid smoke pollution.

National Patriotic Group

With the war taking a serious turn with troops fighting to save Jaffna, several parliamentarians from the PA and UNP shed their differences to form a National Patriotic Group in the interest of the country. PA Deputy Ministers Felix Perera and Ediriweera Premaratne joined UNPs John Amaratunga and Sarath Ranawaka in this effort to build this new group. Amaratunga was one person who campaigned to vote with the government to extend the new emergency regulations which even prevented political activity. Amaratunga’s conduct was in contrast to a party decision to oppose the emergency.

This group was formed during the first session of parliament in May and Minister Mahinda Wijesekere was the chief campaigner for the purpose. The two groups thereafter met for the first time at a function hosted by Amaratunga at his residence in Kandana. Among those present were Sarath Kongahage, Mervyn Silva, Rukman Senanayake, Mahinda Wijesekere, Felix Perera, Ediriweera Premaratne and Amal Senadhilankara. The occasion was used to discuss plans to officially set up the group.

Amaratunga and Rukman Senanayake later met UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to apprise the latter on the move by both sides to form the group. Wickremesinghe did not oppose the move as it was in the interest of the nation. After getting the blessings of Wickremesinghe, the two sides met to discuss future strategies this week. A committee was set up to take measures to educate the diplomatic missions about LTTE atrocities. Though several MPs from both sides are involved in this new group some others appear to be taking a different line towards this joint effort on national interests. Amaratunga and Ranawaka issued a statement to educate others that the group was set up not to betray party leaders from both sides but in the national interest. Amaratunga pointed out that members of the group would not leave their political parties nor support an extension of the life of parliament. He stressed that the group had no political affiliations.

Members in the group are now working closely on matters of national interests and UNP leader too is assisting them in their needs to fight against the LTTE at all political and diplomatic levels.

Despite attacks launched on him by Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Wickremesinghe and his party continued to engage themselves with Kumaratunga on the constitutional reforms process. Political analysts have welcomed this effort by the UNP at a time Norway and India were trying to help Colombo.

Kumaratunga has correctly said that bringing pressure on the LTTE to come to the table was a job for India, the big brother who has that influence. Till that happens, Kumaratunga is determined to crush the enemy.

Bringing some consolation to her political opponents, Kumaratunga relaxed emergency regulations that curbed political activity from Friday night. This will give the UNP opposition a chance to challenge the government on the rising cost of living and price hikes on essential commodities to gain political ground with elections due after August.

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