Motion to extend emergency
Ratwatte says troops advancing slowly While the country mourned the
killing of Minister C. V. Gooneratne and 21 others by an LTTE suicide bomber on Wednesday,
Deputy Defence Minister Anuruddha Ratwatte urged parliament yesterday to extend the State
of Emergency to enable the security forces to battle the terrorists.
Troops are at present consolidating their positions along the readjusted defence lines
in the Jaffna peninsula and are advancing slowly due to heavy terrorist resistance, the
Minister told parliament.
Moving the motion for the extension of the state of emergency for a further month, the
minister said:
The Motion relating to the state of Emergency which was in force throughout Sri Lanka
with effect from 4th May, 2000 was approved by this House on 9th May, 2000.
While proposing the resolution to be passed by this august Assembly I wish to state
with a sense of satisfaction that our valiant soldiers fighting in battle field in the
North were able to prevent the LTTE Tigers recapturing Jaffna. Their so called
"unceasing wave" had a setback during the past few days owing to the military
strategies adopted by our security forces.
During the last month several attempts were made by Terrorists to breach the defence
lines in Ariyalai and Thannakilappu areas. Further they launched a fresh attack to capture
Sarasalai and Chavakachcheri areas. Terrorists failed in the attempt to capture Sarasalai
and part of Chavakachcheri.
At present security forces are holding in the defences along Colombothurai, Putur,
Sarasalai and Chavakachcheri in Tennamarachchi West and along Ponnar, Muhamalai and
Nagakovil line on Tennamarachchi East sector. Troops are consolidating in their new
defences along above mentioned readjusted defence lines. Troops are advancing slowly due
to heavy terrorist resistance.
Several incidents have taken place not only in the North but in other parts of the
country which necessitates the government to extend the state of emergency throughout the
country.
These heartless terrorists who resort to brutal acts of violence did not spare the
Vesak Festival which has been declared as an international public holiday by the United
Nations. On 17.05.2000, Vesak Full Moon Poya Day, a bomb was exploded near a Vesak pandol
at Mangalarama Temple, Batticaloa killing 16 civilians, a few security personnel and
injuring 41 civilians and few security personal.
On the same day terrorists abducted one H. P. Siriwardena of Sungavila, Polonnaruwa and
later he was found shot dead.
On 13.05.2000 terrorists attacked villagers of Kalyanapura who were threshing paddy in
their fields killing one civilian named A. Ariyaratna.
I am tabling a detailed statement of acts of violence committed by LTTE terrorists
during the month of May, 2000.
While relaxing the prohibition of holding public meetings and processions and also the
censorship on foreign media the government is compelled to take steps to extend the
emergency for a further period in the national interest and security of our country.
In fighting a war there can be temporary set backs, but that does not mean the efforts
to defeat the LTTE terrorists are abandoned. We shall consolidate our position and
endeavour to readjust our forward defence line without delay for which the cooperation of
all is solicited.
I therefore sincerely hope that all the Honourable Members of this House would extend
their unstinted co-operation to continue the state of Emergency throughout the country for
a further period of one month, in order to maintain law and order, public security, and
the preservation of State property.
Suspected
associates of Ratmalana suicide bomber arrested
by Norman Palihawadana, Irosha Weththasingha and Neminda Samarajeewa.
Police investigating Wednesday’s assassination of Industrial Development Minister
C. V. Gooneratne said yesterday that they have taken into custody three LTTE suspects
along with a vehicle. The suspects, believed to be associates of the male suicide bomber
who blew up the Minister, were taken into custody within hours of the blast, police said.
Minister Gooneratne was killed along with 21 other people near Golumadama junction,
Ratmalana when the suicide cadre exploded himself in front of the Minister. He was leading
a procession to mark the War Heroes Day at Ratmalana.
Police said that one suspect was arrested during a raid at Soysapura Flats. Acting on
information provided by him, police swooped on an LTTE hide-out at Maradana and took into
custody the other suspects.
The Deputy Mayor of Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Anura Silva and Saman Aponsu of the Moratuwa
Municipal Council were among the dead.
Shyama Gooneratne, the wife of the late Minister who was also critically injured by the
explosion is currently in the Intensive Care Unit of the Kalubowila Hospital. She had
sustained heavy internal injuries and doctors performed an operation to save her life. But
hospital sources said that there is no change in her condition.
According to information received from eye witnesses the suicide bomber had come
forward with a sheaf of betel and the bomb went off at the moment he offered it to the
minister.
The remains of the suicide bomber’s body was found scattered on the road. A head
was also found at the scene and the police are conducting investigations to identify him.
Sixty more Tamil suspects were taken into custody in search operations conducted in the
Ratmalana-Mount Lavinia area yesterday, SSP W. P. Dayaratne said.
The curfew which was imposed in the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia area after the explosion was
lifted yesterday morning. The situation is calm in the area, according to the police.
Annan
‘profoundly shocked’ by bomb attack
Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations was profoundly shocked by the
reported suicide bomb attack that occurred in Colombo, said his spokesman in New York on
June 7.
Following is the full text issued by the office of the spokesman for the UN
Secretary-General.
"The Secretary-General is profoundly shocked by the reported suicide bomb attack
that occurred today in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He deeply deplores the loss of innocent lives,
including Sri Lanka’s Industrial Development Minister, C. V. Gooneratne. In the
strongest possible terms, the Secretary-General re-iterates his condemnation of terrorism
from whatever quarter.
The Secretary-General sends his condolences to the families of those killed and his
best wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured in this senseless terrorist act."
Politicians to
restrict public appearances
by Shamindra Ferdinando
The assassination of Industrial Development Minister C. V. Gooneratne on Wednesday has
prompted some politicians to restrict their public appearances, police said adding that
the LTTE could go for more "soft" targets in the south in view of the
intensified combined security forces assaults on the LTTE in the Jaffna peninsula.
Some of those who ignored earlier police warnings to restrict their appearances had
taken additional security measures, the sources said. Slain Industrial Development
Minister C. V. Gooneratne was among several other politicians who were advised to restrict
their public appearances recently in view of the threat posed by the LTTE, senior police
officers said yesterday.
A group of People’s Alliance politicians were requested to curtail their
activities after security reports that the LTTE could target them in view of the
LTTE’s inability to breach defences of politicians and other senior civilian and
military officials believed to be on top of the hit list, they said.
A senior police officer yesterday said that the slain Minister was warned a number of
times. Inspector Mangala Jayasinghe, the Officer in Charge of Minister Gooneratne’s
ten member Ministerial Security Division [MSD] had warned him several times and on the day
of the incident SSP W. P. Dayaratne had asked the Minister not to walk on the road, he
said. Except for two ministers, all others have been provided with MSD VIP protection
teams.
"He was never under any serious threat," police said pointing out that the
LTTE’s failure to target certain other key targets in view of high security appeared
to have prompted the attack on Minister Gooneratne described as a "soft" target.
He was the first to die since the December 19, last year’s abortive bid to
assassinate President Chandrika Kumaratunga. Police last month foiled an attempt by
terrorists to assassinate the former Trincomalee District SLFP MP M. K. D. S. Gunawardene
at Kantale.
IP Jayasinghe who had been with Minister Gooneratne’s security detail for over
five years was killed along with three sergeants and a constable, belonging to the MSD.
Two other MSD personnel were wounded in the blast, police headquarters sources said.
One of the wounded officers had said that IP Jayasinghe made an abortive bid to block the
male suicide cadre when he moved swiftly towards the Minister.
Police said that the Minister appeared to have been at the wrong place at the wrong
time. Senior police officers believe that terrorists would have mounted Wednesday’s
attack even if the slain Minister or any other politicians were not present. "They
wanted to take a target in Colombo and took an easy one," a Deputy Inspector General
of Police said adding that the procession organised by the Independent Television Network
and Lakhanda to collect funds for the war effort gave the LTTE the perfect opportunity to
mount the latest human bomb attack.
The organisers planned to walk up to Panadura. There were a number of other events
planned along the way, the sources said adding that Minister G. L. Peiris had been among
many others expected to join the event along the way.
However, at the time of blast, the organisers had moved ahead of the Minister saying
that they were late for the events planned further south.
Karunanidhi
influenced by election fears in stand for SL break up?
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi might have been influenced by local
factors which could influence the elections due there in nine months when he proposed a
Czechoslovak-type solution in Sri Lanka, Indian newspapers reported yesterday.
"The Hindustan Times" said: Although startled by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M
Karunanidhi’s latest stand on Sri Lanka, the BJP thinks that the coalition’s
interests demand that the party is circumspect while clarifying its own support for a
united Sri Lanka and the Tamils’ rights.
Senior BJP leaders believe that Mr. Karunanidhi is compelled to take this position
because of the local factors that can influence the Assembly elections, which are only
nine months away.
As a leader of the NDA alliance, Mr. Karunanidhi has to charter its course for victory
in the polls. The BJP cannot afford to get either offended or criticise the DMK for its
posture, they say.
With the Government rejecting Mr. Karunanidhi’s suggestion outright, the BJP is
unwilling to offend its coalition partner any further.
BJP president Kushabhau Thakre today refused to find fault with him. "We must
understand his concern for a settlement because of the fallout of the ethnic crisis in
Tamil Nadu, which is already a home to thousands of refugees," Mr. Thakre told The
Hindustan Times.
He said it was natural that Tamil Nadu leaders were interested in an early solution to
the vexed problem.
Besides, the BJP chief said, it was the Government at the Centre, which was formulating
the policy on Sri Lanka. "The Government’s own views are clearly
enunciated," he said. "There is a consensus in the country that New Delhi cannot
intervene militarily in the island. Any solution has to be within the framework of a
united Sri Lanka and take into account the concern of the minority Tamils."
Referring to the Opposition’s attack on Mr. Karunanidhi and the NDA on this issue,
Mr. Thakre said neither the DMK nor other allies of Tamil Nadu had opposed the
Government’s support for a united Sri Lanka and "non-interference"
approach.
"What is the Congress or the CPI(M) policy on Sri Lanka? Are they calling for a
military intervention? Besides, we all know what was their policy when they were in
power," he said.
Mr. Thakre said, ultimately, Sri Lanka Government and its Tamil citizens would have to
sort out the matter. "We can take the counsel of all but not offer unsolicited
advice. There is no two opinion that bloodshed must cease and violence must end."
Many suggestions and proposals had been mooted from time to time to solve the Tamil
problem, he said. "It is for Colombo and the Tamils to decide on a suitable solution.
There is no need for everyone to get exercised about suggestions from various quarters.
After all, there is no censorship on views in the country."
Mr. Thakre said, "the ethnic crisis had taken a heavy toll. We lost our former
Prime Minister".
"The Hindu" newspaper reported the Union Defence Minister, Mr. George
Fernandes, today hinted that local political compulsions could have weighed with the DMK
leader, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, in advocating a Czechoslovakian-type of peaceful, territorial
separation to the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, but asserted that there was no change in the
Centre’s stand.
"The Centre is not going to intervene in any way in Sri Lanka, unless both parties
made a request for some sort of assistance on humanitarian grounds," Mr. Fernandes
told reporters here, responding to queries on the fallout of Mr. Karunanidhi’s
proposal.
The NDA’s commitment was to the common programme they had agreed to, Mr. Fernandes
said and added that in response to national or international situations, individual
constituents might have their own views and there was no agreement that "they need
not articulate their views".
Parties have "their own constituencies" and might have to cater for them, but
what was important in a coalition was, "one has to act together", he added.
He said Mr. Karunanidhi, whose party had done "yeoman service" at both the
State and Central levels, needed no advice "from us".
There was no proposal either to convene an NDA meeting to discuss the issue. Asked
whether he agreed with Mr. Karunanidhi’s proposal, Mr. Fernandes said, "my view
is the Government of India’s view".
Eight terrorists killed
in mortar fire
Three terrorists were killed and five wounded during an exchange of motar fire between
the Security Forces and the LTTE in the Jaffna peninsula on Wednesday at around 2 p.m.,
the Special Media Information Centre said yesterday. The following is the text of the
communique issued by the SMIC: Five terrorists were killed when troops attacked a
terrorist bunker in Ponnari, south of Kilali, on Wednesday at around 12.30 p.m.
A member of the LTTE pistol gang fired at two TELO members whilst they were travelling
on a motor cycle in Puliyanthivu island. One TELO member, K. Navaratnarajah, alias Robert
(34), who was the former Chairman of the now dissolved Arapattai Pradeshiya Sabha,
succumbed to his injuries. It is now evident that the LTTE is gradually destroying the
regional Tamil political leadership which had joined the democratic political mainstream
and thereby showing that they (the LTTE) are nothing but a brutal terrorist organisation.
Information received from a civilian revealed that a person by the name of - Velayudan
Raju was summarily executed by the LTTE in Koomacholai, on the Chenkalady-Maha-Oya road on
June 3 at around 3 p.m. for refusing to join the organisation.
Editors’
Guild case against censorship to be supported in SC
By Chitra Weerarathna
The Fundamental Rights violation plea, filed in the Supreme Court, by the Editors’
Guild against the censor of military related news, is to be supported in Court on June 13.
Sinha Ratnatunga, President of the Editor’s Guild and nine others had alleged
that, Regulation 14 of the Emergency Regulation 1 of 2000, is a violation of Article 12
(1) of the Constitution of Sri Lanka, and consequently ultra vires the Regulation making
powers of the President, under section (5) of the Public Security Ordinance.
They have requested the Supreme Court to grant leave to proceed, declare the violation
of their Fundamental Rights to equality, the Right to engage in the lawful profession of
choice, enshrined respectively in Articles 12 (1) and 14 (1) (a) of the Constitution of
Sri Lanka. The petition has further requested the Supreme Court to declare that Regulation
14, of Emergency Regulation 1 of 2000 is a violation of Article 12 (1), and therefore
ultra vires, the Regulation making powers of the President, under section (5) of the
Public Security Ordinance, read with Article 155 of the Constitution, and therefore
unconstitutional, null and void. The petition has further requested the Supreme Court to
declare that Emergency Prohibition, on Transmission of Military Information, by Regulation
No. 1 of 1996 as amended is a violation of Article 12 (1) and is ultra vires, and in
excess of the powers vested in the President under Section (5) of the Public Security
Ordinance, and therefore a nullity in law.
The respondents are Ariya Rubesinghe, (Competent Authority), Sripathi Suriarachchi
(Attorney-At-Law, Information Department) Mangala Samaraweera (Minister of Media and
Information), and the Attorney General.
The petition will be supported by R. K. W. Goonesekera, instructed by Lilanthi de
Silva. |
