SOUTH ASIA: Sri Lanka                                                                                        News Briefs

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established when its Charter was formally adopted on December 8, 1985, by the heads of state or governments of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Since its inception, the SAARC has provided a platform for the peoples of South Asia to work together in a spirit of friendship, trust and understanding.  It aims to accelerate the process of economic and social development in member states. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which is fighting to carve out an independent state of ‘Tamil Eelam’ from Sri Lanka has made a political and diplomatic move by declaring a unilateral truce from July 26 to August 4 in order to help provide for the success of the conference to be held in Colombo during that time.

All SAARC member countries have pledged support to the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL). Sri Lanka needs the help of neighbouring countries, especially India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, to assist the Sri Lankan armed forces by supplying military hardware and /or military training. The LTTE has influence only in India because many of the other countries are not aware of the intricacies of the Sri Lankan ethnic issue or it is not in their interests to attach much importance to Sri Lanka’s internal problem.

LTTE’s truce declaration

In this context, the LTTE’s political wing issued a statement on July 22 saying that the LTTE would observe a unilateral ceasefire during the period of the SAARC conference. Conveying the goodwill and trust of the Tamil people, the LTTE said it wished for the success of the SAARC conference, extending the movement's support to the countries of the region, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives.

The LTTE said: “On behalf of the people of Tamil Eelam, we extend our sincere good wishes to the fifteenth conference of SAARC that aims, to improve the economic development of the vast South Asian region and to create a new world order based on justice, equality and peace.”

The LTTE also highlighted what happened to the Tamils on the island since the country gained independence in 1948, saying that the Sinhala leadership continues to refuse to put forward a just solution to the national question of the Tamil people.  It said: “The Sinhala nation is not prepared to deal justly with the Tamils. The politics of the Sinhala nation has today taken the form of a monstrous war. Because the chauvinistic Sinhala regime is putting its trust in a military solution, the war is spreading and is turning more and more intense. The Sinhala nation is intent on occupying and enslaving the Tamil homeland. Our military is only involved in a war of self defence against this war of the Sinhala nation.”

The LTTE further said that it wanted to maintain friendship with the global community as well as the countries in south Asia because they all share similar cultural and traditional customs. “We are sincere in our efforts to create the external conditions in order to build these friendships. We wish to express the good will and trust of the Tamil people. As a sign of this goodwill, our movement is glad to inform that it will observe a unilateral ceasefire that is devoid of military actions during the period of the SAARC conference from 26th July to 4th August and give our cooperation for the success of the conference. At the same time if the occupying Sinhala forces, disrespecting our goodwill gesture of our people and our nation, carry out any offensives, our movement will be forced to take defensive actions.”

Sri Lanka’s response to LTTE’s truce

The GoSL has refused to accept the LTTE’s offer of a truce saying that the LTTE is militarily weak and the only reason they are offering the truce is so that they can rebuild during this time. Cabinet Minister Nimal Siripala Silva announced in parliament that the GoSL was not ready to accept any ceasefire that would supply oxygen to the LTTE.

Sri Lanka’s state-controlled Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) in its broadcast in all three languages announced that the GoSL is not prepared for ceasefire with the LTTE and quoted Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the defense secretary and a brother of Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa: “The ceasefire announcement is a ploy by the LTTE when it is being militarily weakened in the war front, to strengthen it militarily under the guise of holding negotiation. There is no need for the government to enter into a ceasefire agreement with the LTTE...If we have to believe the LTTE they should first disarm themselves and then surrender.”

On the other hand, Rajiva Wijesinghe, Secretary General of the Government Peace Secretariat (SCOPP) announced that the GoSL would wait and see if the LTTE’s offer would come through peace-facilitator Norway. He said: “We need peace. We will wait and see if they will make the offer to us directly or through Norway (the peace facilitator), if they (LTTE) are serious about it...They (LTTE) has offered similar things in the past and militarily beefed up their capabilities. We need to be careful.”

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollegama also announced in parliament that the GoSL would not even respond to the LTTE’s offer of a ceasefire. He said: “We will not respond to it...It has no binding on us.”

GoSL’s ploy to make fight between India and LTTE

The LTTE’s announcement of a unilateral truce comes in the wake of the GoSL informing New Delhi that the LTTE is a great danger to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, and urging New Delhi to send in soldiers to protect the visiting south Asian leaders, especially Indian and Afghanistan leaders, while they take part in the conference in Colombo.

The GoSL wanted to play the diplomatic card in order to put India against the LTTE. If any bomb blasts take place in Colombo during the SAARC summit or anywhere outside of Tamil-dominated North and East it would justify the GoSL’s war against the LTTE. It would declare the LTTE as terrorizing the country and gain support from the south Asian countries, and further isolating the LTTE from the international community. All this even though Sri Lanka has been under enormous pressure from the western world to enter into genuine peace talks with the LTTE and to uphold human rights values.

The LTTE’s unilateral ceasefire announcement certainly gives the GoSL a political headache and an impediment to its designs. The LTTE further extended the good wishes for the success of the conference on behalf of Tamil Eelam. This shows that the LTTE is in grave need of support not only from the western world but also from the eastern (ASIAN) and, particularly the neighbouring countries.

The LTTE lack an advocacy base for their grievances among the SAARC members because they have no such networks in these countries, except India. The LTTE is making use of the SAARC conference to attract the SAARC member countries, and indeed, the SAARC member countries have provided wide coverage in their media about the LTTE’s truce announcement.

The people in the region would definitely praise the LTTE for its well thought out announcement of declaring a truce during the summit.  Because of their announcement, the LTTE could not be held responsible for any bomb blasts that take place in the south, and would negate the need for heavy security in the south because Sri Lanka has been saying that the Tamils are the main security concern.

The GoSL has given their armed forces the power to interrogate or detain Tamils as they may pose security threat.  This way, the GoSL can advertise around the world that they are arresting and detaining Tamils to safeguard security and such behaviour would not be seen as human rights abuses.  It would be seen the same as China arresting innocent persons as terrorists during the time of the Olympics and getting away with it.  Following the LTTE’s truce announcement, the failure of the GoSL to reciprocate further degrades the GoSL not only in the eyes of western countries but also in those of SAARC members.

Tamil observers claim that the word used by the LTTE in regard to Tamil Eelam shows that the LTTE believes that the establishment of a true Tamil Eelam will happen soon.  LTTE leaders have been saying continuously that the LTTE sees India as a friendly and brotherly neighbour because Tamil Eelam and India share strong cultural ties.

The LTTE’s publication chief, S. Ravi, said in the aftermath of the LTTE’s truce announcement that the announcement is clear evidence that the LTTE won’t harm the leaders of SAARC member countries because Tamil Eelam is part of that region although Tamil Eelam is not legally recognized.  The LTTE’s expressed wishes for the success of the summit clearly shows that Tamil Eelam will maintain friendly and brotherly relations with them.

Ravi cited the LTTE leader’s Martyr’s Day speech of last year where it was said that the struggle led by the LTTE is for the liberation of the Tamil people from foreign occupation and the LTTE would never act against the interest of any other country, including its neighbours.  He said that the LTTE put an end to the false and malicious propaganda of the GoSL who claimed that the LTTE would disturb the SAARC summit and it would kill the leaders of SAARC member countries, especially India’s Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh. The LTTE’s softening of militancy and focussing on an intellectual, political and diplomatic approach will definitely earn great support from SAARC member countries and other parts of the world.  However, the GoSL continues to push back against the LTTE’s strategies. The GoSL would face opposition from the international community if it continued to launch military operations rather than shaking hands with the LTTE at the negotiating table.

The political and diplomatic games between India, Sri Lanka and de jure Tamil Eelam could indeed make progressive changes in the days or weeks or months to come.  The question is whether the LTTE’s independent Tamil Eelam will become the next new member of SAARC. 

News Briefs

176 LTTE militants and 22 soldiers among 198 persons killed during the week: 176 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militants and 22 soldiers were among 198 persons killed in separate incidents between August 25 and August 31, 2008. 12 LTTE militants were killed and 12 others were wounded during clashes with the Army in the east of Thunukkai, Vannavikulam, Palamoddai, Andankulam, north of Kiriibbanwewa and other areas of Kilinochchi and Vavuniya Districts on August 24. At least 17 LTTE militants were killed and 60 others injured during clashes with the security forces (SFs) in the Koliyankulam, Navakkulam, Andankulam, Nitthikaikulam and Palamoddai areas of Vavuniya District, Alankulam in the Mullaitivu District and Wannarikulam in Kilinochchi District on August 26. Two soldiers were killed while 16 others sustained injuries in LTTE mortar fire and explosions of anti-personnel mines and booby traps during the fighting in these areas. Separately, the troops clashed with the LTTE militants in the Kilali, Puthur and Thorankadu areas of Jaffna District and killed another 10 militants. Further, on August 27, 11 LTTE cadres were killed and 13 others injured during an encounter with the SFs in the Palamoddai area of Vavuniya District. One soldier was also killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion while two others sustained injuries during the fighting and by anti-personnel mines. Troops captured the strategic Palamoddai Town, six kilometres northwest of the Omanthai entry exit point in the Vavuniya District on August 28. The troops also captured the Uluththuveli area in the Mullaitivu District. On the same day, at least 19 militants and four soldiers were killed while 32 persons were injured during clashes between the two sides in the east of Thunukkai, Alankulam and areas about two kilometres to the east of Nachchakuda in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu Districts. Troops later captured the Alankulam area. Also, at least 18 LTTE militants were killed and five others injured during clashes with the SFs in the Vavunikkulam, Nitthikaikulam and Andankulam areas in Mullaitivu and Vavuniya Districts. One soldier was killed while 19 others sustained injuries during these clashes. Separately, the SFs confronted LTTE militants in the Palamoddai and Navakkulam areas of Vavuniya District, killing at least 15 of them. The troops captured four trench lines and recovered the dead bodies of two militants after the clashes in the Palamoddai area. Further, on August 31, troops confronted a group of militants at Konketiyawa in the Padaviya area of Vavuniya District and subsequently recovered the dead bodies of 10 militants. Sri Lanka Army; Daily News; Colombo Page, August 26- September 1, 2008.

192 LTTE militants and 32 soldiers among 227 persons killed during the week: 192 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militants, 32 soldiers and three civilians were among 227 persons killed in separate incidents between August 18 and August 24, 2008. At least 23 LTTE militants and four soldiers were killed and more than 46 militants and four soldiers injured as clashes erupted between the two sides at several places in the Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi and Vavuniya districts on August 17. On August 18, at least 33 LTTE militants were killed and more than 16 others injured during clashes with the security forces (SFs) in the Nachchakuda, Navakkulam, Palamoddai, Uyilankulam, Sinnapuliyanperumal, Andankulam, Kokkuthuduvai and Vannavikulam areas of the Vavuniya, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi districts. Two soldiers were also killed while six others sustained injuries during the clashes at Nachchakuda, Vannavikulam, Andankulam and Kokkuthuduvai. 21 militants and two soldiers were killed while 23 soldiers sustained injuries as clashes erupted between the two sides in the areas south and east of Vannavikulam, west of Thunukkai, south of Malawi and Andankulam in the Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts on August 19. Troops captured Thunukkai, the second most important administrative hub of the LTTE, taking the Forward Defences of the ground troop’s just 12-kilometres south of Kilinochchi, after capturing Uyilankulam, located eight kilometres north of Thunukkai. At least 20 militants and five soldiers were killed during the two days of clashes in Thunukkai. Sri Lanka Army; Daily News; Colombo Page, August 19-25, 2008.

Ruling party wins provincial elections: Sri Lanka's ruling party won the weekend provincial elections and said the victory was an electoral endorsement of its eight-month campaign to militarily crush the LTTE. President Mahinda Rajapaksa's United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) won 56.3 percent of council seats in North Central province and 55.3 percent in Sabaragamuwa province. More than 68 percent of the 2.1 million registered voters cast their ballots on what observers said was a peaceful day in spite of pre-poll violence and intimidation, and reports of rigging by election monitors. "The expectations of violence were fortunately not met," the independent Centre for Monitoring Election Violence said in a statement. The Media and Information Minister Anura Priyadharsana Yapa told Reuters the victory was "a clear endorsement to move forward. This is also endorsement of the decision taken by the president and the government to eradicate terrorism from the country." Reuters, August 24, 2008.

200 LTTE militants and 27 soldiers among 230 persons killed during the week: 200 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militants, 27 soldiers and three civilians were among 230 persons killed in separate incidents between August 11 and August 17, 2008. The troops captured Mulankavil, the second most powerful administrative base for the LTTE in the Kilinochchi District, on August 13 killing 20 militants, including one area leader identified as Thennaman. On the same day, the troops attached to the 57 Division captured Kalvilan village in Mullaitivu District after two days of fighting. More than 30 militants were killed as troops repulsed six LTTE counter attacks to foil the advance of the troops into the village. At least 35 LTTE militants and two soldiers were killed while 48 militants and 10 soldiers sustained injuries as clashes erupted between the two sides at places north of Janakapura, Kiriibbanwewa, Panikkamadammadu, Kalaikadu, Poddimodikulam, Komankulam, Palamoddai, Navathkulama and north of Kalvilan in the Vavuniya, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi Districts on August 14. Nine militants and a soldier were killed during clashes in the Nachchakuda and Panikkamadammadu areas of Kilinochchi District on August 15. Further, on August 16, the troops captured LTTE’s ‘Jeevan Base’ north of Andankulam in Vavuniya District. Sri Lanka Army; Daily News; Colombo Page, August 12-18, 2008.

230 LTTE militants and 24 soldiers among 254 persons killed during the week: 230 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militants and 24 soldiers were among 254 persons killed in separate incidents between August 1 and August 10, 2008. On August 3, the Security Forces (SFs) advancing towards the areas north of Vellankulam in Kilinochchi District repulsed LTTE attacks and killed 12 militants and injured 14 others. In a separate clash in the area, the SFs killed nine militants and wounded seven others. Two soldiers were also killed in the incident. On August 4, 11 militants were killed in the Thunukkai, south of Kalvilan, Kalaikadu and Vellaimuntai areas in the Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi Districts. One soldier was also killed while five others sustained injuries during these clashes. 26 militants were killed and more than 73 others injured during clashes with the troops in the Mannar, Vavuniya, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi Districts on August 6. Three soldiers were also killed while eight others sustained injuries in these clashes. On the same day, the SFs confronted LTTE militants in the areas north of Janakapura and Kiriibbanwewa in Vavuniya District and killed 10 of them and injured 20 others. On August 7, nine LTTE cadres and four soldiers were killed and 22 militants and four soldiers were wounded during clashes in the Andankulam and Kiriibbanwewa areas of Vavuniya District. Further, 15 LTTE militants were killed during clashes with the troops in the Thennayankuma area of Mullaitivu District on August 8. Separately, the troops confronted with the LTTE militants in the Palamoddai, Nedunkulam and Navathkulama areas of Vavuniya District on August 9 and killed 16 of them. On August 10, the troops opened fire on LTTE positions in the areas ahead of the Kilaly Forward Defense Line (FDL) in Jaffna District and killed 15 militants. Similarly, 15 LTTE cadres were killed and more than 13 others injured during another encounter between the two sides in the area south of Nayaru Lagoon in the Mullaitivu District. Sri Lanka Army; Daily News; Colombo Page, August 5-11, 2008.

SAARC nations resolve to jointly fight terrorism: On August 3, 2008, the 15th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit concluded in Colombo. The Summit, in its concluding session, adopted the Colombo Declaration, titled "Partnership for growth of our people," which dwelt at length on terrorism and issues such as trade promotion and measures to face the challenges posed by climate change. The declaration expressed deep concern over the serious threat posed by terrorism to the peace, stability and security of the region and emphasised the need for the "strongest possible cooperation" in fighting terror and trans-national organised crime. The SAARC leaders reiterated their commitment to strengthening the "legal regime against terrorism" by implementing all international conventions relating to combating terrorism to which the member-states are parties, as well as the SAARC Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism and the Additional Protocol to the SAARC Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism. The Declaration further said the leaders recognised the growing linkage between terrorism and illegal trafficking in narcotic and psychotropic substances, humans and firearms and stressed the need to address the problem in a comprehensive manner. Hindu; PTI News , August 4, 2008.

183 LTTE militants and 38 soldiers among 221 persons killed during the week: 183 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militants and 38 soldiers were among 221 persons killed in separate incidents between July 28 and August 3, 2008. The security forces (SFs) captured the Sugandan base, part of the LTTE’s 1-4 base complex in the Mullaitivu jungle, on July 27. On July 28, nine militants and three soldiers were killed while more than 25 other militants and six soldiers were injured in clashes between the two sides in the areas north of Janakapura, north of Kokkuthuduvai and north of Kiriibbanwewa in Vavuniya District. Separately, 12 LTTE militants were killed during clashes at Adampan Kulam and Iluppakadaweli in the Mannar District. Militants operating in the Thunukkai and Kavilan areas of Mullaitivu District opened mortar fire towards the troops in the north of Thunukkai and killed two soldiers while injuring three others on July 29. In the retaliatory fire, the SFs killed eight militants. The troops on July 31 crossed the district borders between Mannar and Kilinochchi at an undisclosed location on the Mannar-Vavuniya combined warfront. 20 LTTE cadres and two soldiers were killed in the operation during which the troops established their control over a five square kilometre area in the Mundampiddy area. On August 1, 15 soldiers and nine LTTE militants were killed during clashes in the Malawi area of Mullaitivu District. On August 2, troops captured the Vellankulam town, the northernmost town in the Mannar District, killing 15 militants. Sri Lanka Army; Daily News; Colombo Page, July 29-August 4, 2008.

[South Asian Intelligence Review]