The months long efforts of the LTTE to stop the advance of the troops into their strongholds in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu are now becoming futile, with all their huge earth bunds falling to the Security Forces in all three major battlefronts in the Wanni, compelling the LTTE to give serious thoughts about their existence in the remaining areas they control in the Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts.
What is left for the LTTE is to engage in delaying tactics, to delay the certain defeat they are going to face in the Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu in the final battle now on in the Wanni.
That was why the LTTE is trying to hang on to the Tamil Nadu politicians who are trying to score out of the Sri Lankan situation to strengthen their Tamil vote base for the upcoming general elections in India, to come out of the situation.
Though it seems that South Indian politicians are pressurizing the Centre to urge Sri Lanka to stop the military thrust on the LTTE in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu, at a time certain defeat is looming for the LTTE, the same type of pressure is also there on the Indian Government not to bow down to the politicians backing LTTE terrorism which had a major impact on the Indian politics during the past two decades. As President Mahinda Rajapaksa very clearly stated in his recent media interviews, military offensives are not at all aimed at the Tamils but against the LTTE which had become an obstacle for ethnic amity and the development of the country.
He has also communicated to the Indian Government that all precautionary measures have been taken to ensure the safety of the Tamil civilians entrapped in the Wanni and also urging the Indian Government to urge the LTTE to enter into mainstream politics as all avenues are now open for them to settle for a political solution.
The type of pressure to the Central Government of India by disgruntled politicians in Tamil Nadu can be understood once we go through the ground realities in the Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu battlefronts.
The LTTE is confronting a situation akin to the situation they faced during the Vadamarachchi operation in 1987 in which the LTTE was about to crushed by the Security Forces on all fronts. The Indian intervention in the North East conflict in 1987 came amidst such a situation.
But things have changed so fast under the present context as for the first time the Government has taken steps to restore democracy in the Eastern province with the establishment of the Eastern Provincial Council which saw the election of militant turned politician Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan as Chief Minister.
Apart form that one time militant renegade LTTE Eastern commander Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman has also been appointed as a Member of Parliament representing the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance Government led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has also invited Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran to lay down arms and join the democratic path at the All Party Conference held on Saturday, focusing on finding a political solution to the North East conflict.
So, on the part of the Government a conducive atmosphere has been set to go for a political solution to the North East conflict with all avenues open for the LTTE to enter into the democratic path giving up violence and without sacrificing more cadres to the battlefront in the face of certain defeat.
The pressure should be exerted on the LTTE but not the Government of Sri Lanka as it is engaged in eliminating one of most ruthless terror outfits which is ready to use its cadres as human bombs violating the basic human rights of the Tamil community which they represent.
What the international community and the Indian Government should understand at this juncture is that the LTTE is ‘concerned’ about the plight of the Tamil civilians entrapped in Wanni and exerting pressure on Tamil Nadu politicians to raise their voice about the civilians as there is no other way for them to escape certain defeat.
On the other hand they have been isolated internationally with all Governments extending their support towards the Lankan Government’s efforts to eradicate terrorism.
The Government of Russia also extended their fullest cooperation to the Government’s effort to eradicate terrorism when a Sri Lankan defence delegation lead by Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa visited Russia last week.
The Sri Lankan Defence delegation met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Deputy Defence Minister General Nikolai Makarou and the Russian Intelligence Chief during this visit.
The discussions had focused on sharing military intelligence and military training and the implementation of existing defence cooperation agreements.
The Sri Lankan delegation has explained the current situation in the country and the Russian Government has given an assurance that they will stand by the Sri Lankan Government in their efforts to eliminate terrorism from Sri Lanka.
The Australian Government has indicated that they are also seriously considering banning the LTTE as a terror organisation when Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama met his Australian counterpart this week.
Amidst the LTTE losing its international support except for a few elements which had been misled by the LTTE, it is also now on the verge of facing certain defeat in the Wanni with troops advancing from all three fronts to crush them in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts.
The Task Force -I or the 58 Division under the command of Brigadier Shavendra Silva made a major breakthrough on the Nachchikuda front in the west of Kilinochchi district. The efforts the LTTE had taken for the past few months creating huge earth bunds to delay the troops have become futile with the capture of the Earth bund from Pandiveddikulam to Vannerikulam.
Following the break of the earth bund from the Karambakulam area a few weeks back the troops attached to the 583 Brigade under the command of Colonel Suraj Banshajaya have now advanced nearly four and half Kilometres northwards from the massive earth bund in Karmabkulam.
Task Force-I or the 58 Division captured 5.5 Kilometres of the Nachchikuda Akkarayankulam Kokavil road from Pandiveddikulam to Vannerikulam. It was from that stretch the troops attached to the 583 Brigade had advanced northwards.
With the capture of this relatively high ground connecting Pandiveddikulam to Vannerikulam troops are now in control of tactically important locations to control Tiger movements in Kilinochchi West.
The advancing troops have captured Mannikulam village which is a five way junction four Kilometres north of Karambakulam area. Mannikulam is a vital LTTE location from which the LTTE could control many areas in the Western flank of Kilinochchi.
The five roads leading from Mannikulam connect to the A-32 road 11th and 12th mile posts and to the Pooneryn - Paranthan road from the North and to the Akkarayankulam road from the South.
With these advances, the LTTE is making desperate attempts to defend this territory by inducting their well trained cadres into the front using all their resources. Two vehicles bringing such Imran Pandyan cadres have been targeted by the troops operating in the Mannikulam area last Saturday on two occasions killing 18 cadres.
The LTTE had moved in without knowing that troops have moved into the area.
Apart from this the troops have also advanced towards Jayapuram village located west of Pandiveddikulam reaching close to the A-32 road from the north of Nachchikuda.
Troops attached to the 58 Division are poised to cut off the A-32 Mannar Pooneryn road from north of Nachchikuda to isolate the Nachchikuda Sea Tiger base.
With these developments the Tigers now entrapped in Nachchikuda are apparently withdrawing removing all their positions. Intelligence reports indicate a hive of activities in the Nachchikuda area within the past few days.
They have been confused as many Tiger movements along the A-32 road north of Nachchikuda have been targeted by commando troops last week. Once the Military gains the A-32 road the LTTE automatically loses Nachchikuda which has been defended by them for months having constructed huge earth bunds.
Once troops hit the A-32 road from the North of Nachchikuda the LTTE will be left with only Valaipadu and Palavi jungle areas. Once troops move into the jungle patch in Palavi they can easily control the Tiger activities and also Sea Tiger activities in the Valaipadu Sea Tiger base from which the LTTE had unloaded a consignment of arms and weapons to be transported to the Kilinochchi side.
Therefore, the LTTE is now undergoing a confusing situation as they cannot take control of the troops movement in the western part of the Kilinochchi district as gateways has already been opened for the troops to march towards Pooneryn direction.
This move has become vital at this decisive moment in which the LTTE is trying to get the maximum political pressure on the Government through the volatile political situation in Tamil Nadu as such a move will enable them to control supplies from the South Indian side to the north western coast.
These developments on the battlefront have compelled the LTTE to seriously consider their defence system as more than 10 of their earth bunds so far have been captured by the 58 Division during their operations in the Mannar Rice Bowl area and in Viddathalthivu, Iluppakadavai, Vellankulam and Mulangavil.
Even in Kilinochchi south west the LTTE is trying to delay the troops advance by constructing a huge earth bund. But troops are now in control of the section of this earth bund in the south west of Kilinochchi and frequently confronting the LTTE there.
By this time the LTTE is once again trying to save their well trained cadres having inducted junior cadres without proper training to the Kilinochchi south front. But this proved futile as many of these cadres have started to flee the Tiger forward defences in Kilinochchi south without obeying orders of senior Tiger cadres.
It was a clear signal that the LTTE is fast losing control over their cadres and also the civilian population as they are well aware that the LTTE trying to exploit their lives for an unwinnable war at this stage.
Amidst this situation the troops operating in the South of Kilinochchi are making progress though they have not shown a rapid progress within the past few days. The troops are now preparing for the final stage of the battle as they are moving towards a built-up area in the Kilinochchi town after passing jungle terrain.
The 574 and 573 Brigades under the command of Lt. Colonel Senaka Wijesuriya and Lt. Colonel Prathap Thillekeratne are overlooking the LTTE movements on the A-9 road. They have been able to control LTTE movements along the A-9 road as they have taken the stretch of A-9 road from Mankulam to Murikandi.
For the past one week the troops have been able to attack eight Tiger Tractors moving along this stretch of A-9 road.
The troops attached to the 59 Division too are making steady progress towards Mullaitivu having captured half of the area coming under Nayaru lagoon and a huge earth bund constructed encircling the Kumulamunai and Alampil areas.
Air Force fighter jets and gunship helicopters are providing close assistance to ground troops taking on to LTTE logistics and military bases frequently. One such Tiger facility where the LTTE had a large number of their earth moving equipment came under attack of SLAF fighter jets.
Therefore troops, with the strong backing of the political leadership who are firmly standing behind their action without succumbing to local and international pressure, are now in a strong position to face the final battle to crush the LTTE on Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu fronts to see an end to the two and half decade long conflict in the country.(News-Dailynews)
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Friday, October 17, 2008
LTTE attacks food convoy
Fifty World Food Programme lorries carrying essential food items, medicine and other dry rations for Wanni civilians were forced to return to Vavuniya due to LTTE artillery fire and claymore mine attacks.
Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said the convoy loaded with essential food items had crossed the Omanthai entry/exit point.
He said the food convoy had come under a barrage of LTTE artillery fire and a claymore mine attack and turned back to Vavuniya.
“The Tiger cadres fired indiscriminately at the food convoy for the IDPs,” Brigadier Nanayakkara told the Daily News.
The lorries were carrying a large stock of medicine and essential items such as rice, sugar and dhal, Brigadier Nanayakkara said.
He said 18 other food lorries will be sent to civilians living in IDP centres in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts.
“Five of the 18 vehicles will be distributing essential food items coordinating with relevant authorities in the Mullaitivu district while the remainder will be distributed in the Kilinochchi district,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner General of Essential Services S. B. Divaratne on Wednesday submitted a report to President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the ongoing operations to supply foods to the Wanni.
The report states that the government has been able to continue provision of sufficient food stocks to civilians in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts effectively despite non cooperation of some international aid agencies . Further, the report recalls that it is the government of Sri Lanka that has been providing foods to terror stricken areas during last 20 years and state that this has been carried out with the utmost commitment to protect its own citizen but not to satisfy any international agency. Meanwhile, the Commissioner General of Essential Services on Wednesday submitted a report President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the on going operations to supply foods to Wanni. The report states that the government has been able to continue provision of sufficient food stocks to the civilians living in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts effectively despite non cooperation of some international aid agencies . Further, the report recall that it is the government of Sri Lanka that has been providing foods to terror stricken areas during last 20 years and state that this has been carried out with the utmost commitment to protect its own citizen but not to satisfy any international agency.
Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said the convoy loaded with essential food items had crossed the Omanthai entry/exit point.
He said the food convoy had come under a barrage of LTTE artillery fire and a claymore mine attack and turned back to Vavuniya.
“The Tiger cadres fired indiscriminately at the food convoy for the IDPs,” Brigadier Nanayakkara told the Daily News.
The lorries were carrying a large stock of medicine and essential items such as rice, sugar and dhal, Brigadier Nanayakkara said.
He said 18 other food lorries will be sent to civilians living in IDP centres in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts.
“Five of the 18 vehicles will be distributing essential food items coordinating with relevant authorities in the Mullaitivu district while the remainder will be distributed in the Kilinochchi district,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner General of Essential Services S. B. Divaratne on Wednesday submitted a report to President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the ongoing operations to supply foods to the Wanni.
The report states that the government has been able to continue provision of sufficient food stocks to civilians in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts effectively despite non cooperation of some international aid agencies . Further, the report recalls that it is the government of Sri Lanka that has been providing foods to terror stricken areas during last 20 years and state that this has been carried out with the utmost commitment to protect its own citizen but not to satisfy any international agency. Meanwhile, the Commissioner General of Essential Services on Wednesday submitted a report President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the on going operations to supply foods to Wanni. The report states that the government has been able to continue provision of sufficient food stocks to the civilians living in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts effectively despite non cooperation of some international aid agencies . Further, the report recall that it is the government of Sri Lanka that has been providing foods to terror stricken areas during last 20 years and state that this has been carried out with the utmost commitment to protect its own citizen but not to satisfy any international agency.
SL armed forces capture Manniuakkulam
The military has captured Manniuakkulam located some 13.5 km north east of Nachchikuda in the Wanni today.
Letter From Jaffna
It's only an hour's airtime from Sri Lanka's capital city, Colombo, to the Jaffna peninsula at the northern tip of the island, but getting there is a miserable ordeal that can kill nearly half a day. Suitcases in hand, heaving and sweating for hours under the blazing sun, passengers endure a gauntlet of checkpoints, where they are repeatedly stopped, questioned, frisked and hassled. Most of the travelers are ethnic Tamils, a minority on the island, although they're the overwhelming majority in the battle-scarred north. Some, without the necessary paperwork, are turned back. No one dares to protest. The slightest disruption can halt air service at any time. After five sweltering hours of queuing up, a Tamil passenger elbows me in the ribs and mutters: "This is how you're treated when you're taken to a prison camp."
The people of Jaffna can only hope their isolation will end soon. For two years they've been cut off from overland access to the rest of the country by fierce combat in the swampy jungles of the Wanni region, just south of the peninsula. That's where the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have dug in as they continue to wage one of the oldest running insurgencies in the world. Jaffna's old lifeline to the Sinhala-speaking south, the Alpha 9 highway, runs right through the middle of it. The fighting has strangled Jaffna's economy, causing severe shortages of food, fuel and electricity. Now, however, the Sri Lankan army has made sweeping advances along the A9 to within a mile of the insurgents' capital, the town of Kilinochchi. If that obstacle falls, and the A9 is reopened, life could get at least a little easier for Jaffna's civilians.
Their bullet-pocked homes and shrapnel-scarred temples bear witness to how bad their lives have been. The fanatically cultist Tigers, who pioneered the use of suicide-bomb vests, succeeded in establishing a de facto separatist state in Jaffna in the early 1990s. Government forces recaptured the city 13 years ago and have maintained an iron grip on it ever since. Today, 40,000 government soldiers stand guard over the peninsula's 600,000 Tamil inhabitants. Crowds in the markets pay little attention to the occasional thud of artillery duels in the distance. Troops wielding Chinese-made T-56 assault rifles operate checkpoints at practically every street corner. Although fishing has traditionally been Jaffna's primary occupation, the movements of boats are tightly restricted, for fear that LTTE infiltrators might stage an amphibious assault across the lagoon.
Nights in Jaffna are surreal. The streets go empty at sundown, and a curfew is strictly enforced through the night. In the last two years, a wave of nighttime civilian disappearances and killings has gripped the city. Corpses of the disappeared sometimes turn up on the streets in the mornings, but mostly the victims are never seen again, dead or alive. Townspeople say most of the killings and disappearances happen during the curfew hours, cautiously referring to the perpetrators as "armed groups." People in fear for their lives can seek aid from the Human Rights Commission. According to the Center for Policy Alternatives, a Colombo-based think tank, "surrendees" are sent to Jaffna's squalid prison to be placed in protective custody, sometimes alongside convicted criminals because the facility is so overcrowded.
Fliers regularly appear on the Jaffna University campus, says a 20-year-old Jaffna student, too scared to give out his name—hit lists of supposed LTTE sympathizers. He says most of them are young people, between 18 and 35, adding that he has known several people who have suddenly vanished. "If you are Tamil, you are always under pressure to prove you are not LTTE," he says. "We live in an open prison." Earlier this year, the international watchdog group Human Rights Watch summarized its findings on Sri Lankan disappearances since 2006: "In the vast majority of the cases we documented, the evidence indicates the involvement of government security forces—army, navy or police. The victims are primarily young Tamil men who 'disappeared' in the country's embattled north and east, but also in the capital Colombo."
Jaffna's army commander, Maj. Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri, blames LTTE infiltrators for the killings, although he doesn't deny the possibility that some of his soldiers might also be involved. In any case, he confidently predicts the killings in Jaffna will stop once "the war is over." "We are determined to eradicate terrorists," he says. "There will be no mercy for the LTTE."
Sri Lanka's government has promised to transform the country into a peaceful land of ethnic harmony—after the military crushes the LTTE and gains control of all rebel-controlled areas. But after 13 years of government control in Jaffna, peace remains an elusive dream. For decades, the Tigers have fought ruthlessly to make themselves the sole representatives of the Tamils. Now many people in Jaffna are worried that without the LTTE, Sinhalese domination will become more entrenched than ever. An elderly Tamil man, a lifelong resident of Jaffna, negotiates a labyrinth of checkpoints on his drive to work. It seems almost every day, he says, he gets stopped. A soldier sticks his gun through the car window and barks questions at him in the Sinhala language, not seeming to care that Jaffna's inhabitants are Tamil speakers. "Will this attitude change, once the fighting ends?" the old man asks. Many people in Jaffna fear that they already know the answer.(News From-NewsWeek)
The people of Jaffna can only hope their isolation will end soon. For two years they've been cut off from overland access to the rest of the country by fierce combat in the swampy jungles of the Wanni region, just south of the peninsula. That's where the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have dug in as they continue to wage one of the oldest running insurgencies in the world. Jaffna's old lifeline to the Sinhala-speaking south, the Alpha 9 highway, runs right through the middle of it. The fighting has strangled Jaffna's economy, causing severe shortages of food, fuel and electricity. Now, however, the Sri Lankan army has made sweeping advances along the A9 to within a mile of the insurgents' capital, the town of Kilinochchi. If that obstacle falls, and the A9 is reopened, life could get at least a little easier for Jaffna's civilians.
Their bullet-pocked homes and shrapnel-scarred temples bear witness to how bad their lives have been. The fanatically cultist Tigers, who pioneered the use of suicide-bomb vests, succeeded in establishing a de facto separatist state in Jaffna in the early 1990s. Government forces recaptured the city 13 years ago and have maintained an iron grip on it ever since. Today, 40,000 government soldiers stand guard over the peninsula's 600,000 Tamil inhabitants. Crowds in the markets pay little attention to the occasional thud of artillery duels in the distance. Troops wielding Chinese-made T-56 assault rifles operate checkpoints at practically every street corner. Although fishing has traditionally been Jaffna's primary occupation, the movements of boats are tightly restricted, for fear that LTTE infiltrators might stage an amphibious assault across the lagoon.
Nights in Jaffna are surreal. The streets go empty at sundown, and a curfew is strictly enforced through the night. In the last two years, a wave of nighttime civilian disappearances and killings has gripped the city. Corpses of the disappeared sometimes turn up on the streets in the mornings, but mostly the victims are never seen again, dead or alive. Townspeople say most of the killings and disappearances happen during the curfew hours, cautiously referring to the perpetrators as "armed groups." People in fear for their lives can seek aid from the Human Rights Commission. According to the Center for Policy Alternatives, a Colombo-based think tank, "surrendees" are sent to Jaffna's squalid prison to be placed in protective custody, sometimes alongside convicted criminals because the facility is so overcrowded.
Fliers regularly appear on the Jaffna University campus, says a 20-year-old Jaffna student, too scared to give out his name—hit lists of supposed LTTE sympathizers. He says most of them are young people, between 18 and 35, adding that he has known several people who have suddenly vanished. "If you are Tamil, you are always under pressure to prove you are not LTTE," he says. "We live in an open prison." Earlier this year, the international watchdog group Human Rights Watch summarized its findings on Sri Lankan disappearances since 2006: "In the vast majority of the cases we documented, the evidence indicates the involvement of government security forces—army, navy or police. The victims are primarily young Tamil men who 'disappeared' in the country's embattled north and east, but also in the capital Colombo."
Jaffna's army commander, Maj. Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri, blames LTTE infiltrators for the killings, although he doesn't deny the possibility that some of his soldiers might also be involved. In any case, he confidently predicts the killings in Jaffna will stop once "the war is over." "We are determined to eradicate terrorists," he says. "There will be no mercy for the LTTE."
Sri Lanka's government has promised to transform the country into a peaceful land of ethnic harmony—after the military crushes the LTTE and gains control of all rebel-controlled areas. But after 13 years of government control in Jaffna, peace remains an elusive dream. For decades, the Tigers have fought ruthlessly to make themselves the sole representatives of the Tamils. Now many people in Jaffna are worried that without the LTTE, Sinhalese domination will become more entrenched than ever. An elderly Tamil man, a lifelong resident of Jaffna, negotiates a labyrinth of checkpoints on his drive to work. It seems almost every day, he says, he gets stopped. A soldier sticks his gun through the car window and barks questions at him in the Sinhala language, not seeming to care that Jaffna's inhabitants are Tamil speakers. "Will this attitude change, once the fighting ends?" the old man asks. Many people in Jaffna fear that they already know the answer.(News From-NewsWeek)
Is the Eelam dream over?
The Lankan government believes that the quarter-century old militant movement of the Liberation Tigers of the Tamil Eelam is in its last phase. The Sri Lanka [Images]n army is merely 1.2 miles away from Kilinochchi, the LTTE's [Images] headquarters in northern Sri Lanka. According to Colonel R Hariharan [Images], a retired military intelligence specialist who served as the head of intelligence of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka from 1987-90, "Six divisions of the Sri Lankan army have gheraoed Kilinochchi.The rains and the dense tall vegetation make airstrikes very difficult. The situation is critical for both sides." The Sri Lankan defence ministry claims that the army has killed 7,553 rebels since Sri Lanka pulled out of a Norwegian-backed truce in January, while 748 soldiers have died in the clashes.
By all accounts the situation is a turning point in Sri Lanka's blood-soaked ethnic history. President Mahinda Rajapakase has waged a decisive battle against the LTTE and seems to be winning it so far.
His critics allege that he is looking for a military solution and not for a political dialogue. The Pesident's supporters claim that he had offered an olive branch to Prabhakaran, when he came to power. Rajapkse had offered to have a structured dialogue but the LTTE did not respond, so he was left with no option but to go for an armed offensive. As the LTTE is pushed to the wall, allegations of the sufferings and misery of the Lankan Tamils have been reported, particularly due to heavy air strikes. Even some Europe-based experts on Sri Lanka have started saying that government's "attitude and actions are that of an invading country in an enemy's territory."
The use of air power against its own people is severely objected to by critics of Sri Lankan government. B Raman, rediff.com columnist and a Chennai-based expert on security matters said, " The continuing use of indiscriminate air strikes by the Rajapakse government against the Tamil civilian population in order to intimidate it into stop supporting the LTTE has come in for strong criticism."
Sri Lanka is more confident than ever that it will get rid of the LTTE menace because it has been able to get all manner of help from China, Pakistan, Iran and the United States.
In geo-strategic terms the Lankans are better consolidated than ever, with China building a port south of Colombo, India and Pakistan training the Sri Lankan army on a regular basis and the US and Iran supporting government in terms of resources and materials.
The Sri Lankan economy is also stable and sturdy. Some weeks ago, a senior officer of Sri Lanka had said "We are seeing light at the end of the tunnel after 25 long years of struggle. We have had significant success in the operation against the LTTE. It is on run, they are running with full pockets."
While showing maps of 2006 and 2008, the officer said that 75 percent of thearea has been recaptured and the fighting capacity of the LTTE had been seriously eroded. The Sri Lankan government had been able to hold elections in the estern province too, he said. The Lankan government's assessment is that LTTE chief Prabhakaran has been pushed into his hide-out with 3,000-4,000 cadres at most.
As the battle become decisive in the Kilinochchi, pressure is building up within Tamil Nadu, where politicians are guessing that the LTTE is cornered.
The question on everyones lips seems to be what effect the fall of LTTE chief Prabhakaran will have on the region.
The Tamil politicians are completely divided and the nuance is lost, the divide complete. Those who are speaking for the plight of the Sri Lankans Tamils because they are also being killed with LTTE militants are being silenced by the critics of LTTE.
While those who speak for the LTTE have a weak case due to India's current sufferings due to terrorism and also because the politics over the Sri Lankan issue is more complex with Prabhakaran and his deputy Pottu Amman, being prime accused in the Rajiv Gandhi murder case. India wants them tried in Indian courts. It is not possible for India to unconditionally start or participate in any dialogue with these two Tamil-militant leaders.
Hawkish Tamil leaders like Vaiko want to break diplomatic ties with Sri Lanka while Chief Minister M Karunanidhi has told PM Manmohan Singh [Images] to implore Rajapakse to find a political solution and not resort to brute force. Under Karunanidhi's leadership a resolution has been passed to create pressure on government to get Sri Lanka to declare a ceasefire.
J Jayalalitha has targeted Karunanidhi, "If India interferes with the internal affairs of Sri Lanka there is a possibility that our neighbouring countries could begin interfering with our internal affairs. It will create trouble for India's sovereignty. The countries in the world will not accept India interfering with the affairs of another country."
Jayalalitha further says, "The important thing was to prevent the Indian Army [Images] from providing training to the Sri Lankan Army and to stop the military offensive against the Sri Lankan Tamils. But Karunanidhi is not making any efforts in this regard."
The editorial column written by Malini Parthasarathy in The Hindu titled The dangers of Tamil chauvinism strongly argued that, " The latest campaign in Tamil Nadu masterminded by a desperate LTTE must not be allowed to undermine the sound policy decision upheld by successive Indian governments since 1991 to stay out of Sri Lanka's internal affairs."
Hariharan points out that recently The New Indian Express carried a survey that reflected the complexities of the matter.
Hariharan said, "51 percent of respondents have said that India should lift the ban on the LTTE. But, only 30 percent have said that they are freedom fighters. 31 percent have said that India should send troops if Prabhakaran is cornered. While 40 percent of people have said they would like to donate for the cause of a Tamil Eelam. Do not equate public sympathy for Tamil rights with support for the LTTE."
Many critics of LTTE think "the game plan of the LTTE and its supporters is to rally the Tamil chauvinist sentiment" so that the siege around Kilinochchi can be relaxed.
Raman disagrees that Tamil politicians are trying to bail-out Prabhakaran. "The LTTE is not using Tamil politicians. The case of Vaiko is different but one can't say same thing about parties like the Dravida Munnetra Kaghazham and the Congress. The people are genuinely concerned about the hawkish statements made by Sri Lankan army chief Lt.Gen.Sarath Fonseka and Gothbaya, brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa is also causing tension. There will be repercussions if Parabhakaran is killed. Tamil politicians would like to prevent the tension spreading in the state," Raman said.
In his interview to the Canadian daily National Post, General Fonseka said "I strongly believe that this country belongs to the Sinhalese but there are minority communities and we treat them like our people�being the majority of the country we will never give in and we have the right to protect our country�We are also a strong nation � They(minorities) can live in this country with us, but they must not try to, under the pretext of being a minority, demand undue things."
An All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhgham leader speaking off the record told rediff.com, "We dislike the LTTE and do not support it but no way it should stop us from raising the voice against butchering of Tamils in Sri Lanka."
Raman points out that it's not only issue of Sri Lankan Tamils rights alone that is hurting psyche of people. He says, "There has been a perceptible disenchantment in Tamil Nadu over what is seen as the lack of interest shown by Manmohan Singh in the problems of the Sri Lankan Tamils. He is being compared unfavourably with Indira Gandhi [Images] and Rajiv Gandhi, who took a keen interest in the problems of the Tamils and did not hesitate to take up the matter strongly with the governments in power in Colombo."
Raman says that this disenchantment has turned into shock following reports of two Indian radar technicians being injured when two planes of the LTTE's air wing bombed a Sri Lankan military base in Vavuniya in September."
Hariharan says, "I don't see what Indian government can do beyond a point. The two warring sides don't want Indian help. They may be asking for Indian help but, at least they have not quantified it, so far."
Interestingly, no Tamil party has spelled out , in practical terms how much India can influence the Sri Lankan government who are fighting most important battle on their land.
Hariharan puts forward a few conditions before India can increase its involvement in the issue. He says, "India can interfere only if there is a chance of peace. We cannot get into a '1987 type' situation. We must take into account the trade between two countries at $4 billion. Any miscalculation can directly impact it. We are facing a strategic challenge in Sri Lanka because Iran, Pakistan and China are helping Rajpakasa. It's the leverage he has. The Sri Lankan parliament has 42 Tamil-speaking MPs who should also put pressure on the government."
Interestingly, a vocal supporter of the LTTE in Chennai told rediff.com, "The siege of Kilinochchi will prove to be the siege of Leningrad. Hitler's [Images] army besieged the city for 872 days but still could not oust the Russians, who put up a heroic struggle. The LTTE will also win the battle of Kilinochchi using the same tactics as the Russians. You can expect a surprise."Even if the Sri Lankan government wins the battle, will their win bring peace to the island nation is the moot question. They will have to start a reconciliation process, says Rajapakse supporters.
Raman says, "Very few in Tamil Nadu take seriously the assurances of Rajapaksa that after neutralising the LTTE as a terrorist organisation, his government will initiate political measures for meeting the legitimate aspirations of the Tamil people."(News-RediffNews)
By all accounts the situation is a turning point in Sri Lanka's blood-soaked ethnic history. President Mahinda Rajapakase has waged a decisive battle against the LTTE and seems to be winning it so far.
His critics allege that he is looking for a military solution and not for a political dialogue. The Pesident's supporters claim that he had offered an olive branch to Prabhakaran, when he came to power. Rajapkse had offered to have a structured dialogue but the LTTE did not respond, so he was left with no option but to go for an armed offensive. As the LTTE is pushed to the wall, allegations of the sufferings and misery of the Lankan Tamils have been reported, particularly due to heavy air strikes. Even some Europe-based experts on Sri Lanka have started saying that government's "attitude and actions are that of an invading country in an enemy's territory."
The use of air power against its own people is severely objected to by critics of Sri Lankan government. B Raman, rediff.com columnist and a Chennai-based expert on security matters said, " The continuing use of indiscriminate air strikes by the Rajapakse government against the Tamil civilian population in order to intimidate it into stop supporting the LTTE has come in for strong criticism."
Sri Lanka is more confident than ever that it will get rid of the LTTE menace because it has been able to get all manner of help from China, Pakistan, Iran and the United States.
In geo-strategic terms the Lankans are better consolidated than ever, with China building a port south of Colombo, India and Pakistan training the Sri Lankan army on a regular basis and the US and Iran supporting government in terms of resources and materials.
The Sri Lankan economy is also stable and sturdy. Some weeks ago, a senior officer of Sri Lanka had said "We are seeing light at the end of the tunnel after 25 long years of struggle. We have had significant success in the operation against the LTTE. It is on run, they are running with full pockets."
While showing maps of 2006 and 2008, the officer said that 75 percent of thearea has been recaptured and the fighting capacity of the LTTE had been seriously eroded. The Sri Lankan government had been able to hold elections in the estern province too, he said. The Lankan government's assessment is that LTTE chief Prabhakaran has been pushed into his hide-out with 3,000-4,000 cadres at most.
As the battle become decisive in the Kilinochchi, pressure is building up within Tamil Nadu, where politicians are guessing that the LTTE is cornered.
The question on everyones lips seems to be what effect the fall of LTTE chief Prabhakaran will have on the region.
The Tamil politicians are completely divided and the nuance is lost, the divide complete. Those who are speaking for the plight of the Sri Lankans Tamils because they are also being killed with LTTE militants are being silenced by the critics of LTTE.
While those who speak for the LTTE have a weak case due to India's current sufferings due to terrorism and also because the politics over the Sri Lankan issue is more complex with Prabhakaran and his deputy Pottu Amman, being prime accused in the Rajiv Gandhi murder case. India wants them tried in Indian courts. It is not possible for India to unconditionally start or participate in any dialogue with these two Tamil-militant leaders.
Hawkish Tamil leaders like Vaiko want to break diplomatic ties with Sri Lanka while Chief Minister M Karunanidhi has told PM Manmohan Singh [Images] to implore Rajapakse to find a political solution and not resort to brute force. Under Karunanidhi's leadership a resolution has been passed to create pressure on government to get Sri Lanka to declare a ceasefire.
J Jayalalitha has targeted Karunanidhi, "If India interferes with the internal affairs of Sri Lanka there is a possibility that our neighbouring countries could begin interfering with our internal affairs. It will create trouble for India's sovereignty. The countries in the world will not accept India interfering with the affairs of another country."
Jayalalitha further says, "The important thing was to prevent the Indian Army [Images] from providing training to the Sri Lankan Army and to stop the military offensive against the Sri Lankan Tamils. But Karunanidhi is not making any efforts in this regard."
The editorial column written by Malini Parthasarathy in The Hindu titled The dangers of Tamil chauvinism strongly argued that, " The latest campaign in Tamil Nadu masterminded by a desperate LTTE must not be allowed to undermine the sound policy decision upheld by successive Indian governments since 1991 to stay out of Sri Lanka's internal affairs."
Hariharan points out that recently The New Indian Express carried a survey that reflected the complexities of the matter.
Hariharan said, "51 percent of respondents have said that India should lift the ban on the LTTE. But, only 30 percent have said that they are freedom fighters. 31 percent have said that India should send troops if Prabhakaran is cornered. While 40 percent of people have said they would like to donate for the cause of a Tamil Eelam. Do not equate public sympathy for Tamil rights with support for the LTTE."
Many critics of LTTE think "the game plan of the LTTE and its supporters is to rally the Tamil chauvinist sentiment" so that the siege around Kilinochchi can be relaxed.
Raman disagrees that Tamil politicians are trying to bail-out Prabhakaran. "The LTTE is not using Tamil politicians. The case of Vaiko is different but one can't say same thing about parties like the Dravida Munnetra Kaghazham and the Congress. The people are genuinely concerned about the hawkish statements made by Sri Lankan army chief Lt.Gen.Sarath Fonseka and Gothbaya, brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa is also causing tension. There will be repercussions if Parabhakaran is killed. Tamil politicians would like to prevent the tension spreading in the state," Raman said.
In his interview to the Canadian daily National Post, General Fonseka said "I strongly believe that this country belongs to the Sinhalese but there are minority communities and we treat them like our people�being the majority of the country we will never give in and we have the right to protect our country�We are also a strong nation � They(minorities) can live in this country with us, but they must not try to, under the pretext of being a minority, demand undue things."
An All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhgham leader speaking off the record told rediff.com, "We dislike the LTTE and do not support it but no way it should stop us from raising the voice against butchering of Tamils in Sri Lanka."
Raman points out that it's not only issue of Sri Lankan Tamils rights alone that is hurting psyche of people. He says, "There has been a perceptible disenchantment in Tamil Nadu over what is seen as the lack of interest shown by Manmohan Singh in the problems of the Sri Lankan Tamils. He is being compared unfavourably with Indira Gandhi [Images] and Rajiv Gandhi, who took a keen interest in the problems of the Tamils and did not hesitate to take up the matter strongly with the governments in power in Colombo."
Raman says that this disenchantment has turned into shock following reports of two Indian radar technicians being injured when two planes of the LTTE's air wing bombed a Sri Lankan military base in Vavuniya in September."
Hariharan says, "I don't see what Indian government can do beyond a point. The two warring sides don't want Indian help. They may be asking for Indian help but, at least they have not quantified it, so far."
Interestingly, no Tamil party has spelled out , in practical terms how much India can influence the Sri Lankan government who are fighting most important battle on their land.
Hariharan puts forward a few conditions before India can increase its involvement in the issue. He says, "India can interfere only if there is a chance of peace. We cannot get into a '1987 type' situation. We must take into account the trade between two countries at $4 billion. Any miscalculation can directly impact it. We are facing a strategic challenge in Sri Lanka because Iran, Pakistan and China are helping Rajpakasa. It's the leverage he has. The Sri Lankan parliament has 42 Tamil-speaking MPs who should also put pressure on the government."
Interestingly, a vocal supporter of the LTTE in Chennai told rediff.com, "The siege of Kilinochchi will prove to be the siege of Leningrad. Hitler's [Images] army besieged the city for 872 days but still could not oust the Russians, who put up a heroic struggle. The LTTE will also win the battle of Kilinochchi using the same tactics as the Russians. You can expect a surprise."Even if the Sri Lankan government wins the battle, will their win bring peace to the island nation is the moot question. They will have to start a reconciliation process, says Rajapakse supporters.
Raman says, "Very few in Tamil Nadu take seriously the assurances of Rajapaksa that after neutralising the LTTE as a terrorist organisation, his government will initiate political measures for meeting the legitimate aspirations of the Tamil people."(News-RediffNews)
'Aba': Mahawansa with a Biblical touch
Is artistic freedom unlimited or should a line be drawn somewhere?
The issue has come to the limelight in the wake of the controversy over the film Aba supposedly based on the life of Sri Lanka's King Pandukabhaya (437-407 BC).
Histories of nations constitute both facts and legends. The longer the history the greater are the number of legends. No country's ancient history is devoid of stories factual or otherwise. All these facts and myths contribute to the evolution of national culture and identity.
This is what really matters for a society in developing its own values and traditions through the centuries. No artist or writer therefore has the right to distort or belittle that image and confuse people with his own interpretations of it by presenting them as facts.
This was the crux of the arguments raised at a public seminar held on October 13 at Mahaweli Centre, 96 Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, Colombo 7 on the topic "Aba: Distorting History?". The Royal Asiatic Society Sri Lanka hosted the seminar for discussing the controversial film. A panel of professional historians and eminent commentators examined the Aba's content and its implications despite this probe being branded a "pseudo intellectual exercise" and a "one-party pop at Aba filmmaker in his absence."
The seminar's objective was not to focus on the movie's cinematic aspects but only on its approach to history as recorded in the chronicle Mahawansa. The allegation was thatDirector Jackson Anthony had distorted the Mahawansa story of Pandukabhaya despite his claims that he followed the chronicle to the letter in making the film. The critics' conclusion was that Aba is not Pandukabhaya's story but an imaginary story based on symbols like Herman Hesse's Siddhartha - the difference being that while Hesse did not say his story was about the Buddha Jackson Anthony has given the impression thatAba is the story of Pandukabhaya.
The panelists were the Venerable Shasthrapathi Vitharandeniye Medhananda, Dr. W.M.K. Wijetunga and Prof. Oliver Abeynayake.
Venerable Medhananda said that Aba was aimed at the psyche of Sri Lankans who loved history but had no understanding of its depth. Although the film's Director had argued that the Aba script was written in accordance with the Mahawansa, when his attention drawn to the movie's inaccuracies he had been reluctant to publicly accept that his version was inconsistent with the ancient chronicle, according to the Ven. Medhananda. He noted that this was no different to LTTE Leader Prabhakaran concocting a Tamil Eelam 'history' for his political ends. Jackson Anthony - a member of the audience said - had tried to wriggle out of this issue by claiming that art is more philosophical than history.
Dr. Wijetunge observed that Aba was designed to (a) challenge people's beliefs and age-old traditions and (b) create controversies of a sensitive and divisive nature by suppressing Mahawansa traditions and introducing new material.
Speaking from the audience Dr. Hema Goonatilake said that Mahawansa is not only Sri Lanka's history but also that of Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos where she had a spent considerable time. In fact, the history of these countries has been modeled on the Mahawansa, according to her. Dr.Goonatilake made special reference to a 12th Century Buddhist Temple in Pagan, Myanmar where many events cited in the Mahawansa like Arahat Mahinda introducing Buddhism to Sri Lanka and the arrival of Bhikkuni Sanghamitta in the island have been painted on the temple walls. She reminded the audience that the UNESCO has recognized these beliefs and traditions as social values that need to be protected – myths or not. UNESCO is committed to protecting the cultural legacy and sensitivities of a country. Myths or not an artist has no right to hurt a nation's sensibilities, she pointed out.
Sociologist Dr. Susantha Goonatilake noted that Aba is a technically well-made film that targets Buddhist culture in a country where the government banned Satanic Versus and the Da Vinci Code on charges of distorting respectively Islam and Catholicism. According to him this movie has created as much controversy as did Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses and the Da Vinci Code, which were both banned by the Government.
"The execution of two of the Aba movie characters – Chittaraja and Kalavela – is depicted using features of the killing of Christ. The two convicts are being marched to the execution grounds with a bar over their necks, very much like Christ being marched chained with a cross on his neck but in this film without the vertical bar of the cross. All this several centuries before the Christian era! "
Watching the execution are veiled women very much dressed like those in the time of Christ as in the dress of Catholic nuns of today whereas no Sri Lankan women dressed like that before Islam came to the Indian sub-continent, said Dr.Goonatilake.
He further observed," Chittaraja's journey to his death is the same as that of Jesus, fixed to a 'crucifix' bleeding, wailing lining the path to resurrection. Then Chittaraja rises from the dead with a shining light, (the parallel is the light in the cave where Jesus' body was kept). Chirttaraja is seen by his people, dressed just like Jesus, blessing his people… But most important – the Buddha is left outside. He came to Sri Lanka and claimed the land according to the Mahawansa in the time of Vijaya. But according to Jackson, Jesus was there first! The Mahawansa is being retold partly scripted by the Bible, a pre-emptive strike against the Buddhists."
This echoes the view that Dr.Lakshman Ranasinghe expressed in the Nation of August 31 where he writes that a film director has to be cautious not to impose one culture or religion on another and convey erroneous interpretations.
The most amusing reaction to 'Aba ' however came before the seminar from a Sinhala 'peacenik' Mano Fernando who charged that film was made with a "despicable reactionary objective of justifying government policy and making profits by rousing the passions of the people" suffering from a "ethnic mentality." (Rawaya October 10).
Participants largely agreed that none of the films based on Sri Lanka's history did justice to the achievements of the Sinhalas of the pre-colonial era or thereafter. Instead the some of the so-called award-winning films were aimed at denigrating Sinhala culture and the armed forces.
- Asian Tribune -
The issue has come to the limelight in the wake of the controversy over the film Aba supposedly based on the life of Sri Lanka's King Pandukabhaya (437-407 BC).
Histories of nations constitute both facts and legends. The longer the history the greater are the number of legends. No country's ancient history is devoid of stories factual or otherwise. All these facts and myths contribute to the evolution of national culture and identity.
This is what really matters for a society in developing its own values and traditions through the centuries. No artist or writer therefore has the right to distort or belittle that image and confuse people with his own interpretations of it by presenting them as facts.
This was the crux of the arguments raised at a public seminar held on October 13 at Mahaweli Centre, 96 Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, Colombo 7 on the topic "Aba: Distorting History?". The Royal Asiatic Society Sri Lanka hosted the seminar for discussing the controversial film. A panel of professional historians and eminent commentators examined the Aba's content and its implications despite this probe being branded a "pseudo intellectual exercise" and a "one-party pop at Aba filmmaker in his absence."
The seminar's objective was not to focus on the movie's cinematic aspects but only on its approach to history as recorded in the chronicle Mahawansa. The allegation was thatDirector Jackson Anthony had distorted the Mahawansa story of Pandukabhaya despite his claims that he followed the chronicle to the letter in making the film. The critics' conclusion was that Aba is not Pandukabhaya's story but an imaginary story based on symbols like Herman Hesse's Siddhartha - the difference being that while Hesse did not say his story was about the Buddha Jackson Anthony has given the impression thatAba is the story of Pandukabhaya.
The panelists were the Venerable Shasthrapathi Vitharandeniye Medhananda, Dr. W.M.K. Wijetunga and Prof. Oliver Abeynayake.
Venerable Medhananda said that Aba was aimed at the psyche of Sri Lankans who loved history but had no understanding of its depth. Although the film's Director had argued that the Aba script was written in accordance with the Mahawansa, when his attention drawn to the movie's inaccuracies he had been reluctant to publicly accept that his version was inconsistent with the ancient chronicle, according to the Ven. Medhananda. He noted that this was no different to LTTE Leader Prabhakaran concocting a Tamil Eelam 'history' for his political ends. Jackson Anthony - a member of the audience said - had tried to wriggle out of this issue by claiming that art is more philosophical than history.
Dr. Wijetunge observed that Aba was designed to (a) challenge people's beliefs and age-old traditions and (b) create controversies of a sensitive and divisive nature by suppressing Mahawansa traditions and introducing new material.
Speaking from the audience Dr. Hema Goonatilake said that Mahawansa is not only Sri Lanka's history but also that of Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos where she had a spent considerable time. In fact, the history of these countries has been modeled on the Mahawansa, according to her. Dr.Goonatilake made special reference to a 12th Century Buddhist Temple in Pagan, Myanmar where many events cited in the Mahawansa like Arahat Mahinda introducing Buddhism to Sri Lanka and the arrival of Bhikkuni Sanghamitta in the island have been painted on the temple walls. She reminded the audience that the UNESCO has recognized these beliefs and traditions as social values that need to be protected – myths or not. UNESCO is committed to protecting the cultural legacy and sensitivities of a country. Myths or not an artist has no right to hurt a nation's sensibilities, she pointed out.
Sociologist Dr. Susantha Goonatilake noted that Aba is a technically well-made film that targets Buddhist culture in a country where the government banned Satanic Versus and the Da Vinci Code on charges of distorting respectively Islam and Catholicism. According to him this movie has created as much controversy as did Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses and the Da Vinci Code, which were both banned by the Government.
"The execution of two of the Aba movie characters – Chittaraja and Kalavela – is depicted using features of the killing of Christ. The two convicts are being marched to the execution grounds with a bar over their necks, very much like Christ being marched chained with a cross on his neck but in this film without the vertical bar of the cross. All this several centuries before the Christian era! "
Watching the execution are veiled women very much dressed like those in the time of Christ as in the dress of Catholic nuns of today whereas no Sri Lankan women dressed like that before Islam came to the Indian sub-continent, said Dr.Goonatilake.
He further observed," Chittaraja's journey to his death is the same as that of Jesus, fixed to a 'crucifix' bleeding, wailing lining the path to resurrection. Then Chittaraja rises from the dead with a shining light, (the parallel is the light in the cave where Jesus' body was kept). Chirttaraja is seen by his people, dressed just like Jesus, blessing his people… But most important – the Buddha is left outside. He came to Sri Lanka and claimed the land according to the Mahawansa in the time of Vijaya. But according to Jackson, Jesus was there first! The Mahawansa is being retold partly scripted by the Bible, a pre-emptive strike against the Buddhists."
This echoes the view that Dr.Lakshman Ranasinghe expressed in the Nation of August 31 where he writes that a film director has to be cautious not to impose one culture or religion on another and convey erroneous interpretations.
The most amusing reaction to 'Aba ' however came before the seminar from a Sinhala 'peacenik' Mano Fernando who charged that film was made with a "despicable reactionary objective of justifying government policy and making profits by rousing the passions of the people" suffering from a "ethnic mentality." (Rawaya October 10).
Participants largely agreed that none of the films based on Sri Lanka's history did justice to the achievements of the Sinhalas of the pre-colonial era or thereafter. Instead the some of the so-called award-winning films were aimed at denigrating Sinhala culture and the armed forces.
- Asian Tribune -
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