Prabhakaran
unleashed
By G. Parthasarathy
On April 10, the reclusive Velupillai Prabhakaran emerged from his
hideouts to address the world media in an effort to show that he
was now ready to seek a political, rather than a military solution
to Sri Lanka's bloody ethnic conflict. Amongst the correspondents
who were present was one Swami Vigyanand, dressed in the robes of
a monk. The good 'Swami' claimed he was attending the press conference
as a representative of a publication of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad
(VHP). According to reports from Sri Lanka that have been featured
in newspapers such as the Dawn of Karachi, Vigyanand had visited
Sri Lanka on around 10 occasions since 1999. He had travelled extensively
in areas controlled by the LTTE, quite obviously with the assistance
and concurrence of the LTTE during these visits. Asked about his
views on the LTTE, Vigyanand is reported to have replied: "I
made it clear to them (LTTE) that we (VHP) have nothing against
their struggle," adding: "I said we have a problem with
Islam and Christianity and we are trying to build Hindu unity."
The words of
Swami Vigyanand need to be placed in perspective, by first recounting
some of the ugliest facets of Prabhakaran's "struggle".
While Prabhakaran now claims that he is seeking to protect the democratic
rights of the Tamils of Sri Lanka, what emerges from any study of
his past actions is that he can only be characterised as a psychopath,
with scant regard for human life, or human suffering. The one instance
that still remains etched in my memory is the callous manner in
which he made a teenage student Thileepan go on a fast and die in
1987, even as he was consuming choice delicacies, while negotiating
his demands with Indian High Commissioner J.N. Dixit at the Palaly
Airbase in Jaffna in August 1987. But Prabhakaran also has a track
record of having killed more political leaders from the Tamil community,
than from among his proclaimed enemies - the Sinhalas. He started
on this course by murdering the popular Mayor of Jaffna Alfred Duraiappa
in 1972. He then eliminated the then most popular Sri Lankan Tamil
militant leader, Sri Sabarathinam, in 1986, earning the wrath and
condemnation of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader M. Karunanidhi,
who held Sabarathinam in high esteem.
Prabhakaran's
track record of killing prominent Tamils is horrendous. Members
of the Indian Peace-Keeping Force (IPKF) still recall and respect
the tactical skills and valour of the LTTE's former military commander,
Mahattya. It was Mahattya who personally led the fight against the
Sri Lankan Army while Prabhakaran was for several years living in
Tamil Nadu, spending a lot of his time watching video tapes of Clint
Eastwood movies. Yet when Prabhakaran felt that Mahattya had attained
a stature that could pose a challenge to his unquestioned hegemony,
he had no hesitation in executing his most successful military commander.
Prabhakaran's intolerance of any opposition to his hegemony is evident
from the manner in which he engineered the killings of respected
Tamil politicians like A. Amirthalingam, Alalasundaram and Dharmalingam
of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) and his assassination
of perhaps the most articulate proponent of the Tamil cause, Neelan
Tiruchelvam. The list of those whom he killed includes prominent
Tamil human rights activist Sam Thambimuthu. But perhaps the most
gruesome example of Prabhakaran's determination to eliminate physically
all potential rivals was the killing of nearly 20 leaders of the
rival EPRLF (Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front) group
led by its supremo, K. Padmanabha, in broad daylight in the very
heart of Madras city. There appears to be little doubt that it was
the inaction on the part of the V.P. Singh government in responding
to this act of terrorism on Indian soil that emboldened Prabhakaran
to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.
It is, to say
the least, odd that a representative of the VHP should seek to make
common cause with the LTTE in building "Hindu unity" in
Sri Lanka. Prabhakaran has never defined the LTTE's objectives in
religious terms. The Tamils of Sri Lanka have never alleged that
the Sri Lankan state has curbed their religious rights. Their struggle
has always been to meet what they have felt were their legitimate
linguistic, political and economic aspirations. It is true that
Prabhakaran has terrorised Tamil-speaking Muslims in northeastern
Sri Lanka, destroying two mosques and killing over 100 Muslims in
the Eastern province. He has even driven out over 70,000 Muslims
from their homes in northern Sri Lanka. But these pogroms were undertaken
for political and not religious reasons.
Prabhakaran's
primary opponents have been the Buddhist Sinhalas. Outfits like
the VHP and the Shiv Sena regard Buddhism to be a derivative and
an extension of Hinduism. Further, Prabhakaran has strong allies
in the Anglican Church and is hardly going to please the VHP in
fulfilling its goals of curbing the activities of Church groups.
But India should remember that it is not in its national interests
to promote separatism in Sri Lanka, whatever the justification.
Any suspicion in Sri Lanka that groups close to the ruling establishment
in India empathise with the LTTE would be highly counter-productive.
It is all very well for the VHP to claim that it is involved in
promoting Indian spiritualistic values abroad. It is, however, quite
another matter when VHP representatives seek to show understanding
of groups like the LTTE, or indulge in activities that promote communal
suspicions or differences abroad. New Delhi should make it clear
it will deal strongly with those who indulge in such activities.
Sri Lankan Prime
Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has taken a courageous initiative
in seeking to build bridges of peace with the LTTE.
But past experience
has shown that whenever Prabhakaran feels the heat he adopts tactical
shifts. He had no compunction in seeking a deal from the short-sighted
President Ranasinghe Premadasa when he was under pressure from the
IPKF. He then proceeded to assassinate Premadasa when the situation
changed. The post-September 11 global environment against terrorism
and measures like the passage of the United Nations Security Council
Resolution 1373 are placing restrictions on the vast flow of funds
that the LTTE receives from Sri Lankan Tamil expatriate communities
in countries such as Canada and Australia. Even though there may
be some sympathy and support for Prabhakaran in sections of the
ruling National Democratic Alliance in India, he knows that there
is little chance of his receiving support from India in the pursuit
of his long-term aims. In any case, he has chosen to remain deliberately
vague about his long-term aims and has not renounced either the
armed struggle or his claim for a separate "Tamil Eelam".
Given the fact
that the LTTE is a banned organisation in India, New Delhi has rightly
chosen to avoid any involvement in the proposed dialogue between
the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE. While India should not do
anything that would inhibit or hinder the proposed dialogue, it
is imperative that it should relentlessly move ahead with measures
and moves to secure the extradition of Prabhakaran for his role
in masterminding the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. New Delhi should
not forget that in assassinating Rajiv Gandhi in the middle of a
national election campaign, Prabhakaran sought to undermine the
very basis of India's democratic processes. The people of India
can neither forget nor forgive this action of a foreign terrorist
group aimed at undermining its electoral processes. It is an action
that was as, if not more, outrageous than the December 13 attack
on Parliament House.
The Tamil Nadu
Assembly has now passed a resolution urging that the Government
of India send the Indian Army to Sri Lanka, with the consent of
the Sri Lankan government, in order to capture Prabhakaran if Sri
Lanka is unable to extradite him to India.
In these circumstances,
it is rather surprising that Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee indicated
that he was inclined to consider sympathetically the request of
the political ideologue of the LTTE, Anton Balasingham, to visit
and live in India for medical treatment. Balasingham has connived
with and sought to justify the horrendous acts of terrorism perpetrated
by the LTTE for around three decades.
There is little
doubt that any such approval accorded to Balasingham will be viewed
as a serious weakening of India's intention to bring Prabhakaran
to face trial in India. India is already regarded as a soft state
in its neighbourhood. Rather than being seen to be weakening its
stand against the LTTE, India should send out a clear signal to
Prabhakaran, and to the world at large, that although the Sri Lankan
Government may have its compulsions in dealing with him, India will
not hesitate to use all available means including the use of special
forces, to capture and bring Prabhakaran to justice in India.
Frontline, India
G. Parthasarathy was Information Adviser to Prime Minister Rajiv
Gandhi and the spokesman of the Indian Peace-Keeping Force in Sri
Lanka.
UK report censures
Gujarat rulers
By Jill McGivering -BBC correspondent in Delh
British officials in India say the recent widespread violence in
the Indian state of Gujarat was pre-planned and carried out with
the support of the state government.
In a damning internal report obtained by the BBC, British officials
say the violence had all the hallmarks of ethnic cleansing and that
reconciliation between Hindus and Muslims is impossible while the
chief minister remains in power.
News of the
British document comes as Indian politics is in disarray with opposition
parties calling for an independent inquiry into the violence. The
ruling party, the BJP, has consistently praised Gujarat's chief
minister for his handling of the crisis.
Damning indictment This leaked report is the result of an investigation
into the Gujarat violence by British officials in India. It is a
damning indictment of the state government.
It says the
violence, far from being spontaneous, was planned, possibly months
in advance, carried out by an extremist Hindu organisation with
the support of the state government. The aim, it says, was to purge
Muslims from Hindu areas, and it says at least 2,000 people died.
Reconciliation between Hindus and Muslims will be impossible, it
concludes, while Gujarat's chief minister remains in power.
Political
chaos
Britain's verdict comes as Indian politics is in turmoil in the
aftermath of the Gujarat crisis. Leaders of the right-wing BJP,
which leads the coalition government, have staunchly defended the
chief minister, a member of the same party. But many in the opposition
are demanding his resignation and an independent inquiry. Britain's
views may be received coldly. As the world's largest democracy,
India bitterly resents what it calls the interference of foreign
powers in its affairs - all the more so when the criticisms come
from a former colonial power.
Neither war
nor peace
Sri
Lanka is between war and peace. There are three scenarios that can
emerge from the ceasefire agreement between the Tamil Tigers and
the Sri Lankan government: war, peace, or no war-no peace.
By Ram Manikkalingam
War
scenario
The war scenario echoes previous failed attempts at turning ceasefires
into more long-term settlements. Whether one blames the Tigers or
the government, the basic dynamic entails a re-arming, recruiting
and re-grouping by both sides. There were signs of this in the run-up
to the ceasefire agreement on the Tiger side. As Prime Minister
Ranil Wickremesinghe was preparing to travel to Vavuniya to sign
the agreement, the Tigers were hurriedly landing armaments. Similarly,
Amnesty International reported the aggressive recruitment of child
soldiers by the Tigers. Other reports refer to the Tigers raising
funds through extortion, particularly from Muslims living in the
Eastern Province.
The Sri Lankan
government is also planning a recruitment drive and the purchase
of new equipment for the armed forces. These measures by themselves
do not indicate that the parties are opposed to peace. Preparation
for war is inevitable in any ceasefire situation because there is
no guarantee that a ceasefire will evolve into a permanent solution.
Still, this dynamic may not be stable, particularly if both sides
continue preparing for war, without implementing provisions of the
ceasefire agreement. One side or the other may sincerely, or slyly,
utilise a delay in implementing the ceasefire as a violation of
it, to begin fighting.
While the presence
of a neutral third party mediator makes this situation different
from previous ones, this scenario unfortunately is still very possible.
To get beyond it, the government will engage the Tigers on a series
of short-term humanitarian issues - such as humanitarian de-mining
and medical services - and medium-term developmental issues - such
as the restoration of roads and irrigation. This will lead to the
second scenario.
No
war-no peace scenario
The Tamil Tigers will utilise the negotiations over humanitarian
and development assistance to extend their administrative influence
over Tamil majority areas that have hitherto been controlled by
the government. They will ask the government to cede control over
the Northeast to them in the form of an interim council. This de
facto rule by the Tigers will be combined with a massive infusion
of rehabilitation and reconstruction assistance from the Sri Lankan
government and the international community. It will lead to large-scale
humanitarian schemes, medium-scale development projects and significant
market integration of the Northeast with the rest of the country.
There will be a general easing in the difficulties faced by civilians
living in the Northeast in particular, and the country in general,
because of the absence of war. These measures can be taken administratively
by the government, that is, through the use of executive powers,
and will not depend on constitutional reform or even legislative
support.
The basic bargain
between the government and the Tamil Tigers will be as follows:
The government grants de facto control of the Northeast to the Tigers,
along with economic assistance and the space to begin development
work. In exchange, the Tigers desist from fighting. The Tigers will
seek to extend this scenario in the hope that the interim council
will be transformed, with the passage of time, into a de facto separate
state. Any attempt by President Chandrika Kumaratunga or Prime Minister
Wickremesinghe to thwart this runs the risk of reverting to war.
The Tigers will portray the efforts to prevent the formation of
a de facto separate state as a disruption of the peace process and
start fighting. However, if President Kumaratunga and Prime Minister
Wickremesinghe cooperate in addressing Tamil political aspirations
while thwarting Tiger separatist ambitions, they may help take the
process forward to the peace scenario.
Peace
scenario
This involves resolving three conflicts: the armed conflict between
the Tigers and the armed forces of Sri Lanka; the political power
conflict between the three main forces that currently have a stake
in political rule in Sri Lanka - the Tamil Tigers, the United National
Party (UNP) and the People's Alliance (P.A.); the ethnic conflict
among Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims. The current peace strategy
of the UNP-led government appears to be based on solving one conflict
at a time, beginning with the armed conflict. While it would be
preferable, in theory, if each of these solutions could be tackled
one step at a time, the reality is more complicated. A solution
to the armed conflict may require or be assisted by a breakthrough
in the political power conflict. And a solution to the political
power conflict may require some progress in resolving the ethnic
conflict. Thus these three conflicts, or at least elements of it,
will often have to be addressed simultaneously. And the level of
uncertainty can be quite high. Still, many elements of a solution
already exist - the new ceasefire agreement signed by the current
UNP-led government and the political package drafted by the previous
P.A.-led government. These elements can be stitched together in
a way that may enable Sri Lanka to bootstrap its way to a solution.
Sadly, the failure of the two major political parties to collaborate
effectively in resolving the conflict makes the peace scenario the
least plausible.
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Frontline, India
Ram Manikkalingam is a Fellow of the Open Society
Institute and an Assistant Director at the Rockefeller Foundation
based in New York. This article expresses his personal views and
not those of either of the institutions.
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