Situation Report

Just two weeks ago, more than 130 journalists from 60 countries, from Afghanistan to Venezuela, gathered in the Indonesian island resort of Bali to examine dilemmas confronting them. I was invited to make a presentation on reporting conflict in Sri Lanka. Little did I realise that some of the observations I made would become relevant within days. Some excerpts, I believe, would be appropriate.

"Sri Lanka's bloody, separatist insurgency has bled the country for 25 long years - and is continuing. Nearly 70,000 people, mostly civilians have perished. Countless have lost limb and property. Over a million people either have fled the country or are internally displaced.

"Yet, the outside world knows little about the realities of a long drawn separatist war. In other theatres of conflict, information is easily available in the public domain. In the case of Sri Lanka, however, openness to media inquiry and reporting has been sadly lacking. Almost the entirety of the war has taken place while the country has been under a 'State of Emergency," when normal laws do not apply. Periodically, censorship was imposed.

"From the recent past, a State of Emergency continues, but without formal censorship…….…….the media, local and foreign, have to decide how to report on the continuing conflict, sifting fact from fiction. Strict restrictions on them in conflict situations are not unknown. However, the media in Sri Lanka are totally debarred from visiting the battle zones. The only exceptions are officially arranged conducted tours, which exude heat and sound, but do not shed much light…..

"The media have to depend on hand outs from the military. It is well known that official figures of rebel casualties are grossly exaggerated - a situation reminiscent of the 'body count' scandals in Vietnam. A joke in Colombo suggested that a tally of the Government's LTTE casualties would surely usher in peace, because claimed 'enemy deaths' exceeded the population of northern Sri Lanka twice over. An unmanageable crisis of credibility continues, shaking public confidence, and demoralising the military.…….

"The independent media, denied access to the front, began to focus more on the peripherals of the war. This was especially on the endless corruption that makes those in and out of uniform millionaires and billionaires. Also included was the incredible incompetence of some military men leading to debacles….

"Independent media reports by local journalists, which do not reflect the official view, or run counter to official claims, draw not only political wrath but also personal reprisals. No censorship, as I have pointed out, but instead plenty of retaliatory measures……..…..In a country where the media is perceived as the second enemy, that is the heavy price for reporting the truth….."

The ordeal of Keith Noyahr, a friend and journalist colleague, is the latest incident to bear stark testimony. There have been many in the past and, no doubt, more to come. The reason is that someone somewhere wants to keep the truth away from the people. That the gruesome incident took place just a day after Sri Lanka was voted out of membership in the United Nations Human Rights Council spoke eloquently about growing concerns.

Keith, 21 years a journalist, is now Associate Editor and writer on defence related matters to the Nation. On Thursday night, he drove home around 10. 30 p.m. The engine of his car was still running and the headlights were on. He opened the door and went to see someone unknown near his gate.

He went to help. Instead he was bundled into a white van. He was hand-cuffed, blindfolded and taken away. Members of his household were awake throughout the night. They wondered whether he would ever return. Friends and colleagues tried to track him down. What some of them learnt from those in authority was chilling. One from a law enforcement agency said “don’t worry. He will return with a severe reprimand. That appears to be the pattern.” Not that the official was aware of what had gone on. Rather, he was talking of his experience in such situations.

“The intense pressure we mounted on Thursday night paid off. Otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable,” said a media activist who did not wish to be named. He was among those contacting senior officials in the defence and security establishment.

Some seven hours later, Keith barely managed to walk home after his abductors had dropped him outside. His wife, 12-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter screamed in utter fright when they saw him. He was bleeding. His lips were swollen and his ear had been torn off. There were many bumps on his head, the result of brutal assault. His legs trembled since he was beaten with an object on his sole and feet. It became clear that his refusal to answer questions on sources meant more and more lethal blows. He stood his ground in the face of brutal thuggery and refused to divulge who gave him which information. He was rushed to the Colombo National Hospital.

The Editor of the Nation, Lalith Allahakoon told the New York based Committee to Protect Journalists that Keith was "mercilessly assaulted." According to a written statement by the Krishantha Coooray, Chief Executive Officer, Keith's abduction and brutal assault followed several threats against him. He used the pseudonym "Senpathi" to write on military matters and his report on May 11 had been headlined "An army is not its commander's private fiefdom," the CPJ said in a statement released from New York on Friday. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has ordered a full investigation into the incident.

Only time will tell whether it will go the same way other investigations did or lead to the identification of the suspects and their indictment before a court of law. Whoever was responsible, one thing is patently clear. They moved around in a white van with impunity despite the wide network of checkpoints, troops and policemen dotting every nook and corner of the City of Colombo and suburbs. Keith has insisted that he will not speak about his ordeal to any media for the time being. However, he is to bare details to the investigators.

Nevertheless, The Sunday Times learnt that the abductors had, among other matters, tried to elicit his sources of military information. Authorities in the defence and security establishment had intensified such searches involving a few journalists, including me, particularly after the Muhamali military debacle on April 23. Over a 100 soldiers were killed and more than 350 more were wounded in this military disaster. I have in fact referred to some of these aspects in The Sunday Times (Situation Report - May 4, 2008). Some of the methods used, to say the least, are highly questionable, illegal and even coercive.

Keith’s mobile phone was seized. Around 2 a.m. on Friday morning, his abductors had switched it on. Anxious callers who dialed the number heard it ring. The signals were later traced to communication towers in Malwana and Dekatana in the Gampaha district. Whether Keith was whisked off to a “safe house” in this general area by his abductors is not clear.

The Muhamalai debacle has seen the introduction of more new measures to prevent the leak of official information. Even the distribution of the official daily Situation Report has been curtailed. This report, circulated to selected recipients, gives an accurate account of the previous day's incidents countrywide. Phone bills of some senior officers suspected of giving information are being scrutinised. Various other steps have also been taken.

Though the April 23 push to seize control of Tiger guerrilla territory in Muhamalai ended in a debacle, the heroic acts of soldiers who laid down their lives, sustained injuries or survived to inflict damage on the enemy are numerous. Stories of the grit and determination of these brave men and women do not often reach the public domain. Hence, their heroic acts are often little known.

On May 5, Tiger guerrillas launched another attack on the forward defence lines of the Security Forces at Muhamalai. They even captured three bunkers held by the Army. However, within hours troops launched a fierce counter attack, fought bitter battles and re-captured them. Six soldiers were killed and 30 more were wounded in this encounter. One soldier was declared missing in action. The LTTE later handed over his body through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Army officials in Jaffna said 25 to 30 guerrilla cadres were killed. Independent verification of guerrilla casualties is not possible.

In some of the Government hospitals in Colombo, tales of heroism during the April 23 debacle abound. Soldiers who are still undergoing treatment relate them. Barring politicians from various hues who are allowed photo opportunities, journalists are banned from visiting these hospitals. Military Police is deployed there to enforce the ban. Yet, in one hospital, I was able to talk to some of the soldiers.

Most of them spoke of the difficulties they encountered after becoming casualties. There was a delay in evacuating them to hospital despite the deep commitment of their seniors due to logistical problems. The route from Muhamalai to Palaly was shut down for all other traffic. They were moved in bus loads to Palaly. Some of them were on the floor board and were bleeding. Once they reached there, some were admitted to the Military Hospital. Others were airlifted to Colombo. That process was time consuming since Air Force transport aircraft had to carry out several sorties. They had to wait for their turn. They also said that wounded soldiers were issued with a number upon reaching a certain point. That way the authorities kept tabs of the number of persons wounded. Some of the soldiers I spoke with held numbers that were far beyond 150. Personal constraints prevent me from dealing with some of the other critical issues raised by the soldiers.

The April 23 Muhamalai debacle prompted the Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, to warn naval establishments in the North and East to remain alert. He noted that in October 2006, Tiger guerrillas had inflicted "heavy damage" to troops at Muhamalai. Similarly, their recent "achievements" in Muhamalai had led to Tiger guerrilla "morale gain" leading to attacks on civilians in Colombo (the Piliyandala bomb explosion on April 25) and air raids on troops frontlines in Weli Oya (on April 27), he reminded then.

On Friday (May 16), a Tiger guerrilla suicide bomber rammed his motorcycle on a Police riot squad bus parked near the Presidential Secretariat along Lotus Road. The added security that day was for two reasons - Sivanesathurai Chanthirakanthan alias Pillayan, leader of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) was taking his oaths as Chief Minister of the newly elected Eastern Provincial Council. Police reports had warned of a demonstration by opposition political parties outside the Secretariat. The attack led to the deaths of eleven police officers and two civilians. More than 85 were wounded and some of them are still in hospital.

Subsequent Police investigations have revealed that the suicide bomber's target was Pillayan. The motorcycle used in the attack had been traced to its owner in Trincomalee leading to an interesting revelation. The owner, was identified by the Police as Janarthan, a disabled but active Tiger guerrilla cadre. He had infiltrated the TMVP. The suicide bomber, who used a National Identity Card in the name of a Muslim, had arrived in Colombo in the motorcycle from Trincomalee in late April.

At checkpoints along the route, the number of the motorcycle had been recorded. However, those at the checkpoints failed to notice a flaw in the NIC of the rider, the suicide bomber. It bore a photograph of him wearing a turban. The use of photographs with applicants wearing head gear is prohibited for NICs by the Department for the Registration of Persons.

As revealed earlier, the Army is now in the process of raising its 61 Division. Major General Lalith Daulagala has been named as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of this new Division that is made up of two brigades, 611 and 612. This brings the number of Divisions in the Army to 13.

There is a relative lull in the battlefields of the North and East. The main thrusts still remain the Mannar and the Weli Oya sectors. In Mannar, two columns are moving, one in the direction of the Sea Tiger base at Vidattaltivu. The other column, east of the Giants Tank area, is now engaged in encircling the village of Periyamadu, north of the Madhu Church area. In the Weli Oya sector, troops have seized another small stretch in the "no man's land" far ahead of guerrilla dominated areas.

Yesterday, troops and police were advised to be extra vigilant in the wake of an LTTE claim that 16 civilians including four children were killed in a claymore mine attack by what the Tigers called the military's deep penetration unit. There were fears of possible retaliation.

Yesterday, an alert bus conductor prevented what would have turned out to be another human tragedy. It happened in a bus that was proceeding from Colombo to Parakandeniya in the Gampaha district. Near Kirillawela, the conductor had observed a parcel and asked for the owner to identify him or herself. Since no one had owned up, he had thrown it to a garden in a temple premises on the wayside. A later examination by the bomb disposal squad of the Police Special Task Force (STF) revealed that the parcel held a 1.25 kilogramme bomb. This find also reveals a disturbing pattern. That is the capability the guerrillas have developed to place bombs at public places including buses in different areas. An LTTE statement said on Friday:

"Sixteen civilians, including four children, were killed as the van they were travelling in came under a claymore attack by the Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lanka military at 2.00 p.m. today. The incident took place on the Akkarayan-Murukandy road in Kilinochchi. Nineteen members of an extended family were travelling in that van and sixteen of them were killed and the other three were injured and were admitted to the Kilinochchi hospital.

"A baby sleeping in her cot and a seventeen year old girl were killed and the baby's mother was injured when Sri Lanka Air Force bombers dropped bombs over their home in Katpadu in Sundikulam in Kilinochchi. The people in this area are fisherfolk who were displaced from Vadamarachchi east in Jaffna due to shelling by the Sri Lanka military and were living here in order to continue with their fishing for their livelihood. Ten homes were destroyed by the bombing."

"As a matter of rule we do not comment on any operations by the Long Range Reconnaisance Patrols (LRRP or Deep Penetration Units). However, we deny that any unit carried out attacks on civilians," said a senior official at Army Headquarters. He spoke on grounds of anonymity. The attack came as Tiger guerrillas observed the death of one of their high ranking members - "Brigadier Balraj"

He was not only a close confidant of LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran but also figured prominently in a number of battles. In the next six days, the first five months of 2008 would be over. Only seven more months of the year thus remains for the Government to "eliminate" Tiger guerrillas. It was only weeks ago that Defence Spokesman and Minister, Keheliya Rambukwella, declared the Government's military campaign was on track to accomplish this task. Whether the goal could be achieved or not will be clear in just six months.

However, on the road to achieving an ambitious goal which the Government has set itself, bashing the media for its shortcomings is increasingly turning out to be the answer. Smashing the heads of journalists, some, who thirst for blood, may believe, is the easy way to win the separatist war. These self acclaimed heroes, whoever they are, need to only look back at history to know they are only destroying themselves.

But a government that claims to be committed to safeguarding democracy, media freedom and human rights should act. Otherwise such repeated acts could only threaten to destroy a nation.

War on media takes ugly turn