2nd January 2000

Fishy boat deal amid New Year war fire

Sri Lanka entered the New Millennium on a historic note. When midnight struck Friday heralding its dawn, it was fireworks, fun and frolic for most Lankans. Whilst this went on, another form of fireworks was exploding in the troubled north.

Troops and Tiger guerrillas were locked in fierce gun battles as Sri Lanka entered the New Millennium. The message was quite clear – the bitter separatist war had entered a new century and is certain to continue. If the 20th century saw the birth and growth of a guerrilla uprising, a high intensity conflict, almost conventional in character, now stares in the face of this island nation in the 21st century.

Just six months after being elected in November, 1994, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, ordered a military crackdown on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). This was after peace talks with them failed.

Pouring billions of rupees and deploying thousands of troops, an ambitious military campaign began in 1995. That was with the launch of “Operation Riviresa,” which led to the re-capture of the Jaffna peninsula. A string of other offensive operations followed. Then came the controversial “Operation Jaya Sikurui” (or Victory Assured) in May, 1997, which unsuccessfully attempted to establish a land based Main Supply Route to Jaffna. After 18 long months, this operation which was the costliest, both in terms of lives and material losses, was called off in December, 1998. A large part of its conduct was under a media censorship.

For the first time, Sri Lankans have been able to catch a glimpse of the colossal loss to human life during this operation. A 213 page Roll of Honour, part of a book titled Sri Lanka Army – 50 Years On, reveals that more than 2180 died in the Wanni during “Operation Jaya Sikurui.” It lists their names, regimental number, rank, name, unit, place and date where they were killed. The figure of 2180 is only in respect of the Sri Lanka Army and excludes those killed from the Navy, Air Force and Police. It also does not take into account those declared as Missing In Action (MIA). No references can be made to their numbers in view of the ongoing censorship.

After abandoning “Op eration Jaya Sikurui,” the Government launched a series of operations in the Wanni. Main among them were “Operation Rivi Bala” and the various phases of “Operation Rana Gosa.” These led to the re-capture of vast extents of territory, almost a thousand square kilometres ahead of Vavuniya, both on the eastern and western flanks of the A-9 Jaffna-Kandy highway. Military fortifications were built and equipped at a cost of billions of rupees. However, gaining control of the large part of the Wanni was at the expense of a concentrated defence. This meant that troops were thinly spread out with gaps in the defended areas which eventually proved vulnerable.

Almost all these areas were lost as a result during last November’s military reversals in the Wanni. President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga will this week learn how this occurred. A three member Military Court of Inquiry headed by Army Chief of Staff, Major General Lionel Balagalle, has just concluded its report. The other two members are Air Vice Marshal, Donald Perera Chief of Staff of the Air Force and Rear Admiral Daya Sandagiri, Chief of Staff of the Navy.

Some senior military officials are likely to come under severe censure whilst others may face trials before a Court Martial. That is for lapses that led to the collapse of defences and resulted in the loss of regained territory. Whether the blame for these reversals can be placed entirely on the security forces is a matter of conjecture. But a much bigger question on whether or not the Government’s entire war strategy is flawed, and if so, who was singularly responsible remains unanswered. Undoubtedly, the absence of any coherent appreciation of this factor in the past years contributed in large measure to human and material losses. Here again, the ongoing censorship prevents the Sri Lankan public from knowing the truth. An elaboration is not possible.

In retrospect, after four long years of war that has gradually gone high-tec, a review in the New Millennium raises more questions than answers. How much has been gained? Has the War for Peace, as the Government dubbed it, weakened the LTTE militarily? Or has the LTTE grown in strength to cross the threshold of a guerrilla outfit to assume the role of a semi conventional force? Has the billions of rupees and the great sacrifices made by the security forces brought in a commensurate gain? If not, was this not the result of a flawed overall politico-military strategy? Who should be answerable for it? Should those responsible continue to hide behind a censorship and continue to paint rosy pictures ? In the past four years, propaganda about the war claimed that “96 per cent was over” and only a meagre four per cent remained to be finished. has this not been a shameless bluff?

The questions are so many. But one thing has remained very clear. In the past four years, Sri Lanka has seen the birth of a new breed of millionaires, both in uniform and outside it. The high level of corruption has continued. Ironically those responsible have gone scot free because of the protection they received from their political god fathers.

That is even after official reports which bore evidence about some of their involvement. Last week’s Presidential election campaign showed how arms dealers who have benefited enormously from the war effort have now turned power brokers in campaigns to make and break governments.

It is in that backdrop that one sees the ongoing separatist war in the New Millennium. As it dawned, the efforts of the brave officers and men in the north showed how they were risking their life and limb to save the Government’s most precious achievement in the war – the re-capture of the Jaffna peninsula.

LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran, laun– ched the second phase “Oyatha Alaikal 3” (Ceaseless Waves 3) on December 11 with the declared objective of capturing the Jaffna peninsula. Unlike the previous stages of this operation, it has been no easy task for the LTTE. Troops have offered stiff resistance since the attacks began in the Elephant Pass sector.

On December 31, (Friday) LTTE mounted attacks on several fronts. A small group had landed at Thanankilappu, the coastal area across the lagoon north of Pooneryn. On Friday night they fought bitter gun battles. They also engaged troops in the Elephant Pass sector, particularly in Iyakachchi, the western and eastern flanks. One military official in the area said “they (Tiger guerrillas) could not even retrieve the dead bodies of some of their cadres. They withdrew after leaving them behind shortly after the break of the new year.” The official who spoke on grounds of anonymity added “we knew they will try to make a pitch on the new year’s eve. We were ready.” On Friday, troops pushed back by over half a kilometre Tiger guerrilla positions in the small beach-head they were holding at Vettilaikerni. They were continuing with this task yesterday.

However, there is no doubt the pressure on the troops will continue in the coming days and weeks. The military reversals in the Wanni have allowed the LTTE unimpeded mobility to move its cadres from the Wanni towards Elephant pass and other areas. Within a maximum of six hours they were able to reach one far corner to the other, that too, using vehicles seized from the security forces in November last year.

On December 29 and 30 too there were bitter confrontations. An Op Hq news release gave some of the details. It said:

“On 29 December 1999 around 2.20 am in Thanankilappu, terrorists fired artillery and mortars towards troops manning defences. Troops retaliated with artillery.

“on 30 December 1999 around 5.45 pm terrorists fired artillery and mortars towards Southern and Western defences of Elephant Pass and attempted to breach the defences for more than five times. The Southern forward defences were continuously under assault for couple of hours by the terrorists. In the mean time terrorists attempted to launch an attack from the Western Kilaly lagoon front employing 3 – 4 speed boats. All the attempts made by terrorists to breach the defences were effectively repulsed by troops with the support of artillery and MI 24 helicopter gunships of Sri Lanka Air Force. Ground troops confirmed that at least 20 terrorists would have been killed and many more numbers would have been injured during these confrontations. Monitored terrorist transmissions indicated that the terrorists suffered heavy casualties. Repeated directions were given by their leaders to recommence the assault but could not motivate the assaulting terrorist cadres”.

Since December 11 until last Friday, military officials say over 550 Tiger guerrilla cadres have been killed in the fighting in the Jaffna peninsula and the Elephant Pass sector. They claim these have been confirmed by technical sources and add that 226 of them have been identified by name. They say over 175 soldiers have been killed in the same period, . However, the LTTE has remained silent on the numbers killed or injured so far in the second phase of “Ceaseless Waves 3.”

While the battles continued in Jaffna, in Colombo, without the glare of any publicity, a controversial multi million dollar deal was concluded to purchase two Multi Purpose Vessels (MPVs) from Israel for the Sri Lanka Navy. Each is said to cost US $ 13 million or Rs 923 million.

The deal has stirred a controversy with the Government of the Russian Federation taking up issue with President Kumaratunga. They have said that Sri Lanka had earlier wanted to enter into a Government-to-Government deal with Russia for the procurement of brand new Svetlayak patrol boats. And now, Sri Lanka, Russia has complained, has worked a deal with Israel to procure what they say are vessels 20 years old. Sri Lanka does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

However, an Israeli businessman operating from Singapore is known to wield strong clout with influential politicians and those in the defence establishment are said to have successfuly put through the deal.

The same businessman was known to have had strong clout with senior officials and politicians of the former UNP Government too.

It was only in July last year, an official Sri Lanka delegation headed by E.S. Gunatilleke, former Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Defence led a delegation to Russia to examine the commercial offer. Russia’s state owned corporation Rosvoorouzhenie offered the Svetlayak patrol boats at a cost of US $ 17,679,000 per unit. They were brand new units. Russia also offered Bogomol patrol boats at a cost of US $ 13,104,000 for brand new units.

The deal with Israel was signed on December 27 after an official of the Israeli Defence Ministry arrived in Colombo. The deal involves US $ 26 million or Rs 1846 million. It is not clear whether any local agents were involved in this major deal. Details of the deal has been kept a closely guarded secret. Earlier, a Sri Lankan team had also visited Israel.

It is no secret that more procurements have now become necessary in the backdrop of losses. That will undoubtedly mean more financial commitments. The need for a strategic appreciation of equipment and weaponry required for the security forces compatible to their role and aim is essential. The need for a more effective mechanism to monitor this has always remained an urgent requirment.

President Kumaratunga, who survived an LTTE assassination attempt last month has declared that the Government will not for one second be deterred from taking the strongest possible action against anyone who supports terror. She said “Let all those who aid and abet terror be warned, let those who by act or omission support terror be warned, let those who secretly or openly, condone the path of violence pursued by the cowards of the LTTE be warned: the days of terror in this land are numbered, and that number is small”.

She has made it unequivocally clear that she wants to crackdown on terrorism. If that effort is to succeed, it is imperative that a war is launched in Colombo first. That is not only to punish those in uniform and unscrupulous dealers who have plundered the national wealth over the blood and sweat of the soldiers, but also to prevent mass scale corruption in military procurements in the New Millennium.

Voters who have strongly endorsed a second term for President Kumaratunga will no doubt wish to see she succeeds in the effort. Without winning the battle against corruption, it would not be possible to successfully conduct the war effort.

The Fifth Column

Editorial/ Opinion Contents