Situation
Report II - Children of war in battle of life
Inside
story of female Tigers
Since
guns fell silent last December, in the battle areas of the North
and East, this is where they face each other at very close quarters.
Standing some 200 metres apart, with shallow patches of the Kilali
lagoon in the middle, they keep watching one another through day
and night.
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Both sides are
swamped with land mines. Occasionally they wave at each other. Otherwise,
one wants to make sure the other does not enter their turf.
During yesteryears,
that was a closer route to the Jaffna peninsula at Pooneryn, from
mainland Sri Lanka. Traders waded through, knee deep, with their
goods. Even livestock was guided across to the peninsula through
this trade route.
Even a semblance
of what remained changed in late 1991. By then, the Liberation Tigers
of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), was running a "parallel administration"
in the peninsula. Fears they would "invade" areas in the
mainland across the Kilali lagoon, led to the setting up of an Army
base with a Navy detachment in Pooneryn. During early 1994, it was
to become a sore point that wrecked peace talks between People's
Alliance and Tiger guerrillas. Whilst PA wanted Alpha Nine (A-9)
highway re-opened, the LTTE sought a passage via Pooneryn, with
military facilities there shut down.
In over three
years of existence, the Pooneryn defence complex has been the scene
of some pitched battles. On September 24, 1993, Security Forces
launched "Operation Yal Devi" "to destroy boat landing
points and allied facilities used by the LTTE in area Kilali."
The weeklong operation left 108 soldiers dead. Ministry of Defence
news releases claimed 350 guerrillas were killed but the LTTE said
only 96 of its cadres died.
Six weeks later,
Tiger guerrillas unleashed a devastating attack that was planned
for many months. On November 11, 1993, they launched "Operation
Thavalai," (frog), an amphibious assault on the Pooneryn defence
complex. The official death toll, from a strength of over 55 officers
and more than 2100 men, dead or missing in action, was over 620.
The Army said over 500 guerrillas died but the LTTE said it was
only over a 100.
Following a
counter offensive, the defence complex was re-established in a smaller
area and supplied only by air. It was, however, shut down in early
1995, when military planners began preparations for the re-capture
of Jaffna peninsula, through a string of offensives code named "Operation
Riviresa." It concluded on December 5, 1995, with the re-capture
of most of the peninsula by the Security Forces.
Today, vast
areas in Pooneryn facing the Jaffna peninsula and the Sangupitty
causeway, show very little signs of human activity. What was once
the Security Forces complex lay in ruins. Remains of wrecked coaches,
scattered empty artillery shells and crumbled buildings stand testimony.
Palmyrah trees or shrub jungle dots vast stretches of open land.
Those present
are guerrillas riding push cycles or walking long distances for
duty in positions assigned to them. A handful of bare bodied fishermen
wade through knee high in the lagoon, avoiding deep stretches, to
tend to nets stuck on poles. Besides small fish, lobsters and prawns
abound in the area where fishing has resumed only after the truce.
The journey
to Pooneryn and along the Sangupitty ferry from Kilinochchi via
Paranthan, though nearly 50 kilometres, takes two hours. The terrain
becomes tougher as we travel. The first sights of villages with
farmers tending to their garden or the sounds of tractors, loaded
with produce or passengers fade, as we are some 15 kilometres away
from Sangupitty ferry.
Besides Daya
Master, who is escorting Cameraman Alfred Silva and me, a military
wing leader for the area has been assigned to travel with us. I
am told of the reason - the treacherous terrain, which still has
vast areas planted with land mines. The guerrillas had placed it.
That was to stall a Security Forces thrust from Jaffna across the
Kilali lagoon. He prefers to remain anonymous and asks me not to
refer even to his nom de guerre. I agree.
Clearing land
mines in Pooneryn is low priority. Even along Alpha Nine (A-9) highway,
clearing is still in progress in some areas. Boards warn of explosives.
They exhort travellers not to venture outside the road area.
Pausing between
conversations, he asks whether I do not have any audiocassette tapes.
I tell him there are a few, in Sinhala and in English. He prefers
to switch on the radio. He scans up and down for his favourite channel,
the Tamil Commercial Service of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.
To the accompaniment of Tamil songs or comedy skits, he guides me
through the rutty road. If land mine explosions have caused bad
damage, huge craters left by bombs dropped from air by the Sri Lanka
Air Force are evident in many places. The causeway that leads to
the Sangupitty ferry, huge craters interrupt the contiguity of the
surface.
Even in the
most remote areas of the Wanni, like in other crowded parts, one
comes to grips with a strong reality - no movement in the guerrilla
dominated Wanni is possible without one's presence being noticed
by guerrilla cadres. In the virtually desolate areas of Pooneryn,
a young man stands by a parked scooter. He appears to be admiring
the scenery. As our Double Cab passes, he takes note and readies
to stop us. He sees the military wing cadre in the front seat. We
are waved off. I see a walkie-talkie in the carrying case of the
scooter. Even at some of the inter sections, we are noticed but
soon recognised.
This is the
case in crowded areas too. On a journey to Puthukudiyiruppu, I saw
a cadre seated outside a kiosk kick-start a motorcycle and pursue
us. He overtook our vehicle to do a u-turn to come at us. He waved
at Daya Master upon identifying him. When Alfred Silva photographed
the abandoned petrol station at Paranthan junction, a guerrilla
emerged from a small boutique to check his identity.
I soon learn
the reason for this new form of widespread surveillance on "visitors"
or "strangers." That was one of the measures the LTTE
had adopted to counter intrusions by the Army's deadly Long Range
Reconnaissance Patrols (LRRPs) that penetrated guerrilla held areas
to carry out assassinations and attacks. To the guerrillas, there
was public confirmation of what they had suspected for many months
about deep penetration units. That came when the Kandy Police raided
the Army's "Safe House" at Athurugiriya, a rear base used
by LRRP teams operated by the Directorate of Military Intelligence
(DMI).
Though it cleared
the air considerably, Interior Minister, John Ameratunga's assertion
that the "Safe House" was used for "legitimate purposes"
and he accepted the "Army's explanation" came too late.
Yet, Mr. Ameratunga's declaration in an interview with The
Sunday Times drew a warm note of appreciation from Army
Headquarters. Though belatedly, he had still set the record right.
It is not only
male cadres who are deployed in these tasks. Playing an equal role
are women, who have become a substantial segment of the LTTE's fighting
cadres. Many have seen action in Pooneryn battles and bear the scars
of war.
One such women
cadre is Thamilini, who now heads the Women's Unit of the LTTE Political
Wing. She is still a front liner in the military wing and has had
many a narrow escape in battles with the Security Forces. She recalls
her role in "Operation Thavalai" (frog), the November
11, 1993, sea and land assault on the Pooneryn Military complex.
"Whilst
making preparations for the attack on the Pooneryn base, we planned
to capture a Main Battle Tank. A Unit was specially trained for
this purpose. I was in a group of female cadres tasked to clear
a path through which the tank could be driven into our area,"
says Thamilini. Asked why special efforts were made to seize a battle
tank, she says "our children were quite frightened when they
heard the roar of engines of a battle tank. They could not study.
We thought the best way to overcome this would be to capture one."
The LTTE did seize the Czech built tank. It has been used in many
an encounter.
Thamilini says
she took part in the guerrilla counter offensive against "Operation
Agni Khiela," (Rod of Fire) the last major military offensive
during "Eelam War Three." Its aim was to capture Pallai,
a forerunner to regain control of Elephant Pass. She says 35 of
her male and female colleagues died during this offensive. "The
fall of Pallai and Elephant Pass would have made Kilinochchi vulnerable.
We had to resist it at all costs," she points out.
Earlier, she
had also taken part in the LTTE's counter offensives against "Operation
Jaya Sikurui," the military's costliest ever offensive to establish
a land based Main Supply Route to Jaffna. This was by capturing
a stretch of Alpha Nine (A-9) highway which was under LTTE control
between Nochchimodai (Vavuniya) and Kilinochchi. The near three-year
long offensive led to the deaths of over 3,500 soldiers and had
to be abandoned.
Thamilini says
she and a group of women cadres were trapped in the jungles of Mankulam
without food. They survived on wild fruits. Her colleague, Nilambari,
who was in a forward area, was guiding a group to launch mortar
attacks on Security Forces targets. Later, she had fired at a large
group of soldiers, killing them with a Light Machine Gun. An Army
Special Forces team moved in from behind and surrounded them. They
shot Nilambari dead. We were nearby but managed to escape, she says.
She says that the LTTE Women's Wing began as "Suthantira
Paravaikal" (Freedom Birds) specialising in first aid,
running Montessori schools and indulging in other chores. Since
late 1983, women cadres, Thamilini says, were trained in LTTE training
camps that existed in the Southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu. They
were later given military training.
The first military
engagement for women cadres, according to Thamilni came, when guerrillas
fought the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF). Malathi, the first
women cadre, died in gun battles with Indian troops and a fighting
unit has been named in her memory. Other fighting units include
Sothiya, Anbarasi, Ponn Amman, Kuttisri Mortar Unit, Kittu Artillery
Unit and Mines Unit.
Asked what the
role of women cadres during the truce, she says "we engage
in educational and social programmes. We are working hard to reduce
the problems of society." Thamilini says since October 10,
1987, when Malathie died, over 5000 female cadres have been killed
in battles with Security Forces. Asked what the strength of LTTE's
women cadres, she said at the beginning there were only 90. "We
now have more than 10,000 cadres in various spheres," she claimed.
However, The Sunday Times learnt that fighting women
cadres constituted only over 3,500.
In the 19 year
long separatist war, the LTTE had inducted women into battle long
before the Sri Lanka Army raised its Women's Corps. Their foray
into the war as fighting units came only during "Eelam War
Three."
With a truce
now in place, women cadres, both in uniform and civvies are busy
in the Wanni. Those on regular chores at check-points, street intersections
and other areas without uniforms are easily identifiable - they
wear a two inch belt around their waist, much like those in uniform.
All cadres are trained to ride motorcycles. "Like serving the
public to improve their quality of life, we are also ready for battle
for "our freedom," says Thamilini as she kick starts her
motorcycle to return to camp.
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