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Changing scenario in the Wanni
By Chris Kamalendran in Kilinochchi'
Thileepan', a senior LTTE member on a motor cycle escorts us on a bumpy gravel

path off Kilinochchi. We are signaled to turn off into a path leading into the jungle. The rider turns into a garden and brings his bike to a halt. On the left is an old house and two cadjan thatched huts - the larger one being occupied by some villagers seated on benches.

We have reached one of the LTTE prisons where the rebels detain people charged with various offences or those held in custody after being 'remanded' by their 'courts'. The villagers in the hut are waiting to visit their kith and kin in custody .

We are here to meet Wimal Kumara 26, a soldier of the Light infantry of the Sri Lanka Army being held in remand custody after he was arrested by the LTTE in the Welioya area on Christmas eve. He is alleged to have entered a rebel controlled area with his T56 weapon.

The prison holds some 25 other prisoners, all of them Tamils held for various offences.

Wimal is kept separately, as he has been classified as a ‘political prisoner'. His family members have travelled from Matara and have just paid him a visit. His case will be taken up on January 10 at the LTTE 'District Court' in Kilinochchi where it will be determined whether he could be released. (see separate story about the soldier).

This is the changing scenario in the LTTE controlled Wanni region where the LTTE is gradually working towards establishing its own administrative system. In addition to its Courts and Police stations the LTTE has already established its Customs department, Forest Conservation Department, Health Department, and Transport department to name a few. Many of these departments had been established in the mid 1990s, but now have begun to play a more dominant role in the administrative setup.

Senior LTTE cadres who were actively engaged in fighting now head these departments which work side by side with the government administration in the Wanni region. Few metres away from the Government Agent's office in Kilinochchi is the LTTE's Customs office.

Although Kilinochchi District Secretary, P.Rasanayagam says that the government's administrative activities have not been affected by the LTTE running its own system, a visit to the 'LTTE administrative offices' proves that a parallel administrative system is functioning.

Both, LTTE cadres and paid employees make up the staff in these LTTE departments which are directly responsible to heads of various sections of the LTTE. Paid employees draw a monthly salary ranging from Rs. 3,500 to Rs. 13,000. Among them are graduates from the Jaffna university.

Each department has been assigned specific tasks, with most of the plans and directives coming directly from the LTTE leadership.

'Shakthi', who heads the LTTE's Forest Conservation Department says the LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran has had a personal interest in this department with most of the proposals coming from him.

"We have a series of programmes to protect forests. One of them is the reforestation programme. We have identified areas which have been badly affected by the war for this programme," says Shakthi pointing to a map where the re-forestation programmes in progress have been marked.

Hundreds of acres of teak, Tamarind, and Kohomba trees are among those being planted while felling trees is strictly prohibited.

"Even for firewood we do not allow people to cut trees. We have identified certain old trees which can be cut for firewood. These are cut by us and sold to the public. Even for Timber we have selected trees that can be cut', he says.

"As a measure to conserve the forest we do not impose any tax on timber or wooden furniture being brought into the Wanni from the South. Some traders from the south are selling timber to us," he points out.

At the central bus stand in Kilinochchi a range of vehicles varying from Bedford buses, to Rosa buses have been put into operation. V.Thiliambalam sits behind the counter managing the whole operation there. He is a paid employee of the LTTE drawing a monthly salary of Rs. 6,000.

"We have buses run by the state (LTTE) and the private sector.

The private buses have to obtain route permits to run their services. My task is to ensure that the buses operate according to a set time table. Also if I find that there are people to travel on a particular route and there are no buses at that time, I have been instructed to make use of a stand- by bus to ensure that the people are transported. We have to be practical,” says Thiliambalam, a former time keeper of the Jaffna bus depot.

Few metres away from the bus depot is the Kilinochchi market where vendors who bring in vegetables and other produce are taxed as they enter the market to carryout their business. Traders coming from the Wanni area or outside the Wanni are taxed equally - three per cent of the sale price.

One of the biggest revenue earners has been the ‘Customs Department’ of the LTTE which imposes taxes on items being brought into the Wanni region, while some of the items being sent out of the region are also taxed. Despite the relaxation of restrictions on goods the prices are still slightly higher than the prices of food and essential items available in the south.

However the food prices remain low. A lunch with mutton with three curries cost Rs. 40 and a mutton Kotthu Rs. 50.

‘This is the price we can sell food because this is what the people can afford,” says the owner of hotel ‘Tharmini’.

But, civilians still believe that the prices of other food items, essentials and items including bicycles, tyres and clothing can be further reduced, if not for the LTTE imposed tax.

The LTTE responding to complaints of the civilians of the high bus fares have already reduced charges with effect from January 1.

As the LTTE maintains its authority over the Wanni region, with its expanding administrative structure, the people’s expectations are running high that the peaceful atmosphere would continue. With more interaction with the people from the south, and increased trading and travel between the areas, the civilian population are hopeful that the LTTE would pursue the path of peace.

Many of the displaced people have begun to return to their homes. The building material and cement being transported across the Omanthai check point - the entrance to the LTTE controlled Wanni region- provides evidence that the civilians are banking heavily on the peace process.

Woodapple picking ends in LTTE prison

"I accidently entered the LTTE controlled area after going into the jungle to pick some woodapples. I usually go into that area, but that day I lost my way. I walked on and met some LTTE cadres," this is the version given by soldier Wimal Kumara who is in LTTE custody.

Wimal hailing from Matara joined the Sri Lanka Army six years ago. He has served in the battlefront from time to time but this was his worst experience he says.

" I was on duty at a sentry point at Welioya with two of my colleagues. Around 6.00 a.m. I told them that I will go into the jungle to pick some woodapples. I was carrying my T 56 weapon. Soon I realised I had lost my way, but I continued to walk on assuming that I was walking towards the camp. Suddenly I spotted some LTTE cadres in front. I walked up to them and told that I was trying to get back to my camp.

"I thought they would direct me to the camp, but instead they took me to one of their camps nearby. They arrested me there and took over the weapon.

They wanted to know what my motives were in visiting the areas controlled by them with a weapon. I told them I had no motive but that I had lost my way.

"Thereafter they produced me in courts and told me that I have been remanded. Since then I have been in custody. They allow me to move about freely within the prisons. I am being well looked after. I was even taken to hospital when I suffered an attack of Malaria.

"I am not sure how the system works here and will have to wait. I will have to see what happens when my case is taken up on January 10," Wimal said.

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