Political Column

Political Column

An elusive mind and an elusive peace
By Our Political Editor
Inside An Elusive Mind: Prabhakaran, a book by Mr Naryan Swamy this week revealed the interesting news that the Indian Intelligence Bureau intercepted a couple of coded radio messages transmitted to Sri Lanka by activists of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who were plotting the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi from their hideouts in Tamil Nadu in early 1991. But they failed to crack the code, until weeks after Gandhi was assassinated.

"Sivarasan'', the man sent by Tamil Tiger's intelligence wing to plan the logistics for the Gandhi assassination sent at least two messages to Sri Lanka in code. One said :"Nobody (in India) knows about our operation," The other just weeks before the assassination said: "If I return to Jaffna, it will be as Pottu Amman's man, having achieved the incredible feat of assassinating a world leader," but the Indian intelligence still couldn't crack that code or read the significance of the message until after Gandhi was killed.

Cadres were sent posing as refugees to Tamil Nadu beginning in September 1990 to plan for the assassination. But simultaneously Prabhakaran pretended to woo Gandhi and Indian authorities and made them believe that he was willing to mend fences with the former Indian Prime Minister. Prabhakaran for instance sent Kasi Anandan, a long-time poet friend based in Chennai, to New Delhi in March 1991 in fact to wish Gandhi well for the gruelling campaign ahead which was believed to be Gandhi's easy ticket to power. But it was this campaign that was finally used as the instrument by the LTTE to kill Gandhi!

The significance of these intelligence revelations are not lost on the Indian intelligence community and on those who follow Indo Sri Lankan relations in the context of Sri Lanka's long running conflict. This column spoke to some government elite on the issue -- and at least two of them told this column that they believe that India's attitude to the Sri Lankan conflict is measured at many levels and is therefore complex. There is the governmental level, there is the bureaucratic (South Block) level, then there is the intelligence level and the state government level and so on and so forth.

Difficult to predict
Policy on the Sri Lankan conflict can emanate at various levels and therefore it is difficult to predict how India as a whole would react to the Sri Lankan situation at a given time. However, India it seems has come to the fore in Sri Lanka's power equation yet again - - - and it is India that is once more the key factor on how the Sri Lankan conflict resolves itself.

India's interest in the Trincomalee harbour also cannot be underestimated. The ramifications regarding Trincomalee harbour for all international and local actors are intense -- and all of it cannot be speculated upon here. But for the moment, if the Indian interest in Trincomalee harbour is considered (especially in the context that the oil tank farms in Trincomalee have been leased out to the Indian government) it is easy to see why India will have its radar focused on the recent political developments in this country.

For instance, Trincomalee was again in the crosshairs last week, when Lakshman Kadirgamar, the former Foreign Minister and PA frontliner unveiled what he called LTTE's troops build-up around Trincomalee. Mr Kadrigamar told a group of invited journalists that 13 new camps had been established around Trincomalee by the LTTE. He also handed out a report purporting to be on the dire security dangers in the East. This report had been put together by Rear Admiral Vasantha Karannagoda, the Naval Director of Operations of the North. Mr Kadrigamar also provided accompanying information on the issue of the camps.

Pack up and go
The 13 - camp issue was brought up later by the PA spokesman Sarath Amunugama who said that the 'government should either pack up and go home or take the necessary action with regard to the proliferation of these camps.''

The Prime Minister had his own opinion about what he saw in contrast, as an unconscionable intelligence leak. The matter was taken up at the pre- cabinet briefing, with special reference to the 'intelligence breach'' by Karannagoda when his "classified'' letter was leaked via Kadirgamar to the press. The Cabinet was vehement on the issue, with most Ministers saying that this kind of irresponsible leak of classified information was untenable. It was decided that disciplinary proceedings be initiated against the offending officer.

Aiming its artillery
All of this brings us to the other pivotal actor, the other crucial player besides India that can have telling repercussions on the government's peace plans. While the government was engaged in an effort to solve some economic issues closer home, such as securing proper prices for surplus paddy in the North Central province via the Prima Flour Mills for example -- the opposition was aiming its artillery at the government. The opposition SLFP is revamping its organizational machine, and the President is gradually weeding out the lazy and the incompetent (as she sees them) and replacing with those who are seen to be young and dynamic - - and having closer access to her.

But at the time of going to press the JVP - PA alliance seems definitely to be off. Wimal Weerawansa debunked devolution at a press conference earlier in the week - -and said the time was definitely not right for the devolution of power.

With that seemed to sound a death knell for the Alliance, with the President for instance, hosting some of her electoral organizers for dinner, and telling them that the PA should go it alone and strengthen its own party apparatus, without looking to leap frog into the seats of power through flimsy alliances.

*** In the North, Deputy leader of the Opposition in the British Parliament, Mr. Michael Ancram, and former Treasurer of the Conservative Party, Lord Ashcroft, spoke this Friday to Jaffna Government Agent, Mr S.Pathmanathan and other key local functionaries at the Jaffna District Secretariat.

The team was also briefed by the area commander of the Sri Lanka Army. Mr Ancram is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition of the British parliament, and his visit is seen as significant in various ways, even though what was brought to his attention by the government agent was the immediate need for rehabilitation assistance to the peninsula, and the need for de-mining as only 10 per cent of the landmines have in fact been removed after the cessation of hostilities.

Post conflict mileu
Those close to government decision-making pointed out that the British support for the Sri Lankan peace effort has been 'outstanding'' and that Sri Lanka should be looking more at the British model of devolution rather than the Canadian or the Swiss or the Belgian. This was because Britain was devolving from a post conflict milieu, and Sri Lanka is also seeking to devolve power in a post conflict background. Therefore, Britain's experience and its support was considered more pertinent for Sri Lanka than any other country's.

Breakdown of judicial independence
The following letter was dispatched to The Secretary, Select Committee of Parliament on Judicial Systems, Functions of Judges, Court Staff and Attorneys, Parliament of Sri Lanka,Sri Jayawardenapura, by a collective of professionals who are primarily from the Organization of Professional Associations. Its contents are self explanatory:
The Select Committee of Parliament on Judicial Systems, Functions of Judges, Court Staff and Attorneys -- Independent Judiciary.

We, the undersigned firmly believe that without an "Independent Judiciary" consisting of Judges of unimpeachable integrity and commanding the trust and respect of the people there can be no good governance. It is primarily the responsibility of the Supreme Court to defend human rights of the citizens without permitting any abuse of power and/or denial of the rights of the people by the government in power.

However, we are dismayed by the escalating magnitude of the crisis that has arisen out of what appears to be a brazen disregard for Judicial norms displayed by Chief Justice Sarath Nanda Silva, which appears to have virtually destroyed the people's trust in, and their respect for, the Judiciary. This has also had a debilitating and destructive effect on the entire fabric of social democracy in the country.

This rapidly deteriorating situation has become a matter of ever increasing concern to International Institutions concerned with the Independence of the Judiciary. This matter was discussed at the 56th, 57th and 58th sessions of the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations. In as many as three of the annual reports submitted by Dato Param Coomaraswamy who had been assigned the subject of the Independence of the Judiciary at the United Nations, he has expressed his growing concern about the failure to inquire into the grave charges that have been and are being increasingly levelled against the Chief Justice of Sri Lanka.

The International Bar Association (IBA) the world's largest lawyers organisation with members in 183 countries, is an Independent, non-political organisation that works to protect the Rule of Law and the Independence of the Judiciary.

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