Situation Report

An Army soldier or on duty in Trincomalee town. Photo- by Ishara S. Kodikara

CBK removes Trinco Navy chief
Series of steps to improve ties with LTTE
Helgesen seeks meeting with Prabha
A number of measures to cool relations with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have got under way as President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, whose UPFA Government collapsed on Thursday, defiantly pursued efforts to seal the post-tsunami aid sharing deal with them.

A major step was President Kumaratunga’s order as Commander-in-Chief on Friday to transfer a senior Sri Lanka Navy officer responsible for security in the troubled north eastern Trincomalee district. Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera who was at the centre of a controversy over the placing of a statue of Lord Buddha in the Trincomalee town has been told to move out as Eastern Naval Area Commander from June 30.He will take over as Western Naval Area Commander based in Colombo. Succeeding him will be the current incumbent in this office, Rear Admiral Sarath Rathnakeerthi. The latter has been asked to move in as the new Eastern Naval Area Commander with effect from Friday (June 24). He will thus have time to familiarise himself with the situation in the area before Vice Admiral Weerasekera moves out. Both Admirals are not only classmates at Ananda College but are also from the same batch of recruits who joined the Navy together on the same day. However, Rear Admiral Rathnakeerthi is senior to his colleague.

As revealed in these columns last week, President Kumaratunga ordered the Ministry of Defence to investigate a report from a state intelligence agency that Rear Admiral Weerasekera extended support to the group reportedly responsible for placing Lord Buddha’s statue. He is alleged to have addressed this group, a team of three wheeler drivers offering a transport service and assured them he would ensure the statue would not be removed.

But The Sunday Times learnt from top level sources at Navy Headquarters that Rear Admiral Weerasekera flatly denied the allegations. See box story on this page for details. Other sources said a senior Tamil National Alliance (TNA) politician in the Trincomalee district, who was warned recently by the LTTE leadership in Kilinochchi for his lack of aggressiveness, had also mounted pressure on Government leaders for the removal of this senior officer from the Navy’s most vital installation in the country.

This move, together with a number of others, however, did not see a reciprocal response from Tiger guerrillas. Within hours of the news of his transfer a pistol gang shot dead a Police Sergeant attached to the Directorate of Internal Intelligence (DII), the country’s premier intelligence agency. He was attached to the District Intelligence Bureau (DIB) in Trincomalee and on secondment to the Kantalai Police.

The incident occurred when he was in the Serunuwara town, south of Trincomalee, on Friday night in the company of two Army soldiers. Eye witnesses said a suspected guerrilla gunman who came in a push cycle pulled out a pistol and shot him dead. Once a constable, M. Muthu Banda had been granted a special promotion to the rank of Sergeant after he successfully carried out a secret operation against Tiger guerrillas. He had been warned by his superiors of a threat on his life only weeks earlier. The incident had occurred when he went there on leave to visit his wife.
Friday night’s incident further confirmed that the guerrillas had stepped up their violent campaign against intelligence operatives of the State. It was only on May 31 Major Nizam Muthaliff (posthumously promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel) was shot dead in Narahenpita. CID detectives probing the incident are puzzled and even disturbed by a number of findings including how the killers knew then Maj. Muthaliff was travelling alone with his driver on that fateful day.

On that occasion, he had chosen not to avail himself of additional security provided to him on the orders of Army Commander Lt. Gen. Shantha Kottegoda. This had included motor cycle escorts, two official vehicles plus clearance to obtain another on hire. In addition, he had also been allowed to draw from resources of the First Battalion of the Military Intelligence Corps of which he was the commanding officer. An Army Court of Inquiry headed by Lt. Col. H.K. Lal Wijegunawardena is now probing the incident. Among other matters it will identify if there were any security lapses or other shortcomings. Other members of the Court are Major D.T. Nalin Kodagoda, Captain R.M.C.K. Bandara and Warrant Officer P.M.P. Tennekoon.

Lt. Gen. Kottegoda who had been apprised by state intelligence agencies of guerrilla threats against officers has not only warned them to take extra precautions. He had ordered additional security precautions and authorised shift of the locations from which some of them worked.

Then Maj. Muthaliff had boarded the vehicle with tinted windows from within the confines of his quarters in the Army flats located at the end of Matha Lane in Narahenpita. It was not possible for anyone to observe his boarding the vehicle. In addition, intelligence operatives had mounted surveillance along the Narahenpita road at the time he was departing. CID investigations are still in progress and hence any speculation may turn out to be counter productive.

But state intelligence agencies have warned of guerrilla cadres conducting surveillance in the City of Colombo and suburbs on a number of would-be targets. It is said to include intelligence operatives and politicians.

In another incident in the eastern Batticaloa district, Tiger guerrilla gunmen reportedly used a Chinese built T-56 rifle to fire at and injured three persons – two members of the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOT) and a policeman. All three who had gone to collect sand from the beach were injured whilst the attackers got away. Senior security officials in the district suspect that a crack down on PLOT cadres had been stepped up after their alleged involvement in the murder of journalist Dharmaratnam Sivaram.

The Ministry of Defence this week relaxed a ban it had imposed on theatre to theatre Air Force helicopter transfer of Tiger guerrilla military wing leaders. On Wednesday, an Air Force helicopter flew in Trincomalee district military wing leader “Col. Sornam” alias Soosaipillai Anthonydas and five others including guerrilla intelligence cadres from Kilinochchi to Sampur. This LTTE controlled area is located south of Trincomalee. They had been stranded in the Wanni for nearly a month after the MoD refused to heed their request for helicopters in view of the troubled situation in Trincomalee.

On Friday another Air Force helicopter flew from Kilinochchi to Karadiyanaru in the Batticaloa district with military wing leaders. It included LTTE’s “special commander” for Batticaloa and Ampara districts “Col. Banu,” “Commander Ram” and “Commander Janarthan” of the “Jeyanthan Regiment.”

A significant thaw in Government’s attitude came as Norwegian peace facilitators sought a meeting with Tiger guerrilla leader Velupillai Prabhakaran in the coming week.

Norway’s Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen, who arrives in Colombo tomorrow will fly to Kilinochchi on Wednesday with Ambassador Hans Brattskar and two Embassy officials – Solfred Lien, Advisor and Tom Knappskog, second secretary. Norway sought a meeting for Mr. Helgesen with the LTTE leader early this week. Ahead of his arrival in Colombo, Mr. Helgesen had already spoken to LTTE chief peace negotiator Anton Balasingham in London and Political Wing leader, S.P. Thamilselvan in Kilinochchi about the request. However reports from Wanni say it may not materialise.

Hence he is likely to have talks with Mr. Thamilselvan and others.
Although President Kumaratunga has publicly declared her determination to sign a memorandum of understanding with the LTTE to enforce a Joint Mechanism (or Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure), she is yet to reveal its full contents or agree on a date for the signing. So much so, she was angered when newspapers early this week published accounts of a “Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Establishment of a Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure (the “Joint Mechanism”).
Copies of a three page document together with a two page chart that described in boxes and arrows how “the proposed Post Tsunami Reconstruction Mechanism” would work were distributed to a select group of Deputy Ministers.

This was ahead of a meeting of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party parliamentarians last Monday to discuss the Joint Mechansim or P-TOMS proposal. They had been told specifically by President Kumaratunga to ensure the contents of the document were kept a secret and not divulged to the media. But someone had already done that. After the newspapers reported on the matter, an official at the Presidential Secretariat began telephoning the Deputy Ministers in question and began withdrawing the copies issued to them. They explained it was being done at the request of President Kumaratunga.

Hours later, addressing the meeting of her Freedom Party parliamentarians, an angry Kumaratunga accused the media of introducing additions to the proposals that had been published. The truth was different. The newspapers concerned had made no such addition. But the draft JM proposals had contained a contentious issue which the LTTE had taken exception to – vesting with the Treasury the allocation and disbursement of donor funds for tsunami recovery.

Colombo based Tamil media contacted S. Prabagaran alias Pulithevan, head of the LTTE Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi. He was asked what the LTTE’s response would be to the newspaper reports and the references made to the Treasury. He replied that they wanted an independent custodian to be in charge of the funds but added that the LTTE would not issue any statement on the newspaper accounts. This was because they did not consider the newspaper reports to be official and hence awaited Government intimation.

There is still confusion at the highest levels of the Government over the modalities to be followed with regard to the Joint Mechanism. Although it was suggested that the document containing the proposals be presented in Parliament in the form of draft legislation, it has now been dropped. This was after Government’s legal advisors pointed out that such legislation for an arrangement with the LTTE would confer formal recognition and legal status to the guerrillas. Instead, it has now been decided that the document should only be tabled in Parliament. Thereafter the government may allow a debate.

Another issue is the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding to give effect to the Joint Mechanism. Earlier proposals for officials of the Peace Secretariats of the two sides to sign the MoU have been dropped. It is now likely that an official in the Ministry of Rehabilitation, Relief and Reconstruction will sign on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka. On the LTTE side, it is expected to be an official from its “Planning and Development Secretariat”. The dates for such a signing are yet to be determined. It is to be decided tomorrow.

Mr. Helgesen’s request for a meeting with Mr. Prabhakaran, according to diplomatic sources in Colombo, is to focus on the resumption of the peace process. This is immediately after the Joint Mechanism deal, which President Kumaratunga has categorically declared will be concluded, is finalised. The latter task is now being pursued by Ambassador Brattskar.
The recent protests against the JM, the exit of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna from the UPFA Government and the impending deal with the LTTE have all heightened security concerns for the defence establishment in Colombo. The subject figured at the National Security Council too. As a result, troops have been placed on standby to help the Police in a contingency.

Police Chief Chandra Fernando has told his officers in charge of divisions countrywide that they should prevent all attempts to disrupt normal life of the community. They have been told to deal sternly with those who violate the law.

The controversial Joint Mechanism has already led to the collapse of the UPFA Government this week. With protests planned by those opposed to the deal with the LTTE, coming weeks will turn out to be crucial for those in the defence establishment. Whether cooling off relations with the guerrillas, with little or no reciprocal response, is going to pay off remains a critical question.

The backstage moves behind the transfer
In the backdrop of a heightened controversy over the placing of a statue of Lord Buddha in Trincomalee town, Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera, Commander of Sri Lanka Navy’s most important base, the Eastern Naval Area Headquarters in this north eastern port city, received transfer orders on Friday.

The move, The Sunday Times learns, follows a directive from President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces to the Ministry of Defence.

Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Daya Sandagiri is to move out Rear Admiral Weerasekera as Commander, Eastern Naval Area with effect from June 30. He posted the current Western Naval Area Commander Rear Admiral Sarath Rathnakeerthi as the new eastern commander with effect from Friday June 24. The six day gap in switching posts is to enable Rear Admiral Rathnakeerthi to familiarise himself with the situation in Trincomalee.

Following the appearance of the statue of Lord Buddha in the Trincomalee town in the early hours of May 15, Rear Admiral Weerasekera is alleged to have spoken at a gathering of threewheeler drivers. A state intelligence agency had accused him of telling the gathering that he would make sure the statue was not removed. This statement, the agency said, had exacerbated feelings among groups responsible for placing the statue.
As revealed in these columns last week, President Kumaratunga asked the Ministry of Defence to conduct an inquiry into the allegations. On the Ministry’s orders, Vice Admiral Sandagiri had called upon Rear Admiral Weerasekera to explain his conduct within six days. Thereafter the Chief of Defence Staff, the country’s top most security official, The Sunday Times learnt, endorsed the views expressed by Rear Admiral Weerasekera. He declared that the measures adopted by his Eastern Naval Area Commander were intended to ensure security and normalcy in the Trincomalee area.

His comments accompanied Rear Admiral Weerasekera’s explanation he had forwarded to the Ministry of Defence. Officials at the Ministry of Defence remained tight lipped over the issue. Rear Admiral Weerasekera was not available yesterday for any comment.

However, The Sunday Times learnt from top level sources at Navy Headquarters that Rear Admiral Weerasekera had forwarded a lengthy explanation. In that he had denied allegations made against him and pointed out that all measures he took were to restore normalcy in the troubled town.

According to sources at Navy Headquarters Rear Admiral Weerasekera had spoken about how “Operation Hunter” was launched after a conference at the Eastern Naval Area headquarters in the Dockyard in Trincomalee. Summoned by him, it had been attended by Neville Wijesinghe, DIG (East) and Major General Sumith Balasuriya, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Army’s 22 Division among others.

Vice Admiral Sandagiri was on a tour of India during this crisis situation in the strategic north eastern town. Rear Admiral Weerasekera had therefore kept the acting Commander of the Navy, Rear Admiral Mohan Wijewickrema informed of developments. This, according to him, had included action against members of all communities responsible for violating law and order. He had said he ensured that fuel stations, commercial banks, shops and transport services were made operational.

According to sources at Navy Headquarters, Rear Admiral Weerasekera had admitted visiting the place where the statue had been placed. He had, however, stated that he warned those present not to resort to violence or take the law into their own hands. He had appealed to them to allow the security forces and the Police to do their job.

Rear Admiral Weerasekera, according to same sources, had maintained that the public in the area from all communities were angered and even disappointed that no deterrent action was taken against those who hurled grenades at shops that were kept open. These were done by shop owners who had defied an LTTE call for a Hartal and closure of all business establishments. In one grenade-throwing incident a Sinhala youth had died.

Rear Admiral Weerasekera is also learnt to have pointed out that law enforcement officers were frightened to act according to the law when it came to transgressions by Tiger guerrillas. This was for fear of being accused of “sabotaging” the peace process.

Rear Admiral Weerasekera took over as Eastern Naval Area Commander on February 2, this year. Prior to that he was Director General, Naval Operations at the Navy Headquarters in Colombo.

Rear Admiral Weerasekera headed a team of tri services officers named to a Strategic Planning Committee. Its task was to appreciate threats posed by the LTTE after the ceasefire and to make recommendations to counter them. After their findings were made known, President Kumaratunga presided over a session of the Committee attended by the armed forces commanders.

Meanwhile the Court of Appeal has suspended an order given by the Trincomalee Magistrate Ganesh Raja to remove the statue of Lord Buddha and other unauthorized places of worship in Trincomalee. A two member bench has suspended the Magistrate's order till June 30 after the Trincomalee Three-wheeler Drivers Association petitioned the Court of Appeal. They said the Magistrate had no jurisdiction to make an order for the removal and if it were done, it would be a breach of law.

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