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And now for the Prabha Chinthanaya
After near two decades of a separatist war and almost four years of a ceasefire, the focal point for most Sri Lankans is the two centres of power -- a new Presidency in Colombo grappling with the top priority task of ushering peace and Tiger guerrilla leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran in Kilinochchi set to make his response to that today. President Mahinda Rajapakse swore in a Cabinet on Wednesday. A day later he re-iterated to Parliament and the nation his commitment to give priority to "peace with dignity in an undivided country". Pointing out that "our method is discussion instead of war," he declared his Government is ready to have direct peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). He set out the parameters for a settlement - a consensus reached through discussions among all parties and the approval of majority of the people. The Ceasefire Agreement, he said, "will be revised to ensure the prevention of the violation of human rights, prevent recruitment of children for war, safeguard national security, and prevent terrorist acts…." Other significant points made by President Rajapakse: Invite
the United National Party to participate in the peace process. Rejection
of the “traditional homeland concept and "self determination”
that allow an ethnic group to breakaway from the Republic of Sri
Lanka"
Participation
of the Muslim Community as a separate and independent entity at
future peace negotiations and all other related matters including
any discussions or negotiations leading up to the setting up of
an interim/transitional administrative arrangements for the North
and East. As
part of final settlement To
acknowledge the right of return of the displaced Muslims of the
North and East. Muslim
community to have equal powers in relation to the process and implementation
of post-tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction. Before that visit, foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, is to fly to New Delhi next week for talks with Indian leaders. Mr. Solheim is also due to visit New Delhi after talks in Colombo. Whilst setting out his policy objectives on the peace talks, President Rajapakse has also given priority consideration to the country's defence and security establishment. Though he wants to name one time parliamentarian Dulles Allahaperuma as an appointed MP and install him as Deputy Minister of Defence, he is unable to do so. This was by filling the vacancy created by the death of Lakshman Kadirgamar, former Foreign Minister. Standing in the way is former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. She has written to both Maithripala Sirisena, General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), and D.M. Jayaratne, General Secretary of the People's Alliance not to fill this vacancy. Though there was media speculation that she wanted to enter Parliament by nominating herself, Ms Kumaratunga told confidantes she had no such plans. Yet, President Rajapakse is now left without a Deputy Defence Minister. As a result, he had to ask Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake to handle matters relating to defence in Parliament. Former President Kumaratunga also could not take part in a military farewell she had arranged for her exit from office. In what is clearly a plan to felicitate her, the Presidential Media Unit issued a news release on Novemer 19, just a day after Mr. Rajapakse's election victory, on this matter. This is what it said: "President Chandrika Kumaratunga had directed her Secretary, the three Armed Forces and the Police some weeks ago to formulate a novel system of ceremonials to welcome the new President. "Consequently it was planned to accord the newly elected President a ceremonial welcome with a guard of honour and a twenty-one gun salute. A farewell ceremony for the outgoing President and Commander-in-Chief was also devised and was due to be held after the inauguration of the new President. "These plans have had to be somewhat amended as the President-elect Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse wished to take his oaths of office, soon after he was declared elected. In accordance with Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse's request President Kumaratunga directed the relevant authorities to arrange for the planned Ceremonial Welcome within a short period of one day. "The farewell ceremony to President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the handing over of the Presidency, along with a report of the work done during her Presidency will now be held on 23rd November. President Kumaratunga wishes that this would create a new tradition for a smooth transition of the Presidency with dignity for all future incumbents of this office." There is nothing novel in Ms Kumaratunga's "novel system" to create "a new tradition" with what she called "the smooth transition of Presidency with dignity". It was clearly an afterthought. The late J.R. Jayewardene, upon assuming office as Sri Lanka’s first executive President, held a farewell ceremony for the late President William Gopallawa. President Rajapakse was not enamoured. He took his oaths just a day after being elected to office. Bad weather prevented the military farewell on November 23. Armed Forces commanders and the Police Chief met President Rajapakse early this week and there was bad news for Ms Kumaratunga. She can no longer have a guard of honour with a 21 gun salute since she was no more a President. That was with 101 men and three officers. Instead, she was only entitled to a guard of honour accorded to any visiting dignitary, VIP or service chiefs with 50 men and two officers. There would be no gun salute or other courtesies due to a President and Commander-in-Chief. Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Daya Sandagiri, who pointed this out was asked to explain this to Ms. Kumaratunga. There was also another snub for Ms. Kumaratunga. She had also wanted to address officers of the tri services and the Police. It they could not come in uniform, she expected them in civilian attire. The request was flatly turned down on the grounds that such a move would create a precedent. Since she is now only a former President, others in that capacity too would make similar demands. It was felt that the prevailing traditions should be safeguarded. Otherwise, every outgoing President will evolve their own dignified methods of ceremonial exits," remarked a Presidential source. President Rajapakse appointed his brother, retired Lieutenant Colonel Gothabaya Rajapakse as the new Secretary to the Ministry of Defence. He is to be promoted to the rank of Major General. He took office on Friday afternoon at a simple ceremony at the Ministry of Defence where the outgoing Secretary, Major General (retired) Ashoka Jayawardena briefed him. President Rajapakse also appointed a Senior Advisor on Defence, Major General (retired) M.D. Fernando. He will report directly to the President. Next week the Government is to rescind the controversial regulations gazetted just three weeks ahead of the presidential elections. These regulations, which President Rajapakse termed 'unfair and discriminatory" are to be annulled very likely next week. With that changes in some upper echelons of the security forces and police are likely. One such change is the appointment of Major General Sarath Fonseka, to be promoted Lieutenant General as the new Commander of the Army. See box story on this page. The Ministry of Interior has now been abolished and the Police Department has been brought under the Defence Ministry. A proposal to merge the Directorate of Internal Intelligence (DII), the country's premier intelligence agency and the Directorate of Foreign Intelligence (DFI) is also being actively considered. Contrary to a popular misconception, the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) does not exist any more and its tasks have over the years been handled by the Directorate of Internal Intelligence. Some changes in key slots, particularly in an intelligence arm of the military, are on the cards. It has now come to light that the head of this organisation had asked operatives to leave the service when they complained of threats to their lives by Tiger guerrillas and wanted small arms to protect themselves. He has claimed that those were the orders of the commander concerned. Earlier, he was also alleged to have involved himself in political activity. In the Tiger guerrilla dominated Wanni there were hectic preparations yesterday for Mr. Prabhakaran's "Maveerar (Great Heroes) Day" address. For the first time, the Tamil diaspora in many countries are being afforded the opportunity of either seeing or hearing Mr. Prabhakaran live. A French-based television company backed by Tamil expatriates there is reported to have made the necessary arrangements. In the backdrop to his address, incidence of violence in the Jaffna peninsula has shown an upward trend. Of particular significance are the grenade attacks which had grown in the past week. Police say there have been 116 grenade throwing incidents in the North, East and the City of Colombo during the period of the ceasefire. They say more than 6,000 civilians in the North and East, trained in combat, have been issued a grenade each - clear proof that grenades are available in large quantities. Security sources said this clearly showed the smuggling of military hardware via the north-east coast had continued unimpeded and naval surveillance has been grossly inadequate. In addition posters have also sprung up in the peninsula calling upon the armed forces to withdraw from their camps. They had been put up by a front organisation of the LTTE and are believed to be a fore runner to today's address. What will Mr. Prabhakaran's say in his address today? The fact that he is unpredictable has caused a high degree of consternation in Colombo's business community and political establishment with fears that he would declare war. Quite clearly there would be no such blatant declaration. For the LTTE, since last week there has been another pre-occupation. The European Union, which has already slapped down a travel ban for its members, the Tiger guerrillas fear, would go a step further. That is a move to impose a ban on them on the grounds that they prevented civilians in areas dominated by them from exercising a democratic right - casting their votes at the November 17 presidential elections. That is not to say Mr. Prabhakaran would soften his stance. There will be answers to many issues raised by President Rajapakse. If one is to make a guess, he will turn down demands to re-negotiate the Ceasefire Agreement. He will insist that all provisions in the agreement be fully implemented first. He will insist on Norway’s continued role as facilitator. He is sure to counter President Rajapakse's rejection of the concepts of "traditional homelands and self determination." In doing so he is to make references to the principles enunciated at the Thimpu Peace Talks, the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987 and the Oslo statement of 2003. Thereafter, he is most likely to list out his demands and give Mr. Rajapakse time - the three months he wanted in his Mahinda Chinthanaya - to come up with a solution. But he will insist that it should be in keeping with the outlines Mr. Prabhakaran will spell out. What happens if the demands are not heeded? That is the stage at which the spectre of the resumption of hostilities will loom large. The
form in which it will resume is another matter altogether. Most
are under the mistaken belief it wuld be much the the same as the
battles before February 2002 when the Ceasefire Agreement was signed. Battle-hardened
Fonseka new Army Commander
Major General Sarath Fonseka, to be promoted Lieutenant General, will be Sri Lanka's new Commander of the Army. He is to assume duties shortly, The Sunday Times learns. He will become the 17th Commander of the Army and will succeed Lt. Gen. Shantha Kottegoda. Though due to retire early this month when he completed 55 years, he was given an extended tenure of 18 months. Appointed Commander on July 1, 2004 he completed 55 years on November 5 last year. Thereafter, he was granted a year's extension that was to end on November 4, this year. However,
an extended term came immediately thereafter. He
became the beneficiary of controversial regulations, gazetted just
three weeks ahead of presidential elections, increasing the upper
age limit for retirement of senior ranks in the armed forces. In
accordance with these regulations, commanders were permitted to
serve up to 60 years. Major General Sarath Fonseka who turns 55 on December 17, this year, is regarded as one of the best battlefield commanders in the near two decades of war with Tiger guerrillas. One of the daring operations he took part in, with Lt. Col. (retd.) Gothabaya Rajapakse, now Defence Secretary (and due to be elevated to the rank of Major General), in 1991, was the operation to rescue troops trapped in the old Dutch Fort in Jaffna. Tiger guerrillas placed a siege on this now destroyed fort leaving only an exit route through the Jaffna lagoon. It turned out to be a watery grave and troops branded the rescue operation "Suicide Express." Maj. Gen. Fonseka was injured in this operation. Another instance when he sustained injuries came after he led troops in a phase of "Operation Jaya Sikurui"in 1998 to capture Mankulam. Maj.
Gen. Fonseka led troops to re-capture Elephant Pass during "Operation
Balavegaya" in 1991. Here again he was injured. However, Elephant
Pass fell into guerrilla hands in 1999 and Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Velupillai Prabhakaran will today deliver
his "Maveerar (Great Heroes) Day" address from this one
time major military base. He
has undergone training stints in the United States, the United Kingdom,
India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The training included a Commando
officers' course, Infantry Officers Advance Course, Senior Command
course and a stint at Britain's prestigious Royal College of Defence
Studies (RCDS). |
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