Situation Report

Firepower catalogues after ceasefire talks
Govt. protests to Norway over LTTE's Oslo visit

Civilians in the Trincomalee district being given weapons training in the village of Eechalampattu. On the left men clutching assault rifles listen to a lecture. Right:Civilians who were trained in the use of machine guns take part in a drill. - LTTE photos

The Tiger guerrilla delegation to the Geneva talks last month returned to Sri Lanka on Tuesday with more material to wage war than pursue peace.
Found in their baggage were catalogues on a variety of sniper rifles, assault rifles, other variety of small arms and night vision glasses. There were 60 head-mounted Maglite torch lights and 14 digital cameras.

If they were scouting for rifles and small arms, they were not meant for a fancy dress parade or an arms fair in the Wanni. It would have only supplemented the ongoing military preparations. So were the head-mounted torch lights. They were not meant for a book exhibition in a village in the Wanni where electricity supply is still scarce. Nor were night vision glasses necessary for peaceful movement at night.

The defended localities between the armed forces and Tiger guerrillas are dotted by bunkers on either side. On the guerrilla side, these bunkers are often linked together by long winding trenches, sometimes two to three feet deep. It is known that mobility during nights is easy for guerrillas clutching weapons in their hands when they use the headlight torches. They are also useful for fighting in built up areas.

It was only on January 26 this year that a passenger arriving at the BIA from Geneva and headed for the Wanni had his baggage examined by the Customs. Paskara Sivaji Sudhakaran was detained after his baggage was found to contain 25 Maglite head-mounted torch lights, four combination knives meant for military use and other items. He was accompanied by Sathasivam Kalaiselvi, a Swiss passport holder with relatives living in the Wanni. Mr. Sudhakaran was released only the next day after his goods were confiscated and he was fined Rs 100,000.

The 12 member Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) team arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport by an Emirates flight on Tuesday morning. It was led by their political wing leader S.P. Thamilselvan. Around 10 a.m. they were greeted by Norway's Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Hans Brattskar, Tom Knappskog of the Norwegian Embassy and two officials of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM). Airport Duty Manager Maxie Perera took charge of their passports and helped them clear immigration formalities.

There was no VIP welcome like in the days when the former United National Front (UNF) Government held peace talks. LTTE delegations returning from Bangkok and some European capitals were allowed the facility of using the VIP lounge and their baggage were not subject to Customs inspection. At that time several sealed packages were allowed to be flown in Air Force helicopters to Wanni without any examination by Customs or other Government authorities.

It was LTTE cameraman Alex who walked down to the baggage clearance area. He retrieved some 28 pieces of checked-in luggage and moved for Customs clearance. Customs at the BIA, conducted a thorough check. The 60 head-mounted torches and the cameras were discovered in the baggage. The catalogues containing details of the sniper rifles, assault rifles and other small arms had been cleverly concealed in a polythene bag, the type used to pack fertilizer.

Since the head-mounted torch lights were in commercial quantities, the Customs decided to impose duty on them. The LTTE delegation was called upon to fork out Rs 38,250 as duty for the torch lights. The goods including the catalogues were released. It was on the grounds that no laws were contravened. Thereafter, seven members of the delegation were escorted by Group Captain Vijitha Gunaratne, Sri Lanka Air Force Base Commander assigned to the BIA to departure gate 4. This was for security checks before they boarded an SLAF Mi 17 helicopter flight to Kilinochchi.

Whilst the LTTE delegation was there, Alex was called again to the Customs. The news of the LTTE delegation and what they had brought had reached the security establishment. Top rung military officials were annoyed that the guerrillas were using an opportunity granted to talk peace for further military preparations. They were asking senior Customs officials to take a serious view of this situation. But immediately thereafter Alex was told a further check was not necessary.

It transpired that the Director General of Customs, S.A.C.S.W. Jayatilleke, had met the Secretary to the President, Lalith Weeratunga at noon on Tuesday and briefed him on the course of action taken by his officials. Mr Weeratunga is now acting Defence Secretary.

There was also some confusion over Karthikeyan Subaitha alias Selvi wanting to board the helicopter flight to Kilinochchi. Earlier, Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa had granted approval for only Mr. Thamilselvan and five others to travel by air. Ms Karthikeyan was to join LTTE Peace Secretariat head, Seevaratnam Prabagaran alias Pulithevan and four others to travel by road. They were escorted by the SLMM. She had fallen ill and wanted to go by air. Air Force officials were unable to accede to the LTTE request until formal approval was granted.

Mr. Rajapaksa is away in China together with Additional Defence Secretary, Sunil Sirisena. Hence, Mr. Weeratunga granted approval after a request was made to him. Four hours after they arrived in Colombo, the LTTE delegation left for Kilinochchi. One of its members was to complain to an airport official that it had taken as much time as the flight from Dubai to Colombo for them to clear formalities.

Barely an hour after Flight Lieutenant Dodanmaluwa touched down at the Kilinochchi Central College grounds, Mr. Thamilselvan addressed a news conference. He was asked for his comments on remarks by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) at the all-party conference that the Government should strengthen the armed forces. A statement from its politburo had said this was the only way to keep the LTTE at the negotiating table. Mr. Thamilselvan replied that "If Sinhala extremists are successful in thrusting an all out war on Tamil people that will greatly simplify the decisions our leadership can make…."

The LTTE's experience at the BIA was to form the subject of a strong protest when a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) delegation met President Mahinda Rajapaksa at "Temple Trees" on Thursday.

Parliamentarian Selvaraja Gajendran objected to the LTTE delegation being subjected to checks when they arrived at the BIA. He argued this was a form of harassment. He held the view that would have an adverse impact on the peace process. But President Rajapaksa was to dismiss his argument by insisting that "we have to act according to the law." This is what the authorities at the airport had done, he pointed out. He also said that members of the Sri Lanka delegation too had been body searched before they entered Chateau de Bossey in Geneva for talks.

But a more important development linked to the ongoing peace process came in the aftermath of a speech made by JVP parliamentary group leader Wimal Weerawansa last Tuesday. He told parliament that Norway should be removed immediately from its role as a peace facilitator because of what he called that country's pro-terrorist stand. He was angered by reports that the Norwegian Government had laid out the red carpet to welcome Mr. Thamilselvan and party when they arrived in Oslo after the Geneva talks. This welcome elevated the LTTE team to that of state delegations or amounted to courtesies extended to visiting heads of state. "The mandate given to President Mahinda Rajapaksa has no room for us to allow Norway to liquidate our motherland. Though we are late, we should make a decision right now however difficult it is," he added.

This speech prompted Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera to direct Foreign Secretary H.M.G.S. Palihakkara to summon the Norwegian Ambassador, Hans Brattskar. This was to express the Government's displeasure over the handling of the LTTE delegation in Oslo. The directive was given before he emplaned for Britain, France and Belgium on official visits. A two-hour meeting ensued between Mr. Palihakkara and Ambassador Brattskar.

The Sunday Times learnt Mr. Palihakkara expressed Government's displeasure over the LTTE delegation being invited to Oslo soon after the Geneva talks. This was after the Government had expressed the wish that Norway should not facilitate visits by LTTE teams to other countries after they travel for talks with the government. He had also referred to the red carpet welcome accorded to the LTTE delegation.

Mr. Brattskar had explained that there was a coalition Government in power in Norway. It was that Government's decision to extend courtesies to the LTTE delegation. He said Norway was also sad over the statement made by Mr. Weerawansa on behalf of the JVP. He said the Norwegian Government had to offer certain courtesies and make required arrangements to ensure the LTTE remained in the peace process.
But the Foreign Secretary is learnt to have said that if the LTTE wanted to travel to Oslo, it was their business.

But here was an instance where the facilitators were making the arrangements and spending for it. This was contrary to the wishes expressed by the Government, it was argued. When the Government agreed to Geneva as the venue for talks on the Ceasefire Agreement, it allowed a request by Norway to spend for travel and other expenses of the LTTE delegation. This was in view of criticism over Norway meeting previous travel and other expenses of the LTTE that permission was sought.

Mr. Palihakkara is learnt to have said that the Govenrment was displeased over the move. He had told Mr. Brattskar if this happens again, the Government would be compelled to raise issue at higher levels. The Norwegian Ambassador is also said to have declared they were disturbed over recent developments.

Mr. Palihakkara has declared it was the Government's wish that Norway, as peace facilitator, did not spend money or facilitate arrangements for any other foreign visits by the LTTE when they travel to Geneva next month for talks. In other words, he was making clear the LTTE delegation was free to travel but not with the support of Norway.

In this backdrop, Government concerns over Norway playing hosts to the LTTE delegation has heightened in the wake of Opposition and UNP leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe's visit to Oslo this week. However, diplomatic sources said Mr. Wickremesinghe's visit had been planned much earlier. Moreover, these sources said, the Norwegian Government had invited Foreign Minister Samaraweera to visit Oslo. He had explained difficulties in accepting the invitation in the past months.

Besides the LTTE delegation's focus on military hardware during their Geneva and Oslo visits, the Government has also been concerned with another factor. Reports have now reached the Government that large amounts of money had been collected by the LTTE delegation during fund-raising campaigns in Switzerland before and immediately after the ceasefire talks. According to one state intelligence source, a staggering nearly 48 million US dollars have been raised. However, this cannot be independently verified.

In the backdrop of LTTE's demand for the disbanding of paramilitary groups, another guerrilla camp came under attack reportedly by the renegade Karuna faction loyalists. The incident occurred yesterday at Kattamurippu near Vakarai in the Batticaloa district. Initial reports said Karuna loyalists operating in the uncontrolled areas over-ran the LTTE camp and killed ten of their cadres. There were no injuries to members of the Karuna faction, according to reports from Batticaloa. A forty strong group led by Mangalam Master is reported to have ecarried out the attack Details of the incident were sketchy last night.

It was only on Saturday (March 4) members of the Karuna faction attacked an LTTE sentry point in Vavunativu near Batticaloa. Two LTTE cadres were killed and another was reported missing. This incident came amidst LTTE's own preparations for war. The latest is the stepping up of its plans to provide military training to civilians. (See pictures on this page)
Mr. Thamilselvan lodged a verbal protest on behalf of the LTTE with Ambassador Brattskar over this incident. It came when the latter met the LTTE delegation before they returned to Wanni. He had assured Norway would go into the matter and consult the Government over it.

The Government, in the meanwhile, is adopting measures to act on the Geneva accord where it assured that it would deal with persons possessing illegal arms or engaging in operations. With this in mind, searches for hideouts of those possessing these weapons, including those operated by the LTTE in the city and other controlled areas, is to be launched shortly. This disarming of LTTE cadres in Government controlled areas among others has become possible in view of the Geneva declaration.

The run-up to the next round of Geneva talks, be it in the diplomatic, political or military front, remains a crucial factor. Developments in any one of them could have an adverse bearing or pose a threat to talks being held. A few tricky weeks lay ahead.

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