The Situation Report

13th December 1998

The Oddusuddan ordeal

By Iobal Athas.

A trail of dust billowed skywards when the Russian built BFR 80 armoured troop carrier moved at top speed from the grounds of Sivan Kovil in Oddusuddan last Sunday. Inside its belly, the man who has personally run the military machine against Tiger guerrillas, Deputy Defence Minister, General Anuruddha Ratwatte, sat impatiently. He looked shaken. Midway through, he stood up and peeped out from the hatch door.

Escaping enemy fire did not deter him from hurriedly offering a battlefield photo opportunity. TV cameras rolled and press photographers clicked. So did the military cameramen.

There he was, atop the troop carrier in the full regalia of a General–a red beret of the commandos embedded with four stars, camouflage uniform and boots. If he performed for the media from the top, those below ran into a panic situation as the troop carrier sped away. A young officer from Military Intelligence hit the driver hard on his shoulder and screamed at him to turn directions. The BFR 80 was heading in the direction of Mullaitivu, now an LTTE stronghold.

He promptly turned, cut through rugged, bushy terrain at top speed to reach the newly set up base at Nedunkerny. A senior military official who was also on board, had by then persuaded Gen. Ratwatte to step down from the turret area. Gen. Ratwatte, who escaped death from LTTE artillery and mortar fire only minutes earlier, faced another near mishap.

A journey outside Oddusuddan defences would have drawn sure fire from the LTTE. That would have put not only Gen. Ratwatte's life into jeopardy but also the highest ranking military official in the Wanni, Major General Balagalle and his men who were on board. As reported in these columns last week, operation Rivi Bala, which the Ministry of Defence said, led to the re-capture of 134 square kilometers of land, was executed without a single drop of blood being shed. Not one soldier was injured.

For two long days after the re-capture, troops from two divisions (53 and 55) braved the heavy rain of LTTE mortars to begin consolidating their defences. By then, an officer and nearly 20 soldiers were injured. Senior military officials were keen to ensure their men concentrated on the consolidation process and thus guarantee their protection from enemy attacks. This is why senior military officials strongly objected to General Ratwatte, visiting the area last Sunday. He had in fact wanted to go there two days earlier. But General Ratwatte over ruled the military high command.

At his request, the Government Information Department hand picked a media team to cover the visit. Several local and foreign media groups were left out. Quite clearly, Gen. Ratwatte planned on a much needed publicity boost for himself with operation Rivi Bala. Must one say any more about the war effort being used for high pitched personal propaganda.

That too under a censorship ! Coming under flak over the debacles at Paranthan and Kilinochchi, the unopposed completion of this new operation appeared a quick way to hit the headlines. More so with the protracted operation Jaya Sikurui (Victory Assured) being called off. Gen. Ratwatte and the three service commanders Lt. Gen. Rohan de S. Daluwatte, Rear Admiral Cecil Tissera and Air Vice Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody drove to Ethaa Vetunu Wewa in the Weli Oya area last Sunday morning. Three BFR 80 troop carriers took them from there to Nedunkerny and to Oddusuddan.

There, Gen. Ratwatte addressed civilians who had sought refuge at the Sivan Kovil. When the event was over, Gen. Ratwatte and the service commanders were leaving the temple precincts when two rounds of 120 mm artillery and two rounds of 81 mm mortars fell. Military Intelligence believes Tiger cadres who wore uniforms similar to the troops operating in the re-captured area may have made radio contact with a base to brief on the movements of Gen. Ratwatte and his entourage. Early this week, orders went out to military bases in the Wanni to check identities of troops to ensure there are no infiltrators. That was easily the narrowest shave from death for Gen. Ratwatte, military commanders and senior officers.

By a strange quirk of irony that brush with death had come on the same date two years ago December 6, 1996 - when Gen. Ratwatte escaped capture and possible death in LTTE hands. This was when his helicopter force landed in Tiger guerrilla dominated territory outside the Vavuniya defences. On board this helicopter were the Army commander, former Police Chief, other senior Army, Police officials and Government politicians.

It was not Gen. Ratwatte's fault on that occasion. The Pilot of the SLAF helicopter was disorientated. He kept looking for his landing area until the fuel tank went empty. Yet that incident delivered a strong warning to the Government and the security establishment. It showed the serious threat posed by all the top men in the security establishment traveling together.

If they fell into LTTE hands, the consequences would have been disastrous. And exactly two years later, on the very same day that near disaster occurred, the strong warning has been repeated. This time it was on an occasion when Gen. Ratwatte has chosen to over rule the military high command and venture into a vulnerable area.

That he risked the lives of the Commanders of the Army, Navy, Air Force and other senior officials in doing so is a matter of serious public concern. This time too, the concern, reflected by anger in some influential sections of the Government, is over the consequences that would have followed if the LTTE succeeded in eliminating the senior most officers in the country's security forces. That too at a time when they have to cope with heavy responsibilities and difficult tasks after Operation Jaya Sikurui was called off.

If operation Rivi Bala did not lead to even a drop of blood being shed by a single soldier, Gen. Ratwatte's arranged and conducted media tour to Oddusuddan took the lives of one sailor and four soldiers.

Forty two soldiers were injured, some of them seriously, in what is clearly a hurried and unwarranted gamble. The fact that the event was staged despite strong objections from the military leadership cost five lives and injuries to others has caused serious concern in influential sections of the defence establishment. President Kumaratunga herself was angered but relieved that Gen. Ratwatte and her top commanders had escaped unscathed. Early this week, she cautioned the service chiefs about traveling together to battle areas and placing their lives at risk.

President Kumaratunga's advice is timely because the Oddusuddan incident was a case of second time lucky for Gen. Ratwatte and some of the military top brass. One is reminded of the IRA's remark after they exploded a bomb but failed to kill then British Premier, Lady Margaret Thatcher at her hotel in Brighton.

She was there to take part in the Conservative Party convention. The IRA declared they would have to be lucky only once in getting her though Mrs. Thatcher would have to be lucky all the time. Some sections of the defence establishment were of the view that a ban on top brass of the security forces converging together in battle areas (or for that matter traveling together) should be written into Standard Operational Procedures (SOP) like in India and Pakistan. In these two countries such conduct makes violators liable for disciplinary action, they said.

Returning to Colombo after the Oddusuddan ordeal, Gen. Ratwatte, was in a defiant mood. He gave a press conference, again to selected journalists. Here are excerpts from a report that appeared in the Daily News of December 8.

He considered this sort of exposure to enemy fire as normal, as the troops in the front-line were generally exposed to this sort of fire almost daily.

It is a part of the occupational hazards of my job, this experience will not deter me from visiting the front lines in the future as well, Gen. Ratwatte said. The Minister further said that he was well aware of the LTTE raining mortars at Oddusuddan even before he visited that place and was advised by the military in Nedunkerny not to embark on that journey.

But I had to go there, I had to see about the welfare of those civilians as well as of the troops stationed in Oddusuddan, he said. Gen. Ratwatte also said that he assured the civilians that they would be evacuated from Oddusuddan, and would see to the needs of another group of civilians who were still in terrorist hands.

The Minister further said that a certain section of the foreign press had tried to create the impression that this incident was stage managed. How can they say that, after the precious lives of five soldiers were lost in this incident the Minister said and added that those journalists who are allegedly trying to twist the truth, though invited to come to the area, did not make any attempt to do.

So Gen. Ratwatte's Oddusuddan ordeal brought to the fore once again the futility of the ongoing censorship. From Friday, it has been relaxed for the foreign media but will continue to be enforced on the local media.

See box story on this page. Soon after the incident, rumors began to circulate that the entire incident had been stage managed by the Government. So much so, the Ministry of Defence ordered the Directorate of Internal Intelligence (DII) to investigate the matter. A Ministry source said DII had traced it to an opposition political party. Whether this accusation is correct or not could not be verified. The Sunday Times (which was not invited for the Ministerial tour) also received calls from the public.

Many wanted to ascertain whether the incident was true. Why do these rumors arise ? Why do some of the Government politicians believe in them and accuse various individuals ? Is it not because of the ban on the free flow of information? Is it not because the official versions under a censorship are not being believed by the discerning public ? One cannot fault Gen. Ratwatte for visiting the battle areas. He is the Deputy Minister of Defence and has been, until recently, personally directing the military campaign against the LTTE. Throughout Eelam War III he had gone to the battlefront, though always accompanied by selected TV crews and media personnel.

A Question that begs answer in the national interest, however, is why he has still not visited Elephant Pass where men from Paranthan and Kilinochchi, converged after the debacle. It was an incident of huge proportions and, as I have repeatedly said, remain buried in view of the ongoing censorship. No doubt this worst incident during an operation (Jaya Sikurui) which Gen. Ratwatte ran would have caused him much concern.

One is reminded of the saying victory has many fathers but defeat is an orphan. Another incident which caused concern over Gen. Ratwatte's tours to the battlefront came in 1996. This was after troops linked Vavuniya with Mannar after the successful conduct of operation Edibala.

A convoy of 20 vehicles with Gen. Ratwatte and the media drove along that road. That was also when troops were busy consolidating their positions. Upon reaching Mannar, military officials warned Gen. Ratwatte about his return journey to Vavuniya by road. They had received intelligence that the LTTE was planning an attack. So Gen. Ratwatte and the media flew from Mannar to Vavuniya. Bravado is one thing. But whether Gen. Ratwatte should reject expert advice from military commanders in the field and risk the lives of Sri Lanka's top most military leaders is another. The Oddusuddan ordeal has come as a second warning. He boldly asserts, this experience would not deter him from visiting the front lines in the future.

However bold his determination is, the question remains whether he would again place the lives of the Commanders and top brass of the security forces in jeopardy by venturing out on adventures like at Oddusuddan. The nation can ill afford it. President Kumaratunga who is Commander-in-Chief has a big role in preventing a third time gamble for that may well be unlucky. Otherwise the brave troops who are fighting in the front lines will feel betrayed that the foolish actions of a few have helped the enemy to make big gains and shake an entire nation.

The Oddusuddan incident came in a week when Army Headquarters in Colombo has been busy making preparations for a change of command. Major General Srilal Weerasuriya has been told he will take over as Commander of the Army on December 15 from Lt. Gen. Rohan de S. Daluwatte. Both are learnt to have been briefed on the change by Defence Secretary, Chandrananda de Silva. However, until Friday, Army Headquarters has not received any formal communication in writing from the Ministry of Defence about the change over. Whether a letter will arrive tomorrow (Monday) is the question that is being asked.

If it does not, then the ceremonies on Tuesday (or Wednesday in view of Armoured Corps anniversary celebrations), is not expected to take place. So will the farewell ceremonies for Gen. Daluwatte, planned for December 17.

Major General Weerasuriya's term of office expires on December 21 unless he takes over as Army Commander before that date. Gen. Daluwatte's term of office runs till May 1 but his relinquishing office will mean an early retirement. That is if no higher appointment is given to him.

Highly placed Government sources said yesterday that the setting up of a Joint Operations Command (JOC) to collectively plan and direct military operations is still very much under consideration.

Its final shape and composition, however, has not yet been determined. One proposal being studied now envisages the incorporation of an advisory council of knowledgeable retired military officers. Lt. Gen. Daluwatte's name is being tipped as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) the JOC. Whether his appointment will be made after he retires and is re-called from the reserve list or with a promotion to his rank directly after he relinquishes office is not clear. Army sources say a string of changes are expected when Major General Weerasuriya, due to be promoted to Lieutenant General, takes over. They now hinge on an official communication from the Ministry of Defence.

Now a civilian censor

The Government has relieved the military from playing the role of Censors and placed the task in the hands of the Director of Information.

A proclamation issued by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga on Thursday named Ariya Rubasinghe as Competent Authority for prohibition on Publications and Transmission of Sensitive Military Information Regulation under the ongoing state of emergency. Emergency Regulations covering the censorship, both on local and foreign media, have also been re-gazetted with the appointment of the new Censor.

Mr. Rubasinghe told The Sunday Times though the censorship was technically in force, he has advised the foreign media not to forward any of their copies to him for prior approval. This was a procedure followed by the media when under military censorship. He said foreign correspondents could directly file their copy ñ a move that suggested that the censorship was off for the foreign media.

Though it is not mandatory for local media to forward all their copies, Mr. Rubasinghe said, those covered by the Emergency Regulations would have to be submitted to him He said he would meet the media representatives tomorrow (Monday) to formulate working arrangements to clear local media copy. One of Sri Lanka's leading foreign correspondents, Amal Jayasinghe, head of the Agence France Presse (AFP) Bureau in Colombo confirmed Mr. Rubasinghe had told that the foreign media was not required to submit copy any more.

"We basically welcome this decision. We can now move our stories he told The Sunday Times. Asked to comment on the fact that the censorship on the foreign media has not been deleted from the Regulations, Mr. Jayasinghe said "We are not concerned about the legality." It is no different to the position that existed in 1995. The Government imposed censorship on both the foreign and local media.

Five days later, the foreign media was told they could file copy without prior approval though the regulations remained in force. We would have been even happier if the relaxation extended to the local media too Mr. Jayasinghe added.

Here is the text of the re-gazetted regulations that govern the censorship:

No Editor or publisher of a Newspaper or any person authorised by or under law, to establish and operate a Broadcasting or a Television Station shall, whether in or outside Sri Lanka, print, publish, distribute or transmit, whether by means of electronic devices or otherwise, or causes to be printed, published, distributed or transmitted whether by electronic means or otherwise, any material containing any matter which pertains to any operation carried out or proposed to be carried out, by the Armed Forces or the Police Force (including the Special Task Force), the deployment of troops or personnel, or the deployment or use of equipment, including aircraft or naval vessels, by any such forces, or any statement pertaining to the official conduct or the performance of the Head of any member of any of the Armed Forces or the Police Force.

Where any person prints, publishes, distributes or transmits, or causes to be printed, published, distributed or transmitted, whether by electronic means or otherwise, any matter in contravention of the provision of Regulation 2, the Competent Authority may, after issuing such directions as he considers necessary to effect compliance with the provisions of such regulation, make order that the press or equipment used for such printing, publication, distribution or transmission of any matter referred to in Regulation 2 and the Competent Authority may by the same order authorise any person specified therein to take such steps as appears to the person so authorised to be necessary, for preventing the printing, publication, distribution or transmission of any such material.

The President may for the purpose of these regulations, appoint, by name or by office, any person or body of persons to be the Competent Authority.

Any person who prints, publishes, distributes or transmits, any material in contravention of the provisions or regulation 2 shall be guilty of an offense.

Taraki's Column

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