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www.tamilarangam.netThe Dutch government has decided tofreeze all aid meant for projects in theNorth and East of Sri Lanka that haveremained unexecuted by the governmentof Sri Lanka. The east coast Fisheriesproject in Valaichchenai, the MannarWater Supply scheme, three of the sixpoultry farms and some of the seed certificationand seed production farms havebeen stopped. The start of a new "integratedrural development programme" inMullaitivu has been suspended. It isbelieved that this step had been taken bythe Dutch Ministry of Development Cooperationto ensure that no monies allocatedto projects in Tamil areas arediverted to other projects in the rest ofthe island. Of the allocated F41 millionguilders as for now, only F34 millionguilders can be used.Dutch government freezespart-aid to Sri LankaBesides this, the Dutch government willcontinue to cut down on programme aid,which had shown a reduction in 1984 ascompared with 1983. In 1985, there willbe a further reduction.While taking these steps, the Dutchgovernment had however shown an ambivalentattitude on the political and humanrights situation in Sri Lanka, which altitudehas been strongly criticised by the"Stitching Sri Lanka Werkgroep Nederland"(The Sri Lanka Working Group,Netherlands).It has quoted the Dutch Ministery ofForeign Affairs van de Broek as statingin a debate on the status of Tamil refugeesin Netherlands, that Sri Lanka cannot passthe international standards of criticism,Tamil Tigers' responseto Lalith's threat'but found this understandable becauseof violence used by Tamils. The Sri LankaWorking Group Netherlands has disagreedfundamentally with the Ministeron this question. Acts of militants, it states,can never be used by any governmentanywhere as an excuse to violate internationalsigned agreements. The acts ofthe Sri Lanka government are in violationof the fundamental rights of peoples andcontrary to human rights conventionsadopted by Sri Lanka.The Group has called for a completesuspension of all aid to Sri Lanka, untilthe government is prepared to allow anindependent international investigationinto the involvement of the Police, theArmy and government parliamentariansinto the July 1983 Violence against Tamils.The 13th March report said: The settlementof 200,000 persons betweenVavuniya and the Elephant Pass with fourmonths military training to protect themselvesfrom terrorist attacks would becarried out despite opposition from certainquarters, said Minister of National SecurityLalith Athulathmudali on Sunday atPelmadullaThe 14th March report said: The MedawachchiyaPolice Station (censored) wasattacked (censored) yesterday night byan armed gang who came in a vehicle(censored). The army unit stationed inMedawachchiya and policemen restingin their barracks rushed to the assistanceof the police personnel, (censored). The(censored) Army Unit from Gajaba campand police from Anuradhapura have nowbeen mobilised to protect the police beingre-attacked.The uncensored facts were as follows:The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelamlaunched a 3 a.m. attack on the MedawachchiyaPolice Station in the heart ofa Sinhala area on 13th March. Nine PoliceCommandos were killed. The same assaultparty blew up a part of the MedawachchiyaRailway station and somecommercial establishments.This attack which took the governmentcompletely by surprise, was intended tobe a warning signal that if the governmentpersisted with its plans to settle 200,000armed Sinhalese in Tamil areas, the battlewill be taken to the Sinhala areas, accordingto LTTE sources.When President Jayawardene told theSri Lanka Parliament some time ago, "Ifwe dont occupy the borders, the borderswill come to us", he had got hold of thewrong end of the stick. The more norththe government tries to occupy forcibly,the more south the borders are bound torecede in course of time. Surely the SriLanka government does not like the ideaof the future Tamil Eelam absorbing theMedawachchiya area as well ?jkpo;j; Njrpa Mtzr; Rtbfs;
www.tamilarangam.netThe man who fathered the Tamil Eelamconcept and introduced the word EELAMinto the Ceylonese political vocabulary— Professor C. Suntharalingam — diedin his ninetieth year at Vavuniya on the11th February 1985. But it is perhaps atragic commentary on Tamilian life thatthe majority of the youths who are todayengaged in a liberation struggle for theestablishment of a Tamil Eelam have noteven heard of him!It was C. Suntharalingam who foundedthe Eela Thamil Ottrumai Munnani (UnityFront of Eelam Tamils) in 1959. It is againa tragic commentary of Tamilian life that26 years after, when Tamils in Sri Lankaare facing both individually and totally,annihilation and extinction at the handsof their own government while the restof the world maintains the hypocritic posethat it is an internal problem, the victimsthemselves are unable to unite in onecommon defence of their lives!In a printed leaflet, dated from Vavuniya.as far back as 16th December 1959. MrSuntharalingam called for a "Eela Thamilstruggle for Independence" (Interestingly,the leaflet carries the name of an Indianprinter — The Trichinopoly UnitedPrinters. Tiruchi 2)There were no "Tigers" then, no guns.,no militancy, and in fact many of "our,boys' of today were probably not born orSfewere in their cradles. Even the "ThamilEelam resolution" of the TULF came 17years later!The concluding portion of the leafletsaid: "In the history of Ceylon, in theshuttle-cock warfare waged over 2,000years, the Eela Thamils never lost theirkingdom entirely, except for two shortperiods of sixteen and six years, whilefor much longer periods Thamil kings haveruled over all Ceylon. History is repeatingitself and must indeed repeat itself,adapted to modern conditions. WhenDharma decays and Adharma prospersProvidence intervenes to destroy thewicked and to protect the week. That erahas dawned once more in Ceylon. Willthe Eela Thamils in this hour of dangerand disaster to their Nation, show theirworth and their valour ? Will they do theirduty. UNITE AS BROTHERS IN BATTLE,and join in the Eela Thamil struggle forindependence ?"Although hardly known to the presentgeneration, the late C. Suntharalingamwas a many-splendoured figure inCeylon's oublic life for nearly 40 years.Back from a brilliant student career atOxford University, he entered the IndianCivil Service, subsequently the CeylonCivil Service, and having got tired ofsigning gun licenses as he then put it.resigned what was then a much soughtafter plum of office to accept the Vice-Principalship of Ananda College, ColomboSoon, he was offered the first Chair ofMathematics at the Ceylon UniversityCollege. Many eminent men in Ceylon'spublic life, both Sinhalese and Tamils,passed through his hands at the University.His much-remembered academiccareer ended when he switched to politicsand was"elected to represent the Vavuniyaseat in Parliament in 1947. He was theMinister of Commerce and Trade in thefirst Parliament of independent Ceylonand was dismissed from the Cabinet fornot voting with the government on theIndian and Pakistani Residents CitizenshipBill.Although a controversial politician, andsometimes a champion of unpopularcauses. "Sun" was much admired for hisbluntness, physical and moral courageand independence of outlook. Apart fromhis brilliance in scholarship and in hisspecial field — Mathematics — C. Suntharalingamwon his colours at Oxfordrepresenting his University against Cambridgeat Chess.tfowthg,fo&es0/SflESPBMr. Suntharalingam passed11th February at his residence in Vaon the Kanciy Road, just adjoining the AirForce camp. On the 12th. severalresidents had gathered to pay their lastrespects to the man who once representedthem in Parliament. Suddenly, airforce personnel, fully armed, descendedon the house of mourning, insisted onsearching the house, harassed the familymourners, questioned several peoplepresent and left after causing panic amongthose present. A daughter of the LateMr. Suntharalingam angrily telephonedPresident Jayawardene to Colombo andlodged a protest. Within a few hours, ahigh-ranking Army officer arrived at thehouse, and apologised to members ofthe family. But that was not the end ofthe story. Next day. Lalith Athulathmudali.also a product of "the same University,Oxford, claimed in Colombo that Air Forcepersonnel in Vavuniya had gone innumbers to "pay their last respects' tothe departed Tamil jeader. It probablyproves that Oxford education is noteverything!jkpo;j; Njrpa Mtzr; Rtbfs;
www.tamilarangam.netSri Lanka Army* x on the defensive,Brigadier7/»e following interview given to Reuters by BrigadierWanasinghe was quite naturally censored in Sri Lanka, becauseIt goes contrary to what the government has been totting theSlnhala people. Not knowing the contents, ISLAND cartoonistcomments critically (above) on the censorship.The Sri Lankan army is on the defensive,militarily and psychologically, in its fightagainst guerillas seeking an independentTamil state in the north and east of thecountry, according to Brigadier HamiltonWanasinghe, Commander of the securityforces in Jaffna.Militarily because it does not have themanpower or the equipment to smashwell-armed and well-financed guerillamovement.Psychologically because it operates ina hostile almost wholly Tamil environment| and because the guerillas are having theM, best of the propaganda war.ffff "If we had more men, there would beI no problem, Brig. Wanasinghe toldI Reuters."Guerilla strength is on the increase",the Brigadier said. "We do not haveenough troops. We are building up but itwill take a little time."Shortage of men is only one of theweaknesses of the security forces. Officersin the north admit that the guerillas are aswell equipped as their own men — andsometimes better.Apart from one helicopter gunship,Wanasinghe said, the air force has nostrike aircraft. It ferries troops to the northin a motley collection of small and obsoletetransports, including 40-year-old DC-3sreclaimed from the scrap heap and reconditionedfor the guerilla emergency.\We need more gunships, and especiallyone with night capability", Wanasinghesaid. "But even if we had them it couldtake up to four years to train pilots."The army in the north, operating inhostile territory, was effectively confinedto its bases. "We do not have enoughtroops to go on the offensive", theBrigadier said.Mining of railway lines — 29 soldierswere killed in such an attack in January— had made the security forcesdependent on inadequate air supply orfoot-slogging for movement."Every inch of road must be checkedbefore the troops can move", Wanasinghesaid, "It's a great strain".Army tactics are to hold their bases,moving out only in response to a guerillaattack or to raid a suspected guerilla base.These tactics are dictated partly byshortage of troops and lack of mobilitybut partly also by consciousness of thebad image the army has gained throughover-reacting to earlier guerilla raids.Wanasinghe said 18 soldiers had beencourt-martialled and dismissed from thearmy for disciplinary offences but saidthat in most cases where civilians hadbeen killed it was because they had beencaught in cross-fire in an ambush.He said discipline was no longer aproblem. "Now the troops are seasoned."But the army was keeping alow profilein part to reduce the risk of unnecessarycivilian casualties which could beexploited by the guerillas to discredit thesecurity forces, he said.jkpo;j; Njrpa Mtzr; Rtbfs;
www.tamilarangam.netHOW THE WORLD PRESS(Except the Indian Express, New Delhi)"...Part of the problem is caused by thelargely Sinhalese Sri Lankan Army. "They,are among the most undisciplined soldiersin the world," says a Western diplomat inColombo. "Their reaction to taking casualtiesis to go on the rampage and shootanyone in sight." That is exactly whathappened last August in the Tamil townof Mannar, Where Government soldiersembarked on a bloody two-hour rampagein retaliation for a guerrilla attack on a SriLankan Navy vessel...." ••".... In the predominantly Tamil JaffnaPeninsula, at the northern tip of the islandthe army has imposed a daily, dusk-todawn,shoot-on-sight curfew. Most privatevehicles have been commandeered bygovernment troops, and civilians musthave a pass to move about even duringthe day. Young Tamil men are routinelyrounded up and tortured. Each newambush by the separatists has led tomassive retaliation by the army. Thus far40,000 Tamil refugees have fled from SriLanka to the southern Indian state of TamilNadu. Tamil militants say that at least anadditional 20,000 refugees have enteredIndia illegally. Young refugees are regularlyrecruited and sent back to fight withthe Tamil guerrillas.In the north, evidence of destructionby the military is everywhere. Templesand churches have been desecrated. Inthe past month, a Roman Catholic priestand a Methodist minister were gunneddown by government forces. Residentssay the worst savagery occurred inMannar in December following theambush of an army patrol by guerrillas."The soldiers began shooting at anyonethey saw, "reports one eyewitness."People died like flies. The soldiers wentout on the road, killing some people onthe spot and taking others away. Theywent to the post office and made peopleline up before they shot them. Then theywent looking for people in the paddyfields. No one was spared. It was a sceneSRI LANKAout of hell. "The massacre began at 1 1 inthe morning and ended at 4.30 in theafternoon. When it was over, more than150 people had been killed..."From The STANDARD,Monday February 18, 1985THE HOTELS along Colombo s five- starcorniche, the Galleface, make a sorryspectacle. Few of them are even half fulland the swimming pools are deserted asSri Lanka's tourist trade responds to theincreasingly fierce civil war.Once tipped as the holiday destinationmost likely to succeed the Caribbean forwinter sun, this island, with its miles ofwhite sandy beaches and coconut plantations,instead finds itself the likelysuccessor to the Lebanon and El Salvador.Since Christmas, an estimated 600people have been killed in the northernpart of the island, around Jaffna, whichthe Tamil minority are lobbying to havedeclared a separate state, Tamil Eelam.Meanwhile, Sri Lankan armed forces,composed of Buddhist Sinhalese fromthe South, are running a fierce campaignto crush the rebels. There are appallingstories of random massacres, intimidationand rape.The Sri Lankan government dailyascribes all atrocitie's to the Tamil Tigersthe increasingly bold rebel guerrillas whooperate from secret jungle bases, whileeveryone in Jaffna insists they arecommitted by rampaging Sinhalesetroops.For foreign journalists it is now achallenge even to reach the North. Therailway line which linked Jaffna with thecapital was blown up two weeks ago byTamil Tigers, killing 27 government troops.There is little likelihood of it beingrepaired.Jaffna airfield is closed except to militaryaircraft and the road is dotted with armycheckpoints with instructions to turn backvehicles. Reporting restrictions have beenimposed, and garages are forbidden tosell more than a few rupees worth ofpetrol at a time.Since I am in Sri Lanka with a smallcamera crew making a documentary aboutthe troubles, the only recourse is to passourselves off as tourists, blithely headinginto the war zone with tubes of AmbreSolaire and several books aboutCeylonese birds: the spoonbill and yellowplumed parrot are conveniently indigenousto the Jaffna region.Although the military are ordered torepel bird-spotting holidaymakers. twodecades of tourism have left their markand they can never ultimately resist thesmell of suntain cream and foreigncurrency.The countryside north of iwhich is as far as the
www.tamilarangam.netThey carried Russian Kalashnikovautomatic rifles and turned out to be morefrightened than we were. All came fromColombo and had not been home for sixmonths. They seemed wholly unsupervisedand saw their role solely as that ofbaiting Tamils.In due course they released us inexchange for a postcard of a film actressand an opportunity to try on a Dunhillwristwatch.Three hours after we had passedthrough the military camp at Marunken.it was raided by 100 Tamil Tigers. Mostof the stores and the perimeter fencewere destroyed.The following morning. Sinhaleseretribution was swift. Three hundredtroops surrounded the coastal fishingvillage of Vidattatium. arriving byhelicopter, trucks and armoured cars andset fire to 10 homes chosen at random.They also looted anything of value underthe pretext of house-to-house searches.Smoke from the blaze could be seen 20miles away.Six days earlier, during a raid on aneighbouring village, several women werearrested by the army and held for 72hours. They were released, horriblymolested, and 20 villagers were shoi.Outrages of this nature have becomedaily occurrences in Jaffna. A negotiatedsettlement is now reckoned out of thequestion and Tamil spokesmen use theword genocide freely when explainingtheir predicament.Their determination for a separate statehas never been stronger, despite thestream of Tamil refugees which everyday leaves Sri Lanka for India, the U S.A.and Britai'n.rThe Sri Lankan government ofPresident Junius Jayewardene. however,is showing an equal determination not topermit a separatist state, and continuesto blame India for aiding the rebels HSince I have never been inside a Britishjail, it is difficult to draw comparisons witha Sri Lankan one. But for hilarious bedlamI do not suppose that anywhere beginsto match Welikade Prison. Colombo,where I have just spent ten days undersuspicion of being an international terroristand Communist agitator. Welikade Jail(or 'lock-up' in local parlance) is a vastand austere compound containing 1500prisoners on the outskirts of Colombo.Attached to it is a prison hospital, designedlike a series of cricket pavilions, and itwas here that I and my two journalistcompanions were remanded. This wasregarded as a 'luxury' billet, though luxuryis relative; it allowed us access to adraughts board with 17 of its 24 piecesextant.Since we had not been charged withanything, beyond being journalists reportingthe Tamil war, we relied heavily onthe local press for information. The qualitynewspaper in Sri Lanka is the ColomboDaily News: a curious publication, partlywritten in Edwardian English, rich inconjunctions, and partly in pidgin. TheDaily News was very excited by ourpredicament and revelled in rumour. Itwas amusing, though eerie, to read that'Nicholas David Coleridge, a Briton, isknown to have been trained in Moscow';the following day he had developedPalestinian connections: a reference. Ideduced, to my first book being publishedby Nairn Attallah, the Palestinian entrepreneurof Poland Street. Later in theweek, for no good reason, Nicholals DavidColeridge was transformed by the pressinto Roger Coleridge, and then RogerColeman. to the bemusement of readers.For the new boy in a Sri Lankan jail thefirst task is to establish which are one'sfellow prisoners and which are the guards.Both dress alike and stare in a half-wittedmanner when you pass by. Several timesI was praising the beautiful Sri Lankanclimate, with intent to subvert a prisonofficer, only to discover this was a doublemurderer. Conversely one would be swappinga little facetious badinage aboutconlitions, only to learn this was the prisongovernor.My cell, which was large, was decoratedwith three pictures: of the Buddha. JesusChrist and Miss Sri Lanka 1964. Of thethree, Miss Sri Lanka drew the mostcomment. The double murderer, our teaboy, has plans to seduce here when he isreleased in 18 years' time. By then MissSri Lanka will be aged 61.When you are checking in at a prisonmost of your belongings are taken awayand meticulously listed in a ledger. SinceI do not always unpack to the bottom ofmy suitcase between holidays, somepeculiar items had travelled with me.These included a plastic ice cream spoonfrom a tub at the Haymarket Theatre, abook of matches from the Caprice restaurantand a Daily Express MillionairesClub card. The Millionaires Club cardexcited particular interest, since it wasbelieved to be an executive credit card,like gold American Express, allowinginstant credit of a million pounds. Despitethe painstaking inventory of my things,nobody thought to frisk our suit pockets,so we were still in happy possession of2000 American dollars. This is a fortunein Sri Lanka. Prison guards earn threedollars a week, so we felt rather like NoelCoward in the opening, scenes of TheItalian Job. strutting about in silk pyjamasin Wormwood Scrubs. The dollars affordedjkpo;j; Njrpa Mtzr; Rtbfs;
www.tamilarangam.netus a constant supply of King coconuts,tinned salmon and Pepsi-cola. There wasgreat rivalry between the guards for thespent bottles for the money back on theempties.Most afternoons we were visited by SriLankan CID to help them with theirenquiries. With the exception of a fiendishlycunning Assistant Superintendent.Sri Lankan policemen seemed genial butdozy. We were never interviewed by fewerthan six of them at a time and all weredetermined to get their fair share ofquestions. Our replies were taperecordedon a cassette which ran outhalf way through each interrogation. Manyof the questions were surreal and rarelyfollowed each other in any logical way.'How much money have the Tamil Tigerterrorists bribed you ?' we would be asked.And then: 'Mr. Nicholas, how much doesyour watch cost at dutyfree prices?' (Apeculiar trait of Sri Lankan CID was toaddress me as 'Mr Nicholas' in the mannerof a 19th century housemaid.In between these interviews some kindof detective work was going on behindthe scenes. One afternoon I was informedthat the Standard, for whom I had filed areport, had been 'checked up' and foundto be a subversive newspaper. Later acopy of the Daily Telegraph, whichhappened to be in my luggage, was alsodeemed subversive. 'Where did you getthisnewspaper?' I was asked. 'A newsagent'I replied. 'Which newsagent? W.H.Smith.' 'Please spell Smith.My passport, which is a full one. wasregularly fingered. A 1976 packageholiday to Russia was though highlycompromising. 'Where did you go inRussia?'. 'Moscow and Leningrad."Howdid you travel?' 'By train'. 'Aha. so youconfess you were trained in Russia'.The tone of these interrogations wasvolatile. One moment it was self-effacing;We are a simple and peaceful nation.Mr. Nicholas. Lok out of the window, doyou see any terrorists?1 (From CID headquartersall you could see was sky). But itcould change in seconds: 'Don't yourealise that we're at war, Mr. Nicholas?There is a state of emergency. We haveextraordinary powers. We're fighting forour survival against these terrorists.'Something that I like about journalismis its limited attention span. The journalistconcentrates his mind on a story for afew days or weeks, then forgets most ofit as soon as it's filled and moves on to anew article. The Sri Lankan CID do notshare my journalistic outlook, and itbecame rather tiresome, as time wentby, to persist in flogging a dead Tamilhorse. Even my dexterous demonstrationof American break dancing failed todistract them for long.One of the prison officers was a particularlyagreeable chap. His English wasperfect and we lent him Agatha ChristieMadrasnovels. Like all senior officers at Weiikadehe apologised several times a day for ourbeing there at all, and said he did notknow what the country was coming to.We, being well mannered prisoners, said:'Honestly, it doesn't matter at all, don'tworry, ten days in your delightful prisonis no inconvenience.' Another guardshowed us photographs of his father, acivil servant under British ruler, who hadmade the crucial century in an interdepartmentalcricket match. In theevening we set up coconut shies, usingupturned king coconut shells, and peltedthem with rolled-up socks. This event waskeenly enjoyed by everyone at Weiikadeand promises to become an establishedprison pastime.One night, on our way back from aparticularly abstruse interrogation, atpolice headquarters, we were taken to aChinese restaurant. This was a peculiarepisode. First the road around the restaurant,the Nanking, was cleared of allvehicles and sealed by jeeps and guardsbrandishing Kalashnikov machine guns.Then the poor waiter, shivering with fright,was escorted outside to take our orderthrough the car window (we were notallowed to leave the back seat). Presentlyseveral bowls of shark's fin and crab soupwere carried out. having first beendragged for secret messages, followedby Chinese fish and chips. The final sceneof this comic meal was the waiter bawlingafter the jeep as we sped away:' No tips!Why, oh why. do policemans never leaveno tips?'.After ten days in Weiikade it waseventually conceded that evidence forour being international terrorists wasrather limp, so the airport was indicatedinstead. An ominous development in SriLanka at the moment is an allergy to journalists;two French reporters were beingdeported on the same flight as us. Nevertheless,despite the daft clowning of theGovernment. I greatly look forward toreturning to Ceylon; it is a delightfullysultry island for a spot of winter sun. •)NEW DELHI: Before I could even settledown in a taxi at Colombo airport theagitated driver, a part-time engineeringstudent, asked me: "Why are you dividingour country?" He may have been abruptin his remark but this summarily representsthe dominant thinking among theSinhalese, who constitute 75 percent ofSri Lanka s population.They believe that India is at the back ofterrorists and that it is out to carve out ahomeland in Jaffna, the northern section,for the Tamils, who constitute a mere 17percent of the population in the country.in fact, the Sinhalese talk as if they arein the midst of a war. What is happeningin Jaffna is followed like news from thefrontlines and they are happy when the"enemy". (Tamils) suffers casualities.despondent when the army loses men ormaterial.It is a war. none hides it... least of all SriLanka's President Jayewardene, Thisemotional involvement of the Sinhalesehas made them quite bitter about India,which is se«n behind ^Hfijry spurt ofviolence. During my lastsome one and a halfanti-Tamil feeling: now. it is anOTJayewardene had no hesitation in confirmingthis. Non-Tamils of Indian originalso feel an increasing animus againstthem and wonder if they have any future'in Sri Lanka.How many Tamils die every week or.for that matter, how many soldiers arekilled during the same period is anybody'sguess. Very little is printed in the pressbecause it has to submit every such storyto the censors before publishing it.Rumours abound in plenty.But there is no doubt that the level ofoperation has been stepped up by bothsides. The terrorists are using rocketsand one helicopter escaped a direct hitlast week when I was there. Jayewardenemakes no secret of the fact that he isspending "billions and billions of dollars"to buy the latest equipment to fight theterrorists.Both China and Pakistan are sellingarms to Sri Lanka. Some time back whenthe Pakistan International Airlines refused«8jkpo;j; Njrpa Mtzr; Rtbfs;
www.tamilarangam.netto carry the arms to Colombo on the pleathat it was against the aviation ethics todo so in a passenger plane. Gen. Ziaoverruled the objection saying that it wasSri Lanka who gave them fuelling facilitiesduring the Bangladesh war.The eight per cent Muslim populationin Sri Lanka is not. however, impressedby Gen. Zia. They ultimately fear the sametype of treatment as is being meted outto the Tamils. And the induction of Israelisfor training of Sri Lankan soldiers hasfurther alienated them.Apart from the Israeli instructions, theBritish have been hired by the Sri LankanGovernment to assist its soldiers. Jayewardeneis quite open about it. In fact,when I asked him he said: Why should Inot ? You can t dictate meWho else is helping Sri Lanka is difficultto determine. But. I found Jayewardeneconfident of emerging victorious andbelieving that the world is beginning to'appreciate his point of view. However,he blows hot and cold at the sametime.The fact that he is going to ask India forthe extradition of some Tamil Tigerleaders, reported to be in Tamil Nadu,indicates that he does not pin all his hopeson military operations. He also wants tomeet Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi andthe emissary he sent to Delhi was meantto prepare the ground for that meeting.However. Jayewardene and. for thatmatter the Sinhalese do not like or trustG Parthasarathy. who has been conductingnegotiations on behalf of India.They suspect that he. being a Tamil, hasa pro-Tamil bias. Perhaps RomeshBhandari, Foreign Secretary, should headthe negotiating team in the future.I could not go to Jaffna this time. Thegovernment did not give me permissionand even Jayewardene said 'No' I foundthere was no plane, train or bus runningto that part of the country. The governmentproposes to evacuate the peopleliving in the vicinity of Jaffna airport tomake it safe for future operations. Theentire Jaffna sector has been handed overto the military, which has only the Sinhaleseforces operating there. Tamilsoldiers, who form 10 per cent of thearmy, have been kept out."Life-in Jaffna is at a standstill" said asenior official in the Sri Lanka government,adding "it is military rule all over;what will you see there ?". At least onelakh fishermen are idle because themilitary has blocked their access to thesea. Even otherwise life is hard since thelimited movement of goods to the areahas pushed up the prices and shrunkavenues of employmentA Tamil, who met me in Colombo afterhaving escaped the regin of terror inJaffna said that the soliders killed peopleindiscriminately and burnt the belongingswhich they could not carry. He describedwith pride how the Tigers (terrorists) blewup a train the other day. killing 45 soldiersand not two as reported in the newspapers.A Colombo English daily printed fi storylast week that a car flying a white flagwas fired at by the army men in Jaffnakilling the driver and injuring a pregnantwoman and her husband. It appears thatboth sides are_fighting each other with allthe ferocity and Weapons at theircommandThe stories of atrocities committed bythe army are numberous: How peacefulcitizens were mowed down, and howdying men and women were denied evenmedical aid. There is some truth in it.because soldiers are behaving as if theyare fighting a war and. the government iscondoning everything they are doing. Anydemand for an impartial inquiry is brushedaside firmly.Jayewardene's explanation is that inthe past a soldier had to load the gunevery time he fired a shot, now he has ahereby press the trigger and a torrent ofbullets goes out automatically. "This iswhat happened when Mrs. Gandhi wasassassinated", he said. Jayewardeneadmits that a Sri Lankan soldier is a"Different man now and he compareshim with the Americans who fought inVietnam "A psychological problem ashe puts it.The bulk of Sri Lanka's army is in Jaffna,very few soldiers are seen elsewhere.Some guard bridges and key installationsin Colombo because of possibility ofterrorist strikes in the capital. Businesshas been affected with a natural shortfallin tourists, but the atmosphere is relaxed.Scores of doctors, engineers andaccountants have left Sri Lanka in thelast two years, making the country feelthe pinch in these fields. Many otherprofessionals would like to quit providedthey could find an alternative, they seelittle future for themselves and theirchildren. These Tamils are convinced thatthey are being edged out by the Sinhalesefrom all walks of life. Though they looktowards India — first Mrs. Gandhi wastheir hope and now it. Rajiv Gandhi —they are not sure how it could 'savethem.Many Tamils I met realise that terrorismis no solution to their problems, but. theydo not condemn it in the hope that it maypressurise Jayewardene's government trcome to an early settlement.The majority, though dreaming of Eelam(independent state), are realisatic enoughto say that a solution would have to befound within Sri Lanka. But they wantnegotiations, thus far protracted and futile,to fructify within the next three to sixmonths.The Sinhalese also want a settlement— and soon. But they get panikcy whenthere is a demand for decentralisation ofpower. They balteve that any concessionon this point will mean the beginning oftheir country's disintegration. Sincen theTamil United Liberation Front (TULF) hasneither condemned the terrorists norgiven up the agitation for autonomy, theSinhalese regard it as a parliamentarywing of the tigers. And. it is no surprise tosee Jayewardene crumbling underpressure from within, particularly to thesection of extremist buddhists.What he and the Sinhalese fail to realiseis that it — what, began as a movementfor greater say for the Tamils has turnedinto a revolt. A political solution is tillpossible but a military solution may ultimatelysuck New Delhi into the frayThat will be neither ih India's interest norSri Lanka's.Mjkpo;j; Njrpa Mtzr; Rtbfs;
The Killing of aTamil Catholic priestIt happened in Vankalai, a Catholicvillage (pop: 5433), in the northern Tamildistrict of Mannar in Sri Lanka.www.tamilarangam.netIt was the night of Saturda'' 5th January1985.Past midnight a convoy of vehicles camealong the Mannar — Nanattan road,approaching Vankalai. The vehiclesstopped at a distance, and army menwalked along the main road — but besidethe tarred road — upto the church gate,and surrounded the church and schoolpremises. There was good moonlight.Heavy firing started around the girlsschool and the cemetery area. In themeantime some of the soldiers had walkedalong the path between the church andgirls' school right down to the side gateof the presbytery premises and enteredthe premises. There was no electric light.At hearing the first firing. Father MaryBastian. the parish priest had called theboys who were residing with him andsleeping at that time in the outer roomand varandah (Alagan, Nathan, cook andlabourer) into the room.The security personnel who had enteredthe premises by the rear gate advancedup to the verandah and called 'Father'.Father Mary Bastian, — dressed incassock, - came out from his bed roomto the middle room. Noticing through theopen window the army men poised toshoot, he had pleaded "Please. Please'.The two boys. Nathan and Alagan. werethen in the middle room.In spite of the pleading 'Father MaryBastian was shot at through the window;he collapsed screaming "Ayo-Amma". Themen then forced open the door andentered the middle room and flashing atorch fired at the two boys Alagan andNathan. Following this shoting there wasa walkie-talkie radio conversation inEnglish. Subsequently the priests bodywas removed out by the rear gate, carriedby give soldiers and deposited on thesteps of the entrance to the girls' school(old building) and some stood guarding.On the rear verandah of the presbytery,by the side of the door, there were fourbarrels of kerosene for distribution to thepeople the following day. After theremoval of the Priests body, one of thesedrums was turned down and the kerosenespilt into the middle room. (In the morningthe three spots where the three hadcollapsed after being shot, were clearlyvisible with spilt-blood mixed withkerosene.)Firing all around the premises continued.Some of those who had takenshelter in the girls school for greater safetyat night but had moved about in panic atthe firing, were struck dead.An old woman. Thangachiamma.seventy-two years oJd, who had comerunning from her home to the church onhearing the firing, was shot dead.In the very early hours before dawnthere were conversations, the movementof a van near the school entrance, theorder 'Arang Yanda', and the priest's bodywas taken away in the van.Sometime after 6 a.m. the sisters in theConvent, who had been indoors the wholenight inspite of the firing and commotion,opened the outer gate of their Convent.The soldier guarding outside, noticing thesisters, ordered them to come out. Withthe sisters the girls residing with themwere also ordered out. With all of themlined up out-side, the sisters were toldthat a search was to be made of theConvent and the army men enteredunaccompanied by any of the inmates,and ransacked the entire convent andpremises. They had even opened theTabernacle in the Oratory and dismantledthe monstrance with the Sacred Host.Wrist-watches, cash and other articleshad been found missing subsequently.The Sisters and girls were led into thechurch by the soldiers by a door underthe portico. They were not allowed totake their normal route to the church.Except for this door, all other doors andwindows of the church were locked.Some beggars who had been restingin the church premises were also shut inwithin the church.Some people who had taken shelterfor the night in the old girls schoof werethen brought out by the soldiers and ledinto the church. These people had noticedfresh blood-stains on the steps as theywalked out. Some males among themwere also included in the number of thosetaken away to the camp at the end of theoperation!About 7-30 a.m. a lorry moved into thechurch compound upto the entrance atthe rear; the bodies of theloaded there and some morecemetery area.The army men trooped in near the gateclose to the main road and all left.After the forces had left, those whowere left in the church and others fromoutside saw for themselves the presbyteryand informed the Bishop's House.Mannar, about the happenings and thedisapperance of the parish priest.As soon as the message was receivedat the Bishop's House. Bishop ThomasSavundaranayagam communicated byphone with the authorities at Thalladyarmy Camp and inquired about thenocturnal activities at Vankalai. He wastold that there was an operation by thesecurity forces at Vankalai and that eightdead bodies had been brought. Whenquestioned about the disappearance ofFather Mary Bastian, parish priest, thereply was that they knew nothing of thepriest and a suggestion was made that hemight have run away.The Bishop and the Vicar General thenwent to Vankalai; there they met the10jkpo;j; Njrpa Mtzr; Rtbfs;
www.tamilarangam.netassembled parishioners crying andweeping over the death and disappearanceof their pastor. They visitedthe room, and the spot where father hadbeen shot with two of his boys.The people were then called into thechurch and the Bishop had a prayerservicewith them. He then addressedthem. When he mentioned during his talkabout his inquiring from the camp andthe answer he received, there was a loudmournful reaction from the people. Somevillagers from among the crowd hadmentioned seeing thick clouds of smokerising from the direction of Thallady armycamp in the early hours of the morning,and even gave expression to the suspicionthat Father's body might have been burntup in the camp premises.Then the Bishop and the Vicar Generalinspected the Convent and interviewedthe sisters.They then met the members of thechurch committee, and left for Mannar.When they returned to Mannar, theBishop again inquired from the authoritiesat Thallady camp about Rev. FatherMary Bastjan and mentioned that he hadbeen told at Vankalai that some personshad seen the body of Father Mary Bastianbeing carried away by the soldiers in avan. The officer had expressed surpriseand assured the Bishop of a discreetinquiry.About mid-day nine bodies wereproduced at the Mannar HospitalMortuary. The body of the priest was notamong these. Those of the two boys shotin the presbytery with Father were identified.Those identified were:Balasubramaniam Abgaratnam (15)Michael Nathan Croos (27)Soosaiappu Peries Hermon Pieries (19)S. Quintus Peries (18) Thangachiamma(72) S. Antony Feldano (24) G. RufusCroos (22) Dalmeida Thasan (Jeeva) (28)Santiagu Edirasingham (21)In the afternoon, the officer fromThallady phoned to the Bishop informinghim about a rumour that people from.Vankalai were preparing to march to thecamp and requesting the Bishop to stopit. The Bishop also questioned him aboutthe announcement through the massmedia concerning arms and ammunitionsfound in the church and the church beingused as a terrorist base.To this the officer replied that thesewere found in the school compound andthat his soldiers never entered thechurch!.The fact is that Rev. Father Mary Bastianwas brutally murdered. The murder hasbeen well planned. Attempts had beenmade to remove traces of evidence.Stories had been concocted to implicatethe church in terrorist activities.The Light of Truth will shine forth evenif for a moment it is obscured! But theobscuring of the Truth was what thegovernment set about next.PITCHED BATTLE AT CHURCH SITE— said the headline in the governmentrunDaily News of January 7."Eight terrorists were killed", said thereport, "and five captured after a gunbattle early yesterday near a Catholicchurch at Vankalai in the Mannar district,the Ministry of State said".Since there was a "pitched battle", theMinistry of State had necessarily to makethe army discover arms and ammunitionin the "church site", and this the armyobligingly did. The report said: "Thesoldiers had later found 56 sticks ofdynamite — (this also incidentally helpedto prove that the Sri Lanka soldiers cancount up to a hundred) — a quantity ofspent and live 9 mm ammunition, severalspent and live shotgun catridges, eighthand grenades, terrorist leaflets, books,cassettes and tapes".After the "pitched battle" there was noteven a single casualty reported on thegovernment side. The Ministry knew,surely, of at least one major casualty —TRUTH - but why bother about .that,when even Sinhalese correspondents ofreputed foreign newspapers like theTimes. London. Daily Telegraph, andGuardian, do not bother to question ?While the Ministry of State in charge of(Dis) <strong>Information</strong> spoke feelingly aboutthe "pitched battle" (in which 72-yearold woman Thangachiamma also died)the Minister of National (In) Security LalithAthulathmudali suggested that FatherMary Bastian had presumably beaten hisnaval blockade and crossed over to IndiaApparently his soul flew away across thewaters while the army burnt his mortalframe!The role of theBishopsConferenceMeanwhile, the Sinhale-dominatedCatholic Bishops Conference torntheir loyalty to their sacred Faith and Truthon one hand and Sinhala racism andFalsehood on the other, decided to do abalancing trick — go 50% for Truth andFaith and 50% for the other! They issueda statement that since "different versions"about the incident were published in themedia, they urged the government to hold"a thorough investigation and an impartialinquiry at the highest level" in order toestablish the truth. How do these worthyBishops expect a government which wasa party to the crime of killing the priest,or at least a party to the hushing up ofthe truth of the killing to appoint an"impartial inquiry" ? Is it sheer naivetteor an attempt to dodge a moral religiouscrisis in their own hearts ?The Tamil Catholics were quick to seethe hypocritical stand taken by theBishops Conference. In a letter dated 19January, addressed to the BishopsConference, titled - THE DOUBLESTAND the Presbyterium of JaffnaDiocese wrote: —"Permit us to make some observationson two statements of the BishopsConference, recently published in thePress."The statement issued by the CatholicBishops' Conference in Sri Lanka at thekilling of a Catholic Sri Lankan Tamil Priestat Vankalai. Mannar, stands in appallingcontrast to that issued at the killing ofa Japanese Buddhist Monk in Jaffna.While in the case of the Buddhist Monkthe Bishops being "shocked at the newslearnt 'with deep'regret' from the versionspresented by the local media, did 'hastento condemn this type of violence perpetratedon innocent persons and diddeplore 'the sacrilegious shooting of theBuddhist Monk on a way side, it is amatter of utter surprise and deep anguishfor us Catholics in Jaffna to note that inthe ease of the Catholic Priest, they, theCatholic Bishops, having also learnt fromjkpo;j; Njrpa Mtzr; Rtbfs;11
www.tamilarangam.netTax monies of U.S. citizensused for reign of terrorin Sri LankaTamils who are citizens of theUnited States have sent outthe following appeal to U.S.Congressmen and the worldambassadors in Washington:—"This urgent appeal is addressed to youon behalf of the Tamils of Sri Lanka, anethnic minority which has been increasinglysubjected to severe forms ofrepression and terrorism by the Governmentof Sri Lanka.""You have no doubt heard of the longstandingethnic problems in Sri Lankaresulting from the systematic deprivationof the civic rights and discrimination inthe economic and political life which theTamils have suffered at the hands of theGovernment of Sri Lanka. The attemptsof the Tamils to restore their legitimaterights in a democratic manner have onlymet with intensified terrorism by theGovernment by the imposition of militaryrule in the Tamil areas, mass arrests andtorture of innocent Tamils as suspecteddissidents, the execution of people heldin custody without trial or charges, thekilling of innocent people in public placesand the destruction of property. Theseactions of the Government have in turnproduced a militant resistance movement,though restricted to a few people."The vast majority of the Tamils,however, remain steadfast in their desireto find a solution by peaceful and democraticmeans, while remaining resolute inseeking justice and fair play. The Governmenthas used the emergence of a militantresistance movement as an excuse tofurther intensify its reign of terror andseems to have resolved to seek a military"solution" to the problem. In recentmonths, the Government has stepped upits military action by laying siege to theTamil areas, by mass killings of innocentcivilians, mass arrests of young men andschool children making it appear thatthese are suspected dissidents, deprivationof the means of livelihood for thousandsby prohibition of fishing, by declaringa "no-man's land" over a 200-milestretch along the coastline inhabited byTamils, mainly fishermen, by disruptingfood and fuel supplies in the Tamil areas- evidently to starve out the Tamil peopleto submission by setting up a securityzone covering the Jaffna district andblocking the roads leading to and out ofthe district, putting restrictions on thepossession and movement of vehicleswithin the zone and the sale of fuel, andby the imposition of curfews which sometimesextend over several days at astretch.""The severity of the Government'sactions and the critical nature of thepresent situation in Sri Lanka can be seenfrom the attached cuttings of pressreports. We would like to point out thatthese reports do not fully reflect the actualsituation as they are based on newsreleases by the Government. Correspondentsof independent news media arenot permitted to visit the Tamil areas orto transmit news other than newscensored by the Government.""We would also point out that tax moniesof the people of this country are beingutilized for the reign of terror perpetratedby the Government of Sri Lanka, since ithas officially declared that funds fromthe development budget (which is heavilydependent on foreign aid) would bediverted for military operations againstthe Tamils, euphemistically called"defence and security"."While the Government is engaged inan undeclared war against a helplesssection of its population, the Governmentmedia and news releases peripodicallymake loud claims of the many concessionsbeing planned to be made to the Tamilbeing planned to be made to the Tamilcommunity, exhibiting a concilatoryposture. Such have been the delayingtactics since the holocaust of July 1983;eighteen months have lapsed and theGovernment has successfully increasedthe severity of its punishment meted tothe Tamils. Every time there is a massmurder and execution of Tamils or burningand destruction of a whole village, publicmarket, a school or library (crimescommitted by the Government armedservices or other agents), the Governmentwill engage in a media blitz of the "positivesteps" it intends to take towards solvingthe Tamil problem. Such is the recentreport in the.December 15. 1984 editionof the Washington Post — a Governmentnews release made in the wake of massarrests of about 3,000 Tamils mostlyschool children, women and elderly Tamilsdescribed as "suspected terrorists", buttaken as hostages to the Sinhalese areas,mass executions of Tamils, and the armingof Sinhalese ex-convicts, fishermen andcivilians who are encouraged to kill Tamilmen and children, and rape women livingin isolated villages in the Tamil areas." Recent report of proposals made byPresident Jayawardene for districtcouncils, supposedly aimed at "powersharing,"are only meant to pull the woolover the eyes of outside observers, tocreate the impression of the Government'sinterest in a political solution, and to cloakits evil intentions. It is well known to SriLankans and to those following Sri Lankanaffairs that district councils have been inexistence for more than two years andhave been thoroughly discredited andfound unworkable. Instead of effecting adevolution of power, these councils weredesigned to be tightly controlled by thecentral government. The present proposals,stripped of the verbiage, wouldresult in the total subservience of districtcouncils to the central government. Theywould, therefore, be unacceptable as ameans of solving the ethnic problems ofSri Lanka in the slightest degree, andhave in fact been rejected by otherpolitical parties, Sinhalese and Tamil."We would urge you to persuade yourGovernment to exert pressure on the SriLanka Government to put an end to theharsh repression of the Tamil people andgross violations of human rightsamounting to genocide.".jkpo;j; Njrpa Mtzr; Rtbfs;15
www.tamilarangam.net"S 3 co CD- Q.OJ CD03 3 "3 ^3ID CDjkpo;j; Njrpa Mtzr; Rtbfs;
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www.tamilarangam.netJanuary DiaryGovernment Terrorism and LiberationStruggle in Tamil Eelam:January 1More than 2000 signatories including Buddhist monks, Christian clergymen. Muslims. Tamils andprofessionals make a New Year appeal in Colombo for "peace with justice'.Mathagal, coastal village in Jaffna continues to be shelled by cannon fire from the sea.Reports of starvation in coastal areas.News arrive of how an army major and sergeant major were killed at Mankulam army camp yesterdaywhen a bomb accidentally exploded during a training session. The bomb, being used in a training courseon defusing explosive devices also seriously wound 5 others including three Police officers.Colombo Radio says the wives of the two Police inspectors kidnapped by Tamil militants have appealedto Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to help get their husbands released.Indian Coast Guard vessel Chand Bibi arrives at Rameswaram to give protection to Indian fishermen.Tamil militants blow up 30-foot long railway culvert between Kodikamam and Pallai.2000 Tamil youths, some below the age of 15. rounded up by armed forces at Alvai. Thikkam andNavalady near the Northern coast.A sum of Rs. 1,60,000, money which was taken to the Hatton National Bank Jaffna, robbed at gun point.At Poonagari, a fisherman Asirvatham Dias (24) from Passaiyur Jaffna shot at and killed from ahelicopter while fishing in the sea.Two boat loads of Tamils from the coastal areas in Jaffna arrive at India's Nagapattinam harbour. Of the58 Tamils in the boats, 12 are women, two of them with new born babies in their arms, and 10 children.They say that unable to bear the torture by armed forces they collected diesel over a long period and seton five boats. They are not aware of what happened to the other three boats and people.Private lorry transporting foodstuffs from Kandy to Jaffna stopped at Kekirawa by members of thearmed forces and sent back. Driver and cleaner and two others in the lorry assaulted. Are you takingfood for the Tamil Tigers" ? the men were asked before they were sent back.At Jaffna General Hospital an acute shortage of Oxygen. Several operations held up.Mullaithivu residents face critical situation due to non-availability of food. Particularly hard-hit are therefugees in various camps. "Sri Lanka government to create a new post of Commander-in-chief of security forces. Army CommanderMaj. Gen. T.I. Weeratunga to be promoted Lt. Gen. and appointed to the new post. Brig. Nalin Seneviratnenow army Commander in North to be promoted Maj. General and appointed the next army chief.Former Prime Minister Mrs. Srimavo Bandaranaike in a statement in Colombo calls for GeneralElections.%Sri Lankan police say, according to Colombo report that Tamil militants based in and around Nuwara-Eliya have demanded a separate up country state named as"Malai Nadu'. This comes in addition to thedemand for Eelam.ry3Senator Charles Percy, former Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. US. arrives onNew Delhi on a 3-day visit.Three senior superintendents of police are on the verge of quitting the police force in Sri Lanka, havingdeclined to accept transfer orders to the North.Mr. Mervyn Andriesz, President of the Sea Food Exporters' Association Jaffna, expresses the fear thatabout 2500 workers were in danger of losing their jobs owing to the present situation.Jaffna's Mothers' Front has told the government that 14,000 families (75.000 pi ople approximately) inthe northern coastal fishing villages are facing starvation.Deputation from the Jaffna Citizens Committee meets Minister Lalith Athulathmudali at Marga Institute,Colombo.A father and his three young daughters killed and his 12-year old son wounded when army menattacked a family in the course of combing operations against "terrorists" in Vavuniya. according toColombo press reports quoted by AFP. The bodies of the 4 victims were brought to Vavuniya hospital byPolice.18jkpo;j; Njrpa Mtzr; Rtbfs;
www.tamilarangam.netJanuary Diary)[Government Terrorism and Liberation(Struggle in Tamil Eelam :)At least 5,000 Tamils from the northern areas are ready with travel documents to come to India as soonas the Talaimannar-Rameswaram ferry service is resumed, according to reports reaching Mandapam.says INDIAN EXPRESS. Resumption of ferry service was scheduled for January 4.Lengthy letter from President Jayawardene to Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi handed over by Sri LankaHigh Commissioner, but New Delhi report by G.K. Reddy says Jayawardene has neither sought India'shelp nor come forward with any fresh suggestions.iBBHiBH V 4^^"^SPSH^*\ ll 'w x7Itf ittwiBtffevVJf ^*Jc njirafy o)r Sri Lanka seeks Tamil Nadu Police assistance to trace two kidnapped Police Inspectors under thebelief they had been brought to India.People who ran in fear when they saw an army convoy approaching were fired upon at ArasadyJunction in Jaffna. 62-year old music teacher Kadirgamar Damodaran Pillai, a 24-year old man who wason leave from employment in Saudi Arabia and another unidentified man killed on the spot. The goldchain worn by the Saudi Arabian employee was robbed by the army men from his dead body. Two othersescaped with injuries.Half a mile away, Jaffna hospital's specialist orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Sivagnanavel who was cycling towork due to curb on use of cars, stopped by security forces, assaulted on the face and the chest andthreatened with death. Hospital staff strike work, and Army Commander Brig. Nalin Seneviratne conveyshis personal apologiesJaffna Bishop Rev. Dr. B. Deogupillai appeals to President Jayawardene to release all innocent Tamilyouths under the same humanitarian considerations in which the President appealed to Tamil militants toelease the two kidnapped Police Inspectors.)President Reagan's special envoy Senator Charles Percy has two meetings with Rajiv Gandhi in NewDelhi.In New York, llankai Tamil Sangam asks UN Secretary General to post a UN peace-keeping force in SriLanka "to prevent further loss of Tamil lives".In Madras, Dr. T.R. Janarthanan, MLC, President of the World Tamil Youth Federation, appeals to Rajiv^Gandhi to "take immediate and stern measures to end the genocidal killings of Tamils in Sri Lanka".Shocking army atrocities in Vankalai, in the Tamil district of Mannar. Under curfew, soon after midnight,young parish priest Fr. Mary Bastian is shot .to death in the presbytery along with two otherr. Six othersalso killed, and all bodies except that of the priest were handed over to Mannar Police.In Jaffna, 400 Tamil youths were rounded up yesterday and detained for interrogation, according toColombo newspaper "The Island")In New Delhi. Rajiv Gandhi in an interview to an Ameri< an news magazine says India will be havinganother look" at the ethnic issue in Sri Lanka.Police state in Colombo that separatist guerillas had burnt down Chavakachcheri court house last nightdestroying all court records.President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference Bishop Frank Marcus Fernando telegraphs PresidentJayawardene to hold a high-level impartial inquiry into killing of Fr. Mary Bastian."1Another batch of 36 Sri Lankan Tamils who fled the island in a mechanised boat land at Nagapattinam inIndia. They included seven women and 18 children.India lodges another strong protest with Sri Lanka over renewed attacks on Indian fishermen in thecountry's territorial waters. Acting High Commissioner Alfred David told of two Indian fishermen killed onthe night of the 7th off Dhanushkodi.Sri Lanka government announces in Colombo that plans are finalised to settle 30.000 Sinhalesefamilies in the Tamil north this year, with the ultimate aim of creating "parity" in the population of the twocommunities. Settlements would be created in Kilinochchi. Vavuniya, Mullaitivu and Mannar districts andextended to Jaffna peninsula next year The new settlers would be given military training and providedarms.\)jkpo;j; Njrpa Mtzr; Rtbfs;19
www.tamilarangam.netJanuary DiaryGovernment Terrorism and LiberationStruggle in Tamil Eelam:January 13New Delhi report says Chinese Foreign Minister Wu Xiu Quain will be visiting Sri Lanka in the last weekof this monthG•I A I Army blowup five culverts in the north — on Thaipongal day — to prepare for the opening of new army| tf [ oamps.fDefence Ministry in Colombo says that the culverts were blown up by 'terrorists.)JIn Colombo, National Security Minister Lalith Athulathmudali claims that the Roman Catholic PriestFr. Mary Bastian killed by the army 10 days earlier had escaped to India with Tamil Separatists!JIn Madras. Communist leader Kalyanasundaram threatens a massive fisherman's boat march toKachchativu.In Colombo, the State Ministry claims killing 15 Tamil militants including two women in a raid on amilitant hide-out at Mullaitivu. The Ministry also said a soldier was killed.In New Delhi. Sri Lanka High Commissioner Bernard Tillekeratne called on Prime Minister RajivGandhi.At Rameswaram. Communist leader Kalyanasundaran calls on India to reconsider Kachchativu agreementwith Sri Lanka.^ Sri Lanka government sends two senior police officials on a "wild goose mission" to Brussels following^an unconfirmed report that TELO leader Sri Sabaratnam has been arrested in the Belgium capitalcarrying false travel documents.A Colombo report says Customs have detained a 460,000 dollar air plane brought into the country by aTamil businessman of Old Moor Street. The plane had arrived in a container from Houston. USA.In Madras, TELO denies that its leader Sri Sabaratnam had been arrested in Belgium.It is now officially known that S. Thondaman President of the Ceylon Workers Congress had met RajivGandhi on January 13th.Report from Colombo says that prominent Lankan political scientist Prof. Ralph Bultjens had Scoffed atthe idea that the United States would run to the aid of Sri Lanka at the expense of friendship with India.Lalith Athulathmudali re-iterates at Colombo press Conference that 30,000 Sinhalese families-will besettled in the pre dominantly Tamil north-east with total protection. The Minister also said, that "It ispossible that terrorists have killed Indian fisherman in Indian teritorial waters to shift the blame to SriLanka security forces".Sri Lanka army surfers the biggest loss since it launched the war on Tamil "Terrorism" Not less than 200soldiers are believed killed, when Tamil militants who belong to TELO blow up Colombo-bound Yal Devitrain at about 8.30 p.m. at Murikandy about 70 k.m. from Jaffna. 12 bogies were blown up by militants whoalso followed up with an attack with hand grenades and gun fire. A large haul of weapons were alsorecovered. Militants also recovered a large amount of jewellary, apparently robbed from Tamils, on thebodies of the dead soldiers.The same night, near Umayalpuram a further 40 soldiers were estimated killed when they tried to reachthe scene of the train disaster.A senior government spokesman in Colombo who declined to be identified says death toll in theMurikartdy train attack was at least 33. including 22 soldiers, according to AP correspondent in ColomboHe also said 25 of the injured who were hospitalised at Anuradhapura were soldiers. He also admits deathtoll "might run higher because of serious injuries sustained by other passengers in the blast which rippedthrough 11 carriages of the train".jkpo;j; Njrpa Mtzr; Rtbfs;21
January Diarywww.tamilarangam.netGovernment Terrorism and LiberationStruggle in Tamil Eelam:UNI reports from Colombo that Sri Lanka government has imposed a blanket ban on Indian journalistsvisiting that country. A similar ban was made earlier following attack on Chavakachcheri Police Station.Dutch government deports 45 young Tamils to Sri Lanka., violating the understanding with the office ofthe United Nations High Commission for Refugees.17 Indian fishermen charged in a Colombo court and trial fixed for February 6.Indian fisherman Anthonyadimai admitted to Ramanathapuram hospital after being beaten up by SriLanka navy men.Official in Colombo say that death toll in Murikandy train attack goes up to 38, and because of thecomplete destruction of the rail track it will be very difficult to send essential foodstuffsand fuel to Jaffna.Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi speaking in the Lok Sabha expresses unhappiness over the mannerthe security forces had been deployed by Sri Lankan authorities.;Chinese Foreign Minister Wu Xue Qian arrives in Colombo on 3-day visit.Three Policemen killed and two others injured when landmine blasts jeep in which they were travellingin East Sri Lanka according to government sources.A small plane, believed to be a military craft forcelandsat Palaly airport following an attack on it by Tamilmilitants But army authorities in Jaffna later say it was a helicopter not a plane and it landed with "slightdamage" at the airport. Following incident, heavy reprisals by armed forces in Palaly and adjoiningvillages. Panic and tension in the outlying areas.India releases Sri Lankan naval.boat and crew in exchange for the 17 Indian fishing boat skippers facingcharges in Colombo causing disappointment among Sri Lanka Tamils and Tamilnadu fishermen.Lalith Athulathmudali in Washington on a sudden unscheduled visit. Officials in Colombo deny that SriLanka was seeking extra arms from U.S.Chinese Foreign Minister Wu Xue Quian quoted as saying in Colombo that China stood by the unity ofSri Lanka.Batticaloa Police claim killing four Tamil militants and capturing 10 others after a gun battle.TULF leader Amirthalingam terms government's decision to hold by-elections in 4 Tamil constituenciesas a "farce and a fraud" and appeals a Tamils not to participate.Sri Lanka state of emergency first declared in May 1983 and continuously revived, extended for further30 days.Chinese Foreign Minister concluding his 3-day visit says in Colombo that Chinese arms supplies to SriI Lanka were not discussed.111!President Jayawardene sends Foreign Minister Shahul Hameed to Britain and France.Colombo newspaper "Weekend" says Sri Lankan Police feam had identified that the man arrested byBelgian Police wasTELO leader Sri Sabaratnam!Civil aviation aerodrome at Uchipuli near Ramanathapuram in Tamilnadu handed over to Indian Navyauthorities for development as a naval air base.A TELO Press not from Madras calls the government claim that its leader Sri Sabaratnam was capturedin Belgium "baseless and wholesale fiction"'In Colombo, ruling UNP woTking committee accuses India of "de facto invasion" of Sri Lanka by usirigTamil guerillas.In Belgium, officials say that the Sri Lankan Tamil arrested by the Belgian authorities was not the Tamilliberation leader they had earlier suspected to be. Sri Lankan Police officials return to Colombo after aforeign stay at the taxpayers' expense."What is going on there (Sri Lanka) is terrible", says Rajiv Gandhi in an interview with an Indian fortnightlyin New Delhi.22jkpo;j; Njrpa Mtzr; Rtbfs;
www.tamilarangam.net[Government Terrorism and Liberation Strugglein Tamil EelamFebruary Diary :Fettuary 1 :'Fetojuarj^:*"lFebrianrfl:* *A.J. Seniviratna named as new Deputy High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in Madras, in place of S. Piyasena.Government claims killing of two key figures of Tamil militant groups in the north.Ceylon Workers Congress Executive committee meeting presided by S. Thondaman says "The attitudeadopted by the government... has given rise to the fear that the government no longer wants a democraticpolitical settlement, but to impose its will by a harsh military operation." Committee calls upon governmentto abandon the dangerous proposal to settle armed Sinhalese in Tamil areas.Ten gun boats costing £ 1 .3 million each to be acquired by Sri Lanka from Britain, according to a Londonreport."We shall overcome the menace of terrorism" says President Jayawardene on eve of IndependenceDay.Sri Lanka celebrates Independence Day without the traditional parade of armed forces.In Jaffna, army fires at a car carrying a pregnant woman, her husband and a neighbour to the hospital.The car was flying a white flag at the time of the incident. Driver Ramasamy (65) killed and all threeoccupants injured. The pregnant woman, 21 year old Vijayaluxmy later gives birth to a son.Tamil militants pull down lion flags hoisted on government buildings in Jaffna. A youth who tried toremove the flag on the Central Post office building escapes after being wounded by army fire. An armybattalion, keeps watch over the flag for rest of the day.25 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees arrive by boat at Vetharaniam.In Trincomalee district, government claims Wiling 6 "Tamil Separatists".In Jaffna attempt by Tamil militants to blow up a Sri Lanka Air force helicopter by a rocket, fails. A militaryspokesman says that the rocket had fallen about 18 meters short of the 12-seater, Bell C-212 helicoptersoon after landing at Gurunagar army camp with passengers and cargo.Sri Lanka Minister. Lalith Athulathmudali arrives in New Delhi and has hour-long meeting with PrimeMinister Rajiv Gandhi. New Delhi report says he has come with no fresh ideas.Colombo report says that Kankesanthurai cement factory would have to remain closed for at least 6months until a testing of the machinery is done.A Colombo-bound Zaire Air ways cargo plane with a full load of arms and ammunition bearing Portuguesemarks detained at Trivandrum Airport. The plane on a flight from Amman to Colombo was obviouslycarrying the arms for use against Tamils. The member crewof the D C-8 Aircraft had sought permission toland as it had run out of fuel.500 families of Tamil fisherman from Pesalai village in Mannar comprising about 2000 membersincluding about 1000 women and children had arrived at Rameswaram in plastic fishing boats, over thepast four days, according to a Madurai report. They had said they were unable to "bear the torture by theSri Lankan army police and Sinhalese hoodlums".Indian government releases the arms-carrying Zaire aircraft and plane lands at Katunayake airport.iIn Colombo, President Jayawardene sets up a joint Operations Council with himself as Chairman to directsecurity operations. Army Commander Tissa Indika Weerathunga elevated to new post of General OfficerCommanding, Joint Operations. Brigadier Nalin Seneviratne who was directly in charge in Jaffna promotedMajor-General and appointed Army Commander.According to reports reaching Colombo, Tamil Militants blast approach road to Gurunagar army campin Jaffna making movements of security forces difficult. According to PT1 air force helicopters were tryingto reach the camp, the second biggest in the province. Reports from Jaffna army men go on rampage inGurunagar area making people flee their homes. Jaffna wore a deserted look.Indian government prepares to meet massive inflow of Tamil refugees at Mandapam Transit Camp.In London, the Times reports that 32 Tamils were shot dead in cold blood, some in front of their wivesand children in the Mannar area.jkpo;j; Njrpa Mtzr; Rtbfs;23
www.tamilarangam.netFebruary Diary :Governmin Ta»$ E:4tamFebuuiy 12:K:;,••: • ;• >^^H^ aBmr 1^ T^^ ' "•mmFer:JLWFebruttylG:February 17:"'" "''"-v^rr'1^ .,,.»''- •'"''fZ " '""•";$^A« 3^^^fi^^Rl^^^^Hm^!^aili^n^lflKICitB^^^.**WB^Rfl BiHIffv^ly^ppfeft 'flilfSB^ffiy1*"^';*^***f WSR?1'"~^' ""../'Three British media peoples, Nicholas Coleridge Michael Zalanchas and Peter Joubenal arrested anddetained in Colombo for "taking unauthorised pictures near military installations" in the north.University students begin agitation in Colombo against proposed University Bill. 3000-strong processionincluding young Buddhist monks baton-charged by police.Rameswaram fishermen Shekar (26) shot at by Sri Lankan navy boat. Refugee influx at Rameswaramkeeps on increasing.Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam attack army camp at Kokillai in the Mullaitivu district. According to aLTTE press release issued on 21/2/85, 106 Sinhala soldiers were killed, and at least 25 seriouslywounded "On our side" says the release" 16 freedom fighters were martyred and 9 injured In the meantime a military convoy of reinforcements rushing to the scene of the battle was ambushed at NayaruTiger guerrillas detonated land mines, killing 28 soldiers and destroying military vehicles. As a consequenceof these attacks the army camps at Kokillai and Thirtyai were closed down and the military personneltransferred to the main camp at Pathaviya."Student violence breaks out again in Colombo. Police riot squads brought in.Sri Lankan naval base at Karainagar attacked on February 1 1 th, according to a press release issued byEPRLE. Over 100 navy men were killed and some gun boats destroyed after a three hour gun battleaccording to the release. Simultaneously approach roads from Gurunagar and Palali Army camps werealso blasted by land mines preventing army mobility. The attack was claimed by the military wing of theEPRLF the People's Liberation Army.In New Delhi Sri Lanka High Commission described as "totally false" the London Times reports of themassacre of 32 civilians in Mannar.Communist Party of India denounces genocide by Sri Lankan army.In New York the Christian Science Monitor says, the battle between Tamil separatists and the SriLankan army si sliding into a civil war.Two Indian fishermen, Anandan (25) Anthony (27) killed by Sri Lankan navy off Rameswaram.Total number of refugees at Mandapam transit camp swells to nearly three thousand.London Times reports that 10.000 Tamils in villages adjoining Mullaitivu forced to flee their homes bysecurity forces.India lodges strong protest with Sri Lanka over killing of Indian fishermen.About 400 mokre Tamil refugees arrive at Rameswaram.Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi says in Hyderabad "Three is no question of the Indian army moving intoSri Lanka". He makes this statement at a press conference at the air port when asked to comment onTULF Leader Amirthalingam's suggestion fora "Bangladesh — type of operation in Sri Lanka"In Colombo Lalith Athulathmudali claims that 52 Tamil separatists were killed in a raid on a jungle hideoutin Mullaitivu area. He was actually referring to the killing of more than 52 innocent civilians by armedforces as a reprisal for the Tiger attack at Kokilai army camp.Refugee influx continues. Over 3200 at the Mandapam camp alone. Tamil Nadu government sanctionsRs. 5 lakh for constructing shelters.In London. Sri Lankan Finance Minister Ronnie de Mel seeks British government credits for purchase ofarms.24jkpo;j; Njrpa Mtzr; Rtbfs;
www.tamilarangam.netFebruary Diary:StruggleIn Colombo, 3 British media people released after being detained fora week. Foreign Minister Hameedsuggests joint patrol of the waters between the two countries by Indian and Sri Lankan navy.The proposed Voice of America station in Sri Lanka will be a perfect cover for a planned secretCommunication Centre and an electronic listening post for the United States navy, says Colombo journelForum.Firing by Sri Lankan naval personnel on fleeing Tamils alleged. Three decomposed bodies of menbelieved to be those of Sri Lankan Tamils found washed ashore at Rameswaram.In Colombo, Sri Lanka cabinet discuss Amirthalingam's call for Indian military intervention.In Vavuniya, Sri Lanka Army opens fire on people at bus stand and kills Jaffna undergraduate andinjures two others.In Colombo, leader of Nava Sama Samaja Party, Vasudeva Nanayakkara arrested in connection withstudent agitation.In Madura! about 1000 students of Yadava College protest against killing of Tamils in Sri Lanka.In London "Jane's Defence Weekly" reports the Sri Lanka has purchased from Israel two twin-engineddouble Aluminium hull "Dubar" coastal patrol craft, equipped to carry missiles.1000 Sri Lankan students protest in Colombo against new University rules.Leader of Opposition Anura Bandaranaike demands arrest of Amirthalingam.Madura! report says refugee flow crosses the 6000-mark.In Washington US administration rejects a military solution Sri Lanka, and calls for resumption of politicaldialogue.In Madurai 314 more Tamil refugees arrive and tally goes up nearly 7000.Government agent of Mullaitivu K. Gnanachandran kidnapped by Tamil militants and killed on variouscharges of acting against the interests of the people.Sri Lanka High Commissioner in New Delhi summoned to Colombo.Medical teams posted at Rameswaram and Mandapam refugee camps.Colleges in Madurai ordered to be closed until March 3 in view of student agitation on the Sri LankanTamil issue. "In Washington, National Council of Churches expresses serious concern over the situation concerningthe Tamil minority in Sri Lanka.Group of Tamils stage demonstration upsetting Sri Lankan participation in international tourism fair atHamburg, West Germany.India announces diplomatic change in Colombo. J.N. Dixit, now envoy in Kabul to replace Chhatwal.Sri Lankan Tamil refugee influx crosses the 10,000 mark. Sri Lankan govt. claims killing another 4"separatists" at Kankesanturai. Athulathmudali says fishing ban in northern prohibited zone will berelaxed next month.30 more boat loads of refugees arrive at Rameswaram Sri Lanka Cabinet spokesman Anandatissa deAlwis says in Colombo that refugee figures are exaggerated,Athulathmudali says "terrorists" are forcingthe people to flee.jkpo;j; Njrpa Mtzr; Rtbfs;25
www.tamilarangam.netSINHALA PARTY ADVOCATESDECENTRALIZATION OFPOWERSon-in-law wants in 1985 what father-in-lawtore up in 1958:The Sri Lanka government's fruitless"war against terrorism" is at last bringinga change in the political will of the Sinhala'peoplo. One influential Sinhala party hasnow come out openly in favour of decentralizationas the basis for an ethnicsettlement — the Sri Lanka MahajanaParty (SLMP) led by film idol VijayaKumaranatunga. Mr. Kumaranatunga isthe son-in-law of two former PrimeMinisters. Mr. S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike andMrs. Srima Bandaranaike and estrangedbrother-in-law of present Leader of theOpposition Anura Bandaranaike.In a statement issued in Colomborecently. Vijaya Kumaranatunga advocatesgoing back to the Bandaranaike-ChelvanayakamPact, popularly known as theB-C Pact, which was tabled in the CeylonParliament on 26 July 1957 and abrogatedlater by Prime Minister Bandaranaike'under pressure from chauvinist Buddhistmonks.As to whether a wise solution unwiselydiscarded then, would still hold good after27 years of a worsening ethnic gulf, isanother matter altogether. But the significanceof the SLMP stand cannot beignored because this is the first time anySinhala party in Sri Lanka, other than aMarxist one. has supported the conceptof a devolution of power and a virtualrecognition of "Tamil areas". The RegionalCouncils proposed under the B-C Pactwere to be invested with the powers toselect candidates for colonizationschemes.Walter Schwartz, writing on "The Tamils,of Sri Lanka' (Minority Rights GroupReport No 25) said: "...The pact...embodied one of the few statesmanlikecompromises between two extremepositions ever to be attempted in SriLanka. Had it been carried out it would,as the Prime Minister later claimed,"safeguard the position of the Sinhale.%?.While, at the same time, meet thereasonable fears of the Tamils!Mr Kumaranatunga says in his statement:—"Communalism has dominated politicsin Sri Lanka ever since the introductionof universal franchise in 1931. One consequenceof this trend has been the gradualseparation of the Sri Lankan Tamilminority from the Sinhala majority —politically, socially, economically and geographically.The question we have to facetoday is whether the Tamils can be heldwithin a single Sri Lanka State for muchlonger."Among the Sinhala people, the UNPand SLFP have constantly viewed witheach other in exploiting Sinhala communalismfor electoral gain They are doingit even in this hour of grave crisis. Since1956, each of these two parties, when inopposition, has effectively obstructed theefforts of the other in power, to solve theethnic problem by negotiation."Among the Tamils, the TULF emergedas the principal communal party by 1975It proclaimed in 1976 that its aim was towin a separate State of Tamil Eelam bynon-violent means. Almost concurrentlya militant movement of Tamil youth.pursuing the same goal by violent meansif necessary, also arose. This movement,divided into several factions, now seemsto dominate politics in the North."The net result of the communal politicsof the UNP. SLFP and TULF has beenthe murderous communal war now beingfought in the North of Sri Lanka and onthe international political screen. The pityof it is that the victims in this war are notthose who have benefitted from communalpolitics."After unpardonable procrastinationPresident J.R. Jayawardene recentlypresented draft legislation designed tosettle the gravest crisis in our modernhistory. The TULF expressed its dissatisfactionabout the adequacy of the devolutionof power implicit in the draft legislation.Predictably, the SLFP categoricallyrejected it (because being in the opposition,it is now its turn to obstruct aneaotiated settlement.) Thereupon, theGovernment withdrew the draft legislation.Thus history repeated itself. Little do theyoung men in the front line of battle,staring down their severed limbs orholding their entrails in their hands, realisethat they are paying with their wastedlives for the greed, vanity, rivalry and lustfor power of their elderly leaders""Isthere no way out of this tragedy? Ihave spent a great deal of time in therecent past trying to understand the natureof our ethnic crisis and why previousattempts at solving it by negotiation havefailed. I have discussed the subject withall sorts of people — ordinary, learned,religious, political, communal-minded,liberal and so on. I now feel that certainessential steps must be taken if we are toresolve our ethnic crisis." I am convinced that a military solutionto our ethnic problem will be neithersatisfactory nor just. Attempts at imposingsuch a solution will be both brutal and26jkpo;j; Njrpa Mtzr; Rtbfs;
www.tamilarangam.netThe late Tamil leaderS.J.V. Chelvanayakamself-defeating. As the first step. I thinkthe Tamil leaders, especially of theyounger generation, must declareunambiguously even as I do. that theybelieve in the possibility of a negotiatedpolitical solution.""Once the belief in the possibility of apeaceful and just solution takes hold ofour minds, it will become possible to takethe next step, namely, to stop the tragicand senseless destruction ot life andproperty. This will necessarily requirenegotiations with the militants, who haveshown a remarkable willingness to diefor their cause. As early as possible themaintenance of law and order in theNorthern and Eastern provinces shouldbe entrusted to a mutually acceptablepeace-keeping force. The use of thearmed forces for pursuing politicalobjectives must cease. Experience hasshown that the powers of arrest, search,seizure and interrogation given to thesecurity forces by the Prevention ofTerrorism Act can be easily abused andthey must be substantially restricted.""The struggle of the Tamil people fortheir aspirations is no longer a purelydomestic issue. The strong cross-bordercultural ties between South India andNorthern Sri Lanka are a geopoliticalreality which neither New Delhi nor theSinhala people can ignore. It is indeedfortunate that India has constantly urgeda negotiated political solution within theframework of a unitary Sri Lanka. Thereis much to be gained therefore byinvolving newly-elected, young, pragmaticRajiv Gandhi in the negotiating process.Particularly is this so because the U.S.with which Sri Lanka has close relationsseems to be inclined to establish evencloser relations with Rajiv Gandhi."The most important step in resolvingour ethnic crisis is to decide upon amutually acceptable basis for working outa negotiated solution. The more I havethought about the matter, the more I havebecome persuaded that the compromisesolution worked out by Mr. S.W.R.D.Bandaranaike and Mr. S.J.V. Chelvanayakamin 1957 still provides the soundestbasis for a mutually acceptable and workablesolution.""The agreement covered four areas ofconflict — devolution of power, languagerights, colonisation of the traditional Tamilspeaking areas and citizenship lawsaffecting the Indian Tamil estate population.Circumstance has forced successiveGovernments to implement someof the solutions proposed in that agreement.That is the best test of their validity.For example, as in the B-C agreement,so. in the 1978 constitution. Tamil hasbeen made a national language. Unfortunatelythe full impact of the solutions hasnot been realised because very often they"have been applied only half-heartedly."According to Professor A J Wilson inregard to the devolution of power. Mr.Chelvanayakam demanded federation butagreed to accept a scheme which offereda single regional council for the Northernprovince and two or more for the Eastern.It is my firm conviction that the onlyfeasible way available at present to theSinhala people to preserve a unitary andunited Sri Lanka is to offer to the Tamilpeople by way of devolution of power,what Mr. Bandaranaike consideredprudent to offer and Mr. Chelvanayakamconsidered wise to accept".Army bomb house at NallurNallur Cross Road is a quite residentialroad close to the Nallur KanthaswamiTemple in Jaffna. The usual calm wasshattered however at mid-day on Tuesday19th February when army trucksdescended in a battalion and went straightin the direction of a particular housetucked well off the road. Two hugeexplosions followed leaving not only thehouse in ruins, but causing cracks inadjoining houses and leaving the residentsof the entire area in a panic. Locked doorsin nearby houses flung open as a result ofthe vibration, roadside walls of somehouses cracked, and several residents whofled in fear sustained injuries. A heartpatient, a male resident of a road nearby,the Kachcheri-Nallur Road, collapsed anddied. The house belonged to Mr. Tharmasangari,a brother of ex-MP for KilinochchiMr. Anandasangari, but the owners whowere abroad were not in occupation ofthe house. It was reported that the reasonfor the army attack was that some "antisocial"element had falsely tipped off thearmy that the house was used in the nightsby "terrorists".jkpo;j; Njrpa Mtzr; Rtbfs;27
www.tamilarangam.netThe Sri Lanka link : HasIsrael lost on the deal ?by Netanel LorchThe author established the Israel legationin Colombo, and served as Charge d'affaires from 1958-60.It is true that Israel, as one of its firstvictims, has a vested interest in combatinginternational terrorism. It is also true thatin the course of many years of continuousstruggle it has gained valuable experienceand developed original strategies andtactics to combat terrorists, which can beof immense helkp to other governmentsfaced with a similar problem.To put this experience at the disposalof other governments may. under certaincircumstances, be in Israel's interest.However, that is by no means necessarilytrue in the case of all governments, andunder all circumstances.LIKE MOST Israelis. I received the newsconcerning the renewal of diplomaticrelations with Sri Lanka with satisfaction.Any broadening of Israel's diplomaticnetwork is welcome news, not only for itsown, political, sake, but also as a vehiclefor contacts in other fields — economic,cultural, tourist et al.This is particularly true in the Asiancontinent. We are perched on its westernrim, and yet—in the wide belt betweenIsrael and Burma — there is a gapingdiplomatic vacuum, apart from theembassy in Nepal and the toe-hold of aconsulate in Bombay.Ceylon, as it was then called, had"suspended" relations with Israel —'officiallyit never broke them, although theterm suspension does not have any othermeaning — for reasons of its own. in 1970.This happened not because of any actcommitted or omitted by Israel detrimentalto its interest, but because the primeminister at the time. Mrs. Bandaranaike.considered such a move advantageousfor securing the support of the Moslemminority on the island, and possibly alsobecause of misplaced expectations ofArab economic and financial support.There were many at the time whoopposed this move. One influentialCeylonese friend observed to me thatduring the preceding election campaign.Bandaranaike had made two promises —to reduce the price of rice, the staplefood of the island, and to break relationswith Israel. Of the two. she found that thelatter would be much cheaper.ONE OF those who tried to influence thegovernment in Colombo against takingthis step, strangely enough, was theEgyptian ambassador.For some years before, a Ceylonese.Mr. Shirley Amerasinghe, had chaired thethree-member UN Commission on HumanRights in the Occupied Territories. Theremaining two members were fromSomalia and Yugoslavia, neither of whichis represented in Israel. Israel's representativeat the UN utilized this as an argument,demonstrating the basic imbalanceand partiality of the commission.The Egyptian ambassador realized thatthe severance of diplomatic ties by Ceylonwould serve as grist to Israel's mill.In any case, Israel had not damagedSri Lanka in anyway, which in the normalcourse of international relations is theonly valid ground for breaking diplomaticrelations. It was welcome news that thewrong done to Israel would now berighted.But as more details emerged, inpublications in Colombo and subsequentlyin Washington the initial satisfactionsoured.It was revealed that Israel would onlybe permitted an interest section — withinan existing embassy, a form of diplomaticrepresentation practised even betweencountries in a state of war. which haslittle or no political function or significance.The embassy in question would be thatof the United States. Without any lack ofrespect for the U.S. This was seen asimplying some political message — onewhich, in the eyes of the present Sri Lankagovernment, may be favourable, but inthose of its successor may have theopposite effect.TO BE perceived in a Third World countryas a friend and an ally of the U.S. is onething; to appear as its protege is anotherNeither the U.S. nor Israel has everderived benefit from the perception — ormisperception — of a patron-clientrelationship.Finally, the foreign minister of Sri Lankaannounced publicly that in return Israelwould help to eradicate the Tamil terroristsin the north of the country.The result of this announcement wasto be foreseen. Not only did Arab governmentsprotest against this rather modestmove towards the re-establishment ofdiplomatic relations — and some of theMoslems in Sri' snka duly echoed theseprotests — but there were outcries fromthe Tamil community — and not only thoseidologically, or otherwise, identified withthe underground.In the case of Sri Lanka, it would seemthat — if the information is true, and tothe best of my knowledge no denial hasbeen forthcoming from Jerusalem —Israel is paying a high price indeed for amoderate return.Relations between the Sinhalese,mostly Buddhist, majority — concentratedin the south and south-west of the island— and the Tamil Hindu minority in thenorth and east - has bedevilled Sri Lankapolitics for many years, before and afterindependence in 1948.It is complex in itself, and its complexityis compounded by the fact that in addition,there are millions of Tamil estate workersand their families in the heartland ofSinhalese Sri Lanka, and by the presenceof about 40 million Tamils in the south ofIndia, just across from-Jaffna, on the otherside of the Palk Straits.Constitutional arrangements devised bythe British during the period of self-rulewere designed to guarantee the rights ofboth majority and minority.Some ambitious Sinhalese politiciansfound fertile ground in the feelings ofsome members of the majority, byappealing to their anti-Tamil emotions.The Tamils are considered as frugal, hardworkingand intelligent.Under the British raj they had occupieda disproportionate share of positions inthe public service. Bandaranaike hadgained elections with his slogan of"Sinhalese only" — that is. Sinhalese asthe only official language, which wouldautomatically eliminate Tamils from thepublic service.From time to time, violent outbursts inan otherwise tranquil country accentuatedthe inherent tensions. In 1958, pogromswere committed against Tamils — barelyreported in the Western media, but on ascale and with a brutality which compareto the worst in the annals of the Jewishpeople.28jkpo;j; Njrpa Mtzr; Rtbfs;
www.tamilarangam.netMANY <strong>TAMIL</strong>S identified emotionally withthe Jews. They are hard-working andindustrious, yet they constitute a minorityin all the countries in which they live -not only India and Sri Lanka but alsofurther rest, in Malaysia and Singapore.They viewed with admiration mixed withenvy the feat of a small people whichwith tremendous effort and sacrifice, hadsucceeded in establishing its own independentstate.Israel representatives were, of course,aware of this empathy, but while maintaininggood personal relations withrepresentatives of all sectors, includingTamils, took care not to take sides or toidentify with one of the parties in a crucialdomestic struggle.J.R. Jayawardene (known as J.R. longbefore Dallas was conceived), the incumbentpresident of Sri Lanka, went out ofhis way at the beginning of his term ofoffice to accommodate what he consideredlegitimate Tamil demands.Tamil ministers were included in hiscabinet, and Tamils were given seniorpositions in the army and police. Tamilcultural autonomy in the north was confirmed,and permitted to expand.The operations of the Tamil Tigers,initially a small underground, no doubtwith connections across the straits in India,aiming at partition of the island and totalindependence for Tamil areas, thereforecame at a time when Tamil fortunes wereat a relatively high point, and J.R.'ssuspicion that the underground was motkvated and supported by elements whichdisagreed with other aspects of his policy— his pro-Western orientation, his encouragementof private enterprise — wasprobably well founded.The possibility that Tamil guerrillas hadbeen trained by the PLO cannot beexcluded either. When Tamil guerrillaskilled some Sinhalese soldiers in thenorth, widespread violent reaction followedin many parts of the island.Dozens of Tamil prisoners were killedin one of the prisons in cold blood bytheir fellow inmates — according to anAmnesty International report — with theacquiescence, if not tacit approval, ofprison officers.Tamils were indiscriminately shot orharassed on several occasions. On thepolitical level. Tamil MPs who were absentfrom parliament in Colombo for fear oftheir lives, were deprived of their seats,and some of them went into exile.Emergency regulations abolished theneed for inquests in the case of unnaturaldeaths.Tamils feel abandoned and helpless,and it would seem that more and moreamong them are now inclined to supportfull independence for the Tamil north asthe only way to ensure the safety of theirlives and property.UNDER THESE circumstances, Israel'sreported willingness to help train Sri Lanka- Sinhalese units - to combat terrorists,if it is true, will obviously be interpretedas an act of taking sides.Israel will, by implication, be associatedwith the human rights record of thepresent Sri Lanka government, which,judging from reliable international,sources, is questionable, to say the least.Israel is bound to lose whatever sympathyit enjoys not only among the Tamilsin Sri 'Lanka, but also amongst those inthe big "Tamilstan" of India in the areaaround Madras.It would seem that similar considerationsprevailed in councils in Washingtonand London, and the U.S. and Britishgovernments are reluctant to extend helpto the Sri Lankan government. Yet Israelis prepared to incur the losses.WHAT DOES Israel stand to gain ? TheSri Lanka government has already publiclydeclared that it was not about to changeits attitude on the Palestinian question. Ithas indicated that full diplomatic relationsare.not being contemplated.Israel will therefore be left with aninterest section — with all the diplomaticand other constraints pertaining to thatstatus — a low return for a major investment.Relations with Sri Lanka are definitelyin Israel's interest. Sri Lanka has hurtIsrael by suspending relations, and its isonly right that they should be restored.If Israel has to pay a price for suchrestoration, so be it. But not any price.Agricultural cooperation, as stated inthe laconic announcement made by theForeign Ministry in Jerusalem, seems'proper and adequate.But if active help in combating Tamilguerrillas in the north is part of the deal— and one must still hope that it is not —it must be clearly stated that the price isexorbitant, the return not commensurate,and that Israel's government would bewell advised to reconsider its decision.At the very least, it should be madeclear that by sending a diplomat toColombo, Israel has not committed itselfto support Sri Lanka when human rightson that island will again be discussed ininternational forums, that Israel is nottaking sfdes in an internal struggle andharbours no ill feelings towards the Tamils.That much, at least, we owe to ourselves,to our dignity, to our character asa Jewish State, the State of the Jewishpeople, the majority of whom still live asminorities in many parts of the world.(By courtesy: Jerusalem Post)Quotable QuoteProfessor Ralph Buultjens, the SriLankan-born, New York based politicalscientist has been shocking Colomboaudiences in recent weeks. Addressing aRotary meeting in Colombo, he said thattrying to equate the Sri Lankan ForeignService with the "seasoned Indiandiplomats" in like "putting Kukul Charliein the ring against Muhammed All".Kukul Charlie is a small-time popular,entertainer in the liquor bar rounds inColombo known for his mimicry.Seapking to the same audience,Dr. Buultjens said that unless progress ismade by Sri Lanka in seeking a solutionto the ethnic problem, she will have toaccept more intervention by India.Nothing that there can be interventionwithout invasion, he said India couldmanipulate an increase in terrorist activity,release large stocks of Tea to the worldmarket and influence the Minister forRural Industrial Development..S. Thondaman.Sri Lanka does not have many friends,he said. The belief that "we can antagoniseand irritate India without serious consequencesis a myth"."If we believe in absurdities we willcommit atrocities", he said, adding thattoday there are a large number of suchabsurdities which have infiltrated publicthinking and have helped form publicopinion.jkpo;j; Njrpa Mtzr; Rtbfs;29
www.tamilarangam.netr'APA ASSOCIATWas INDIA TODAYtaken for a(train) ride ?Look at the picture above. It is supposedto show "the train blown up by Tamilrebels in the north ". Dilip Bobb who wrotean excellent, incisive report on Sri Lanka -for INDIA TODAY (Paradise Lost: March15) was apparently fed the picture byVijitha Yapa Associates in Colombo. Butdoes it look like a train, 12 carriages ofwhich were blown off the track by landmines ? Look at the TIME .magazinepicture on the left. Even the compartmentis upside down — note the figure 2. Andthen, look at OUR pictures on the right.How does one reconcile the Vijitha YapaAssociates photograph with the rest ?What are Vijitha Yapa Associates up to ?Did they "doctor" the picture, fake it or"cook" it up ?Just shows how the Sri Lankan government,the Sri Lankan Radio and the SriLankan Press are taking the world for aride !Sri Lankan army troops inspect wreckage of a train blown up by Tamil guerrillasjkpo;j; Njrpa Mtzr; Rtbfs;
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p.www.tamilarangam.netCars with EELAMnumber plates onAmerican roads!What more dothe Sri Lankansecurity forcesneed?The Sri Lankan security forces needmore arms and more" hands according toBrigadier Wanasinghe (see report elsewherein this issue) We also know thatthey need other things besides — couragefor example; skill; ability to stay put. Butapparently they need lots of more thingsaccording to the government-run newspaperin Colombo, the Sunday Observerof March 3. Says the report:"The Security Forces are urgently inneed of:Gunny BagsBarbed wire; and Security lights in largequantities. We appeal to the public fordonations of whatever quantities they cangive. These could be handed over to theSri Lanka Girl Guides Association Headquartersin Colombo. The Forces alsorequire a garment manufacturer to turnout a large number of uniforms. We expectthis to be done free or at a nominalcharge".Can any reader suggest why thesecurity- forces would need gunny bagsin large quantities ?The number plates that the twolcars in the photographs carry are!perfectly authentic and legalised*ones: they are EELAM 1 andEELAM 4. They belong to twoTamil citizens iRftrig'ln the stateof Massachussets, U.S.A. Undermerican traffic laws such registrationis permitted subject tocertain other conformities withthe law.An imagined fem«yby Sinhala reader Jayantha Samarasingheto Sri Lanka Communist Party pacerFORWARD, and published in its issue ofFebruary 1: _ •_-. ''" ---^ ?fc anyone who.gets ;hr the way of a toultet fiied by ourglorious armed forces*"1, r, . ', ;"But Thatha, some people say they aresinnocent by-standers" .:, "Nonsense, Putha. How can ftiey beinnocent if they am standing about whenare"That's so, Puthaour forces who are only to protect them?"IERSATliiundred of themwhen you're;;-?!Y«8 Putha?"we scolding the Indians ? Are-"Some are. The rest are just as bad ""But doesn't anyone like Indians orTamBs?"traitors, Thatha?"'Anyone who wants the killing of Tanfflft32jkpo;j; Njrpa Mtzr; Rtbfs;
www.tamilarangam.netThe Eelam Boat PeopleIt was the first week of February. Firstthere was a trickle. Then began a steadyflow and suddenly it became an avalancheof Tamil Eelam refugees, men, womenand children landing off the Rameswaramcoast, arriving in little fibre glass boats, inlarge motorised launches and in precariouscountry vessels. Daily they cameby the hundreds and in the course of one|month the refugee tally had topped theH 5,000 mark, making an absolute mockeryof the much-flaunted tough Sri Lankannaval surveillance on the northern coast.The Indian media got on to the eventfast. All daily newspapers, (including theeditorially pro-Sri Lankan governmentinclined Indian Express), filled theircolumns with on-the-spot photographsand reports and interviews. Excellenteditorial and photographic coverage camefrom all the reputed periodicals such asIllustrated Weekly of India, Sunday, TheWeek, India Today, and Herald Review.Having obviously permitted the exodusinitially, in order to de-populate Tamilareas, the Sri Lanka government did notknow how to meet the adverse internationalpublicity caused by the fleeingTamils. Colombo first took the positionthat the Indian media was lying about thefigures. But maligning the Indian mediawas just not good enough, because theinternational media was itself getting onto the truth. "Tamils are the world's newestboat people", said the headline in theArab Times of February 26 of a report byStephen R. Wilson. "Terror drives wholevillage to join Tamil boat exodus", saidthe London Times report of March 11,carrying a special despatch by MichaelHamlyn from Rameshwaram.National Security Minister LalithAthulathmudali thereafter changed thetune. He accepted the "exodus" but gave3 reasons for it. According to the government-runDaily News of March 1, theMinister said: "Some 140 Tamils interceptedin the Palk Strait said they werefleeing for three reasons — threats fromTamil militant groups, the ban on fishingin the area, and fears of being caught inthe fighting between the separatists andsoldiers". For good measure, the Ministeralso said "that terrorists angered or disappointedby lack of positive action bythe Indian government in support of theirsecessionist cause, were trying to createa refugee problem by compelling Tamilsto cross over".While it was really creditable that theSri Lankan navy was able to intercept atleast 140 out of the over-14,000 whocrossed over, what the 140 are supposedto have told whoever it was, obviouslysomething that should be told to theMarines!K.P. Sunil, writing in the "IllustratedWeekly of India" (March 24) under theheadline — EXODUS, opens his reportthus:"They are not human beings", wailedan aging woman. "They are brutes... worsethan animals... maneaters..." "She wasnot airing a personal opinion. But voicingthe sentiments of thousands of others,who, like her, have braved innumerablehazards during a perilous cross-over fromthe island republic of Sri Lanka to themore hospitable shores of India. Theyare Tamils. Sri Lankan citizens who havelived forages on that country's soil. Peoplewith no roots here, now looking up toIndia for asylum on humanitarian grounds.Refugees from the violence andrepression directed against them by theSinhalese people and the Sri Lankangovernment through its security forces...And what did the boat people tellK.P. Sunil ? Here are just a few Of theexcerpts: "I have lost my only relative. Iwill never go back. The place is a madehouse. The people are raving lunatics. Ifyou people don't want us here in India,shoot us. Kill us. But please dont send usback" (Sarojini, a woman farm labourer)"I shall go back when peace returns...You have to ensure that peace returns toour land. Our boys, the Tigers are fightingto make our land free..." (YogarajNanattan, a well-to-do fisherman)"Young (Tamil) men cannot walk the roadsof Sri Lanka. They think all young Tamilsare Tigers and terrorists. The Tigers aregaining in strength and the Sinhalese areterrified of them". (Eujeniu Kulas, 27-yearold youth)"They (the armed forces) are too scaredto take on the Tigers. All the socalledterrorists shot by the police and army areactually innocent Tamil youths... Youpeople will shudder at some of the atrocitiesand tortures perpetrated by thoselunatics. They used to line up small schoolboys on the ground and trample them.And rejoice as the poor chaps screamand writhe in pain. Youths are herdedinto large gunny bags and sewn up. Thenthey pour petrol over the bundle and burnit along with its live contents. Women arebeaten up mercilessly and gang-raped.After their lust has been satisfied theywere shot like dogs...(Dharmakulasingham, Journalist)Quotable Quote"... Dont believe a wocd of whatthey say over the Sri Lankanradio. Except-the time mentionedat the beginning of a programme,all the rest are blatant lies"— Boat refugeDharmakulasingham.jkpo;j; Njrpa Mtzr; Rtbfs;
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