Politics

Banu draws first blood

By Amantha Perera  The arrival of Col. Banu in the east was expected to herald the shift in balance of power in favour of the Wanni command. Banu who made his name leading artillery units during the Elephant Pass attack was sent to the east as the Tiger high command in the Wanni was not satisfied with the manner his predecessor Ramesh had handled security in the east, especially in Batticaloa.

Reggie

The change in command was prompted by the attack on an LTTE guard post at Pullmalai on the A5 highway that links Badulla and Chenkaladi, 65 km south west of Batticaloa on September 7. The LTTE said after the attack that none of their cadres were killed. However, army sources said that about seven LTTE cadres had been killed in the attack. Two attackers that the LTTE identified as Karuna supporters working with the support of the security forces were killed.LTTE Political head for Batticaloa, Kaushalyan who was in the Wanni when the attack took place said the attack was a serious incident.

Meeting in Wanni

The LTTE area leaders met in the Wanni during the week that followed the attacks and the changes in command were effected after the discussions.

Banu arrived in the east ironically in the company of Ramesh, Ram, Penran and another LTTE cadre on September 12. It took just 10 days for Banu to announce that he meant business.

Around 10 p.m. on September 22, three Karuna supporters were moving through the jungles near Anivillamadu, north of Karadiyanaru when they were ambushed by Wanni cadres. It was a close quarters gun battle, according to military sources in Batticaloa. In the attack the three Karuna supporters were killed. The LTTE later identified the three as Reggie, Elillan and Thumilan. Reggie, real name Vinayagamoorthi Sivasadurai (40) is the elder brother of former LTTE eastern commander Karuna. He had held a high position in the LTTE ranks before the split and was the commander of the famous 46 Base in Batticaloa.

Though the LTTE did not release figures of its casualties, civilians returning from Karadiyanaru on the day after the attack said that five bodies of LTTE cadres killed in the attack too were brought to the town along with the other three. The faces of the three dead Karuna supporters were burnt beyond recognition leading to initial doubts on Reggie's identity. "It is kind of surprising that Reggie would be leading such a small group near Karadiyanaru," a military officer based in Batticaloa told The Sunday Leader soon after news of the killing reached Batticaloa. LTTE sources in Batticaloa on Friday said that the movement was yet to confirm the identity of Reggie.

Reggie had been identified by Karuna as his second in command who would be leading his troops in attacks against Wanni cadres in the east and his loss would be a big blow to Karuna. He had directed several attacks against Wanni cadres after the split.

On the contrary it would be a tremendous boost to the Wanni faction in generaland Banu in particular. A clear message as to who is in control, if the identity is confirmed.

Intelligence reports indicated last week that along with the appointment of Banu, the LTTE had initiated a series of changes in the eastern military set up to meet the challenge of Karuna cadres. Top of the list was the entry of more cadres from the north into the east. There were unconfirmed reports that said that Kaushalyan too might be replaced by Mano Master.

The reports said that 50 cadres from the elite Charles Anthony Brigade under the command of one Akbar have been brought into the east and stationed in areas bordering the Toppigala jungle to take on the Karuna faction members moving about. The Reggie ambush took place in this area where the LTTE had reportedly inducted these battle hardened cadres from the Wanni.

Karuna supporters are believed to be camped in the area east of Aralaganwilla and the Toppigala area. The members of the Charles Anthony Brigade have been put in place to act as a bulwark against infiltrations and carry out counter attacks.

An additional 300 Wanni cadres were reportedly setting up small bases in the area close to Unnachchi, east of Maha Oya. They were setting up small camps near the Unnachchi tank that lies in areas under the control of the LTTE.There was another report that said that around 250 Wanni cadres had crossed over from Sampur through the Vakereni area further up north.

Increased presence

On September 11, the army reported that it had received information that 30 cadres from Wanni had crossed over to the east. Another Wanni cadre named Kumaran had reached the 46 Base from the Wanni. He has joined Ramnan, who operates from the base. Ramnan, a former eastern intelligence head has been playing a vital role in the intelligence and military operations in Batticaloa following the Karuna split. In Kallady, according to security forces, intelligence cadres operating under his command venture into government areas almost daily. Despite toning down their presence in public, army believes that around 30 to 40 Tiger intelligence operatives are active in Batticaloa town.

Such reports are indicative that the LTTE has increased the presence of the Wanni commanders and cadres in the east. While Ramesh hailed from the east, Banu is from the north, hailing from Ariyale in the Jaffna peninsula. Nilaveni, LTTE eastern female commander under Karuna, who initially fled with Karuna but thereafter returned to Tiger fold, has returned to the east after spending about two months in the Wanni.

When Karuna launched his rebellion one of his main missives was that the east had been meted out step-motherly treatment by the LTTE leadership. Despite lack of public support for the rebellion itself, that message continues to resonate in the east.

Less movements

Karuna supporters have been moving about LTTE held areas in small numbers and carrying out small scale attacks. On September 21 suspected Karuna supporters attempted to ambush a bus carrying 15 LTTE cadres at Mankerni north of Batticaloa on the A15 highway linking Batticaloa and Trincomalee. When they missed the bus, the attackers tried to blow up a claymore mine when two LTTE cadres passed by on a bike. The claymore went off, but the cadres escaped injury.

It was between Mankerni and Kayankerni that Vasu Bawa and Yoga, two top ranking LTTE political wing members were ambushed and killed on August 20. A claymore mine was used in that attack that took place just inside government held areas. LTTE Political Wing Head S. P. Tamilselvan in a letter to the SLMM later blamed security forces for the attack.

Soon after last week's attack, the LTTE had closed the section of the road and carried out a thorough search operation in the area, but had not discovered any weapons or infiltrators. On Thursday morning, around 5.30 a.m. there was another attack at Kudumbill. No casualties were reported.

Because of such attacks the LTTE has reduced movement of its cadres, especially high-ranking ones. In Pullmalai where the September 7 attack took place civilians say that they have been requested to report the presence of any outsiders. The security contingent at the border cross over point too has been changed and new cadres put in place of the ones who were there when the attack took place.

LTTE, armed forces meet

Army reported that soon after Pullmalai attack, the LTTE had adopted a strategy of changing its radio frequencies in order to avoid intercepts.Tigers have also been keeping a close eye on former cadres who left the organisation after Karuna rebelled and their families. Some have been detained while families have been receiving threatening letters and other messages. Between 500 to 600 adult cadres and about 2,000 child soldiers left the LTTE when Karuna offered the option.

In the midst of all these developments, security forces and the LTTE met for the first time since Ramalingam Padmaseelan alias Lt. Col. Senathiraja, the last Batticaloa political head of the Tigers died of gun shot injuries received earlier on July 13. The army delegation was headed by Brigadier Vajira Wijeyagoonewardana the officer in charge of the 23 Brigade while the LTTE representatives included Kaushalyan, Kuilamban, Dayamohan, Marshall and S. Manoj who is Kaushalyan's translator. The meeting that took place under the auspices of SLMM Head Trond Furuhovde in the no-man's land at Vavunathivu on September 22 was the fruition of efforts by the SLMM office in Batticaloa which had kept communication lines open with all parties despite the tension and the killings.

Absentees

Both the army and the LTTE had pledged that they would uphold the CFA. Army had told the LTTE that despite all the allegations that the army was behind the murders of LTTE members so far there was no proof to substantiate the claim. Kaushalyan had replied that the Tigers were pointing the finger at the army since the attacks were taking place in government controlled areas. The LTTE had also agreed to produce identity cards when cadres crossed over.

Furuhovde had stressed that the SLMM was not taking any sides and that the monitors would be strict in maintaining the CFA.The next meeting is scheduled for October 6.

The conspicuous absentees at the meeting were Banu and Ramnan. Ramnan who has remained secretive met with Furuhovde when he visited Batticaloa earlier in the month. The two had indicated a willingness to attend the next meeting set for October 6.