Polls and the politics of war

M Karunanidhi, Pranab Mukherjee, Navi Puillay, Yasushi Akasi and Mahinda Rajapakse

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti  

Whilst the army moves relentlessly forward capturing territory in the Mullaitivu District, the government is moving in to top gear to ride on the victories on ground to secure the two provincial councils set to elect new administrations on February 14.

The South and Uva Provincial Councils are now set to be dissolved while the dissolution of the Western Provincial Council (WPC) has already been gazetted. The Central and Wayamba Province elections have been set for February 14.

With the LTTE pushed in to a small geographical area and 300,000 civilians being held back there the civilians are in a vulnerable situation. The LTTE is being faulted for creating a human shield and thereby knowingly placing the civilians in the line of fire. That has been a tactic used by the LTTE time and again and the army is well aware of it.

The security forces on the other hand have to be cautious in their forays lest a large number of non-combatants are injured or killed.

Safe zone

Already the ICRC, the only non-government organisation present in the conflict area has reported that civilians have been killed in the "safe zone" due to firing of artillery, a claim denied by the government. The ICRC does not specify as to who specifically did the firing. It is in this backdrop that assumptions are made by the public and the international media, through second hand accounts, government releases, LTTE web comments or the bush telegraph.

As the powers that be appeared to be waging three wars - military, economic and importantly in the international front to defend its deteriorating human rights record, fresh concerns are being expressed by the international community and relief agencies over the plight of the trapped civilians unable to enter government controlled territory, numbering over 300,000.

As the government called upon all public servants serving in the Wanni to vacate in preparation of the final military onslaught, it is quite clear that the tone set by the international community too has altered significantly with increasing pressure being exerted on the Liberation Tigers to relent.

Humanitarian crisis

The humanitarian crisis in northern Sri Lanka has been highlighted by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Sir John Holmes, UN agencies in Sri Lanka, by the Jaffna Bishop Thomas Saundranayagam, the ICRC and a host of civil rights groups.

Alleging that the LTTE was placing civilians at grave risk was UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon who in a statement called upon all parties to show respect for safe zones as scores of civilians were reportedly killed in Wanni on January 26 while troops made headway into the Vishwamadu area.

Further, the violation of the rules of war by both the government forces and the Liberation Tigers by targeting civilians and preventing them from escaping to safety drew a quick response from Amnesty International (AI) on January 28.

It faulted the LTTE for at least one instance, for preventing injured civilians from moving to safer areas or accessing medical care, an act that could constitute a war crime.

'The Government of Sri Lanka is carrying out military operations in areas with a civilian population. The aerial and artillery bombardment has reportedly led to civilian deaths, injuries, and the destruction of property and mass displacement,' stated AI's Sri Lanka researcher, Yolanda Foster.

Major push

"Sri Lankan government forces have pushed the Tamil Tigers out of all major urban areas they had held for nearly a decade and into a small pocket of land. More than 300,000 civilians who have fled the oncoming government troops are also trapped in this small area. They have been displaced multiple times and are increasingly vulnerable as fighting moves closer."

She added that the government despite "safe zones" being declared to facilitate civilians to seek shelter, information made available to Amnesty International supported the belief that several civilians in the so-called safe zone have been killed or sustained injuries as a result of artillery bombardment.

"Targeting civilians and carrying out indiscriminate attacks by any party to the conflict violates international humanitarian law. The immediate priority is medical attention for the seriously wounded. The Tamil Tigers must let injured civilians go," adds Foster, claiming, "preventing civilians from accessing medical care constitutes a war crime."

On June 29, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay in a stinging statement expressed 'deep concern' over the rapidly deteriorating conditions facing a quarter of a million civilians trapped in the conflict zone in northern Sri Lanka, and of alleged human rights abuses and a significant number of civilian casualties, as well as the huge displacement.

Concerned

Pillay also expressed concern at the highly restricted access to the Wanni region for aid agencies and impartial outside observers, including journalists and human rights monitors.

"The perilous situation of civilians after many months of fighting, multiple displacements and heavy rains and flooding is extremely worrying," Pillay said. "The lack of access for independent monitors, humanitarian workers and the media only adds to concerns that the situation may be even worse than we realise," she added.

She also cited reports of forced recruitment, including of children, as well as the use of civilians as human shields by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) but also condemned the fact that safe zones promised by the government have subsequently been subjected to bombardment leading to civilian casualties. 

"We are all seriously alarmed by the situation," she said, adding that the conflict had reached a critical stage. "While the government has made military gains on one hand, the rule of law has been undermined on the other. The killing of the prominent newspaper Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge earlier this month was the latest blow to the free expression of dissent in Sri Lanka. The searing article he wrote prophesying his own murder is an extraordinary indictment of a system corrupted by more than two decades of bloody internal conflict."

A blank

The High Commissioner observed there had not been any successful investigations or prosecutions of political killings, disappearances and other violations committed in recent years.

On a similar note, seven civil rights organisations in Sri Lanka on January 29 called for immediate action by both parties to the conflict. They urged the government to permit an international mission of mercy immediate access to the Wanni for an accurate assessment of the humanitarian and protection needs of the people, ensure urgent delivery of food and medicine to the Mullaitivu area and to ensure that the security forces respect areas demarcated as safe zones.

They collectively urged the LTTE to primarily allow civilians freedom of movement and respect their right to move out of the conflict zones, ensure respect for areas demarcated as safe zones, to allow the passage of medical convoys and permit civilians trapped within the conflict zone to leave the area.

As the capture of Mullaitivu was expected to put the final nail in the LTTE's coffin, Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka on January 25 declared that the LTTE was now restricted to an area of 20 by 15 sq km.

Discoveries

In the wake of Fonseka's statement came the recovery of several LTTE submarine type underwater crafts and boats in Muttiyankattukulam, south west of Pudukudirippu. This was in addition to finding a dozen large luxury houses believed to be the property of the LTTE, located in Udayarkattu area in Vishwamadu and three hangers on January 28.

The advancing troops of 58 Division gained control over Vishvamadu town on Thursday and have now consolidated their position in the onetime LTTE stronghold.

It is in this backdrop that acting Indian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Pranab Mukherjee made a lightning visit to Colombo, in a bid to discuss 'bilateral relations,' perhaps the best diplomatic jargon that is used when expressing strong concerns over the humanitarian concerns in the north that have serious domestic political implications in India. 

If Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon's visit caused a stir, the quickly followed whistle stop trip by Mukherjee on Tuesday night generated much more interest.

His sudden visit drew immense media interest in New Delhi and journalists at the Indira Gandhi International Airport surrounded him. Mukherjee explained his visit as one based on an invitation by the Sri Lankan government.

Willing to fight

Minutes before take off, he said that India was willing to fight against terrorists and 'all sorts of terrorists' and referred to the LTTE as a banned organisation in India. "It is important that civilians are not allowed to become helpless victims," said Mukherjee, and pledged India was concerned over the civilians' plight.

While there cannot be any argument that the present execution of the war is to the satisfaction of the Congress led New Delhi administration with a renewed call for the handing over of Pirapaharan in connection with the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, diplomatic sources vouch for the fact that amidst mounting pressure from Tamil Nadu on the central government, it was Congress Leader Sonia Gandhi who advised Mukherjee to undertake a visit to Colombo as a 'political reaction' to the developing situation in northern Sri Lanka.

It is known that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Muttuvel Karunanidhi is exerting increasing pressure on the centre, now with a deadline of February 15 to call upon the Sri Lankan government to immediately announce a ceasefire.

The DMK Leader is poised, in the event of the February 15 deadline not being met, to convene a special convention of his party and withdraw support from the ruling coalition.

The Indian Foreign Minister arrived here on Tuesday night and was quickly driven under a tight security blanket to Temple Trees for bilateral talks with President Mahinda Rajapakse. The visiting dignitary was received by the Chief Executive flanked by Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, Human Rights and Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, the three service commanders and the IGP.

13th Amendment

At the very outset, President Rajapakse reiterated his commitment to the 13th Amendment and assured that Sri Lanka looked forward to building on the agreement brokered by India in 1987.

The President then invited Army Commander Gen. Sarath Fonseka to brief the visiting Minister on the military successes so far, and Mukherjee, having listened intently added that India too was a country that suffered from terrorism and did not wish to support or condone terrorism elsewhere. 

Rajapakse then added that he was keen, after 25 years of war to create the political backdrop for development, conditions for peace, restore peace and normalcy and rebuild the areas prompting Mukherjee to offer assistance in any rebuilding exercise.

Soon after the meeting with the Indian Foreign Minister, Rajapakse invited a Tamil Nadu political delegation led by Chief Minister Muttuvel Karunanidhi and Jeyalalithaa Jeyaram to visit Sri Lanka to ascertain the situation for themselves.

In the same breath, he called upon the Tamil Nadu political leadership to pressurise the LTTE to lay down arms and enter the mainstream.

About turn

As for President Rajapakse, one time human rights activist who held vociferous protests under the famous Pettah Bo tree denouncing Indian intervention and that the IPKF leave Sri Lankan soil, it is indeed a new political stance.

In hindsight, he does acknowledge that there lies his only hope to keep the LTTE finally bound to some agreement and that India will eventually play its role. As such he is now calling upon South India to play its strategic role in Sri Lankan politics not by organising protests but by visiting Sri Lanka on a fact finding mission and more importantly, by influencing the LTTE to lay down arms and surrender.

Besides, Rajapakse wants to drum up international support against the LTTE and is pressuring the Tigers to allow fleeing civilians safe passage without holding them as a human shield. 

With a deafening silence from all other quarters, it is only the JVP that has come out strongly criticising Mukherjee's visit as one that is influenced by domestic political compulsions to demand a ceasefire when troops were recording historic victories.

Party Leader Somawansa Amerasinghe last week alleged there was an 'Indian conspiracy' and an attempt to impose an India-led solution to the conflict.

Chorus

As the war hype reached its zenith with the troops gaining momentum, Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe also joined the chorus to hail the victories of the armed forces in their conduct of the war. He lauded them for their gallantry and professionalism but noted that military victories could be converted into true and lasting victories only when the displaced people were granted safe passage and their humanitarian needs met.

As Wickremesinghe insisted on lasting peace being dependent on meeting humanitarian concerns of the war displaced, he hosted visiting Japanese Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi to dinner with a group of close political associates.

Akashi, who admitted to a serious change in the Sri Lankan political landscape following the military success, claimed that it was nevertheless difficult to end a protracted war and more difficult it was to broker peace and rebuild a war-ravaged nation. Wickremesinghe at this point reiterated his commitment to a negotiated settlement and pledged support to a government solution acceptable to all communities.

However, SLMC Leader Rauf Hakeem sounded skeptical as he noted that the UPFA government would not have the correct answers to the ethnic problem, specially given its racial bent. But MP Ravi Karunanayake had all the dinner guests laughing with a single comment: "Whatever that goes wrong, the blame would be finally apportioned to this gentleman," he said, pointing a finger at Wickremesinghe.

Bogollagama in Belgium

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama was in Belgium recently to meet European Union Commissioners to drum up support for the banning of LTTE front organisations.

However, the EU representatives had their owns concerns about the situation developing in Sri Lanka and called for an assurance on civilian safety and to bring an end to the recurrent attacks on the media.

However, Minister Bogollagama has brazenly declared that there were no human rights violations in Sri Lanka as claimed and even added that the special committee inquiring into the 17 aid workers killing was nearing its end, and there was no culture of impunity as claimed.

Further, Bogollagama has impressed upon the EU representatives that the LTTE front organisations like the TRO should be banned in their countries in order to assist Sri Lanka to eradicate terrorism within her shores.

 While the humanitarian concerns drew immense international and local attention, Defence Spokesperson of the government, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella on January 28 at a press conference stated that President Mahinda Rajapakse would make an announcement on February 15, the day after the North Western and Central Provincial Councils elections, to reveal "important information," connected with the attacks on MTV/MBC, the Lasantha Wickrematunge assassination and the attack on Rivira Editor Upali Tennekoon.

Interpretation

If one was to be charitable of the government's intentions it could be interpreted that they would not want to ride on this information to win the two provincial council elections or even make use of this information to that end. It could also be interpreted differently. The government in the backdrop of the military victories is certain of winning the two provinces and hence would be in the glow of such, believe the public would be inclined to accept any story put forward.

Importantly, there was also another find by the police which almost in a "by the way" was leaked to the press. A black Bajaj Pulsar motorcycle with the registration leading to Jaffna was found in the Attidiya marshes almost 20 days after the assassination of Lasantha Wickrematunge. Attidiya marshes are quite close to the area in which Wickrematunge was killed in broad daylight.

On Friday evening police revealed that a 23 year old three wheel driver from Attidiya had been arrested in connection with the murder of Wickrematunge.