Point of view

    Ceasefire – an inequitable call on Colombo

By Faraz Shauketaly

For 26 years the LTTE led by Velupillai Pirapaharan, conspired to rob this country and its people of the potential in store for it as a result of the laissez faire policies adopted by the Jayewardene regime.  At the time, (1977) the people of Sri Lanka completely rejected the Bandaranaike economic policies and in a famous election victory, the United National Party secured an overwhelming two third majority routing the Bandaranaikes’ SLFP, reducing them to a mere eight seats.

In fact there is a school of thought that the opening up of the economy and the consequent economic upturn the island enjoyed was one of the primary reasons that Colombo was able to economically sustain the war for well over 25 years. That is not to say that the country has not suffered — having been forced to spend its way out of a battle it neither asked for, nor was ever comfortable sustaining.

Every head of state since Jayewardene has been at their wits end to bring a solution to the growing casualty list and the constantly growing allocation to defence budgets. Foreign governments interceded in peace brokering, the Indian government sent an armed contingent only to be roundly defeated and lost, into the bargain, the scion of the Gandhi family, Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated by a LTTE suicide bomber.

For much of the 26 years, the LTTE has engaged the Sri Lankan armed forces in a struggle that has drained the country off its valuable foreign currency reserves and stymied the progress and development it would have otherwise easily made. In all these years the very nations now asking President Rajapakse to call a ceasefire, have watched on the sidelines, making the occasional request for a political solution and simply continued to watch on the sidelines: there was no request for a ceasefire then.

Strong force

The reason possibly was due to the fact that during those “heyday” years the LTTE was perceived to be a strong force, one to be reckoned with. So, there were many schools of thought that espoused a possible victory for the LTTE. Perhaps it was preferable to give the benefit of the doubt to a terrorist organisation under the guise of “freedom fighters.”

The growing terror perpetuated internationally by Islamic terror groups came to a head with the attack on New York on “9/11”. The entire war on terrorism took on a whole new meaning and urgency since then. By then Sri Lankans had long gotten used to dealing with terrorism in its own yard. The LTTE were proscribed in various countries where its supporters were collecting dollars by the millions: Canada, USA, Britain, France were at the forefront of addressing the growing menace that was the LTTE.

With the election of President Mahinda Rajapakse and his commitment to bring about an end to the conflict saw a concerted effort being made – but in the first year of his election, the LTTE took the war to new heights. It left the new President little choice. His dilemma was complete with the agitation from his coalition partners to scrap the Ceasefire Agreement and engage the LTTE full on. By then of course the CFA was just academic.

The Sri Lanka Army has made considerable inroads towards ending the war. They have now come to within approximately 5 sq. km of defeating the LTTE.

And it is now – of all times – that the international community is clamouring for a ceasefire. It is highly unlikely that the government will permit the LTTE any opportunity to regroup and focus yet again.

Inequitable

To call for a ceasefire now, when Sri Lanka’s armed forces have come so close to stopping the LTTE and perhaps even defeating it completely, is simply inequitable. There seems to be misguided belief in the LTTE propaganda citing the suffering of the “trapped civilians.”  In fact the Sri Lanka Army has facilitated the arrival of more than 115,000 civilians into safe zones under the control of the government.

Instead of an inequitable ceasefire, what is required now is for the international community and various aid agencies to band together and support the government with financial aid to cope with the displaced population. The medium term should see the same community assisting Sri Lanka to develop the north and north east areas in terms of infrastructure – essentially to help Sri Lanka help itself. Now that would be an equitable solution.

Scores of politicians – from across the ethnic divide – lost their lives to LTTE suicide bombers and bombings, including President Ranasinghe Premadasa and senior parliamentarians like Gamini Dissanayake and Lalith Athulathmudali; President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who knows a thing or two about violence having lost her father and husband to the guns of assassins, escaped the wrath of the LTTE losing an eye in the process. Pirapaharan remained then, as he now remains, elusive as ever.

Full advantage

The LTTE took full advantage of the ceasefire period. It is widely believed that during this period, the LTTE fundraisers went into overdrive and embarked on a purchasing spree that has seen them through to the present day. This one time motley collection of disillusioned youth, even ended up with an air force of sorts. They also acquired the other trappings of “freedom fighters” like its own radio station and through its extended tentacles in Europe, even a satellite TV channel.

Such was their temerity that they were able to almost at will smuggle in weapons, armaments and other equipment of war from under the very noses of the southern political masters with whom they pretended to negotiate a peace – not only in Colombo but in Thailand and Switzerland too. Today we are asked by the LTTE to accept as their spokesperson, none other than their chief procurer and paymaster general “KP.”  They declare an “unilateral” ceasefire once again hoping to gain time to regroup.

The LTTE has projected a reputation of being brutal. Their tentacles have spread way beyond the shores of Sri Lanka. Their gangs operate in London as they do in New York, Toronto, Paris and Frankfurt. Involved in extortion, money laundering, credit card scams and other illegal activities their coffers had grown so big that during the first year of Mahinda Rajapakse’s rule, the LTTE carried out a killing spree that had hitherto not been experienced by Colombo – it eventually forced the hand of the Sri Lankan President who declared that the LTTE only understood one language – the language of terror.

For 26 years the LTTE with Pirapaharan as leader, conspired to cause chaos and economic ruin to a country that was all set to be an Asian Tiger success story like Singapore and Malaysia. Instead, billions of dollars was spent by both the Sri Lankan government as well as the huge Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora in the Western world  on either containing or perpetrating terror. In the case of the Sri Lankan government that was the cost of maintaining sovereignty.

Wither the LTTE?

In 2001 when the Ceasefire Agreement was in force and Pirapaharan was given an opportunity to develop his so-called capital of Killinochchi, the result of his ‘achievement’ there was zero.  What exactly did he achieve for the Tamil people there? Did he cause the area to be developed with the millions of dollars his brethren in the West doled out? Where are the houses in Killinochchi? Where are the schools? Hospitals? Roads? Power? Lighting?

The answer is that there was none of these: the money was spent on developing luxury, air conditioned, state of the art bunkers and safe houses for the LTTE elite. The money was spent on educating the LTTE supremo’s children but not the other Tamil youth who were in many ways, all but coerced into serving the so-called “cause” and of course money was spent on arms and ammunition.

At the end of 26 years the Tamil people have little to show for Pirapaharan’s extravagance – fuelled by the Tamil diaspora’s unmitigated financial support. In effect, Pirapaharan squandered an opportunity to show the international community as well as Colombo, that under his control, the north was able to develop – he chose instead the option of terror.

Amongst all these so called battles for an independent Tamil homeland where the Tamils can be safe, the fact remains that the Tamils were never safe in the north. It is to the heart of the south, Colombo, that they turned to be safe and comfortable. Over a million Tamils live in safety and in great comfort in the high rise luxury apartments that abound in places like Wellawatte.

Comfort and security

They live in comfort and with security amongst the rest of the population comprising Sinhalese and Muslims — amply demonstrating the real-time possibility of peaceful co-existence. Apart from the riots of 1983 which was mishandled by President Jayewardene, the Tamil population living in Colombo and its suburbs do so with considerable panache and comfort. They run successful businesses, provide professional services and contribute to the betterment of the economy hand in glove with all other communities.

The notion of ill treatment and second-class citizenry has been proven to be a myth perpetuated by Pirapaharan’s spin doctors.  If at all there is a second class citizen, then it is the unfortunate Sinhalese and Muslims who are unable to purchase property (due to ancient Tamil laws still in place) or indeed, to simply live in the areas that the LTTE brutally controlled at one point during this 26 year old battle — perpetuated by possibly the biggest humbug ever to come out of the north – Pirapaharan.

It was the LTTE that created suicide bombers, even giving the Middle Eastern terror gangs a little know how. It is therefore rich to expect that Pirapaharan be allowed to live in Thailand of all places, as reported in some European papers — where he will live in comfort whilst plotting to carve some form of position for him.

The people of Sri Lanka today expect the President to capture Pirapaharan — preferably alive, though dead would do — and establish the grounds for peace once and for all in the northern part of Sri Lanka.

Support

Eight provincial councils are now controlled by the President’s party, the UFPA. In recent elections even the ‘safe’ Colombo District voted heavily in favour of the President’s party. Whichever way one looks at it, there is no denying that President Rajapakse has majority support behind him. It may not always be because the opposition has proved to be inadequate but the results present a story of confidence in the President.

War and especially the non-conventional type practiced by Pirapaharan, has an enormous cost – not limited to financial loss – the human cost of this epic tragedy is all the making of Pirapaharan. His insatiable appetite for a position of power has directly cost the lives of thousands of Tamil youth. He has educated his children but not given that opportunity to all the youngsters he called his “Tigers.”

Grown fat with the trappings of a life of luxury complete with air conditioned bunkers and luxury vehicles, suffering from a blood disorder; Pirapaharan has shown no sign of compassion all his life. Let the world be under no illusions: he intends for the bulk of the civilians now being used as a human shield, to be used as nothing more than cannon fodder.

It is a war however that the Sri Lankan government has had to fight largely on its own and is now highly unlikely to stop at the most crucial time.  The international community should be demanding the immediate surrender of the LTTE without attaching conditions to the government.

Pirapaharan responsible

The human catastrophe in the No Fire Zone is however a liability that only Pirapaharan will have to accept. His claim to be the legitimate voice of the Tamil people sounds ever so off — what with his callous disregard for the safety of the civilian human shield he hides behind. It would be interesting to see how the end of this battle pans out: Pirapaharan for all his media statements is almost certainly not in the Wanni, Mullaitivu or Jaffna. He is most probably in hiding in Malaysia, Southern India or some other regional country. He has abandoned his fellow Tigers and let them fight to the death – continuing his own life of luxury.

While Pirapaharan is – by default — plotting the grim murder of the trapped civilian human shield, the diaspora in the West have their own tragedy unfolding: the coming colours are not good for the Tamil diaspora in the West. Many of them live there on the basis that it is unsafe for them in Sri Lanka — they are a cheap source of readily available labour for the West and now that the former eastern block is providing plenty of that kind of labour, it is a matter of time before the Tamil diaspora in these Western nations are all sent back on the grounds that the north of Sri Lanka is now a safe zone for them to return to.

Better than Jaffna

Perhaps that thought is what brought thousands of protestors to the streets of (where else but) London — as one thing is for sure, the going in Jaffna (capital of Sri Lanka’s north) is nowhere as good as London, Toronto, Paris, Oslo, Geneva, Rome, Milan, Sydney, Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok even. The returning diaspora will need to work pretty damn hard to achieve for them a little part of Sri Lanka which will forever remain every Tamil’s dream home.

On past form though, it is a challenge that the people of the north will embrace with vigour – especially now that it is obvious that President Rajapakse has – quite correctly — no intention whatsoever of letting the LTTE get away with their half baked plan for an independent state.