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Sri Lankan air raids against LTTE : Indian disappointment

	July 09, 2001

Sri Lanka launched air attacks against the LTTE bases in northern Jaffna on June 30, after several months of lull and these raids continued for at least three days. Air Force jets bombed LTTE bases in Pooneryn, part of swathe of rebel-controlled territory that separates the northern Jaffna peninsula from the rest of the island. The USA and India have expressed their disappointment over the attacks which have been justified by the Government in Colombo as an exercise in self-defence. A statement said the LTTE bases were bombed in order to preempt a major offensive to recapture the town of Jaffna for which the LTTE had been making intensive preparations in recent months. On the ground, government troops attacked an LTTE camp at Mannar on July 5, killing at least 12 rebels. Giving details of the alleged build-up at Pooneryn, separated from Jaffna town by a four-km stretch of sea, the statement said the voluntary moratorium on aerial bombings in the past two months had helped the LTTE to reorganize its war machine. The Government said the air raids had been successful in retarding the LTTE plan for a major attack on the Jaffna town. It said the LTTE had suffered heavy casualties, causing a major setback to its planned offensive.

Hours after the air raids, there was a sharp reminder from New Delhi that there was no substitute for the political solution of the island’s conflict. Even though Sri Lanka said it was acting in self-defence, the External Affairs Ministry spokeswoman said in New Delhi that India was disappointed at the developments in Sri Lanka. The Indian High Commissioner, Mr. Gopalakrishna Gandhi, conveyed India’s view to Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.

While Colombo in a statement has called comments by some diplomats based in Colombo a breach of their diplomatic mandate, the Foreign Minister said Sri Lanka will not be deterred by international opinion when it comes to its territorial integrity. Reacting to statements by India and the US, Mr. Kadirgamar justified the decision to bomb LTTE targets and said the decision, which came in the wake of the Kumaratunga Government losing majority in Parliament and the Opposition UNP giving notice for a no-confidence motion, had no political considerations whatsoever. He said it was purely and simply a decision taken in the national interests. He felt if the Government had failed to make preemptive air strikes, the Jaffna peninsula would have again been in danger of falling to the LTTE. Taking an oblique swipe at the country which expressed concern at the action, Mr. Kadirgamar said, “Every Government has to face difficult decisions when it comes to defending its territorial integrity”. He said in making them, the government must not be deterred by what political opponents and others, including other governments might say. Each sovereign State, he said, is the best sole judge of dangers to its territorial integrity.

India’s expression of disappointment over the air raids has also come in for strong criticism by many quarters in Colombo. The National Joint Committee, a federation of hardline Sinhala organisations, described the statement as uncalled for and accused India of having fallen victim to LTTE’s propaganda campaign. The English daily, Island, said New Delhi’s concern was a cause for “amusement” since it had failed to give military assistance last year during the Elephant Pass military crisis.

The air attacks are seen in political circles in Colombo as a setback to the peace process initiated by Norway. The peace initiative was already stuck over the LTTE demand for lifting a ban on it and President Kumaratunga rejecting this precondition.



Reimposition of Emergency

President Kumaratunga has meanwhile sidestepped Parliament and reimposed State of Emergency laws under tough and anti-terrorism regulations. The current spell of emergency was lapsing on July 11 and the Government was uncertain of mustering sufficient numbers in Parliament to extend it following the withdrawal of support by the 11-member SLMC which had rendered the ruling People’s Alliance to a minority. Ms. Kumaratunga, who has just returned from a private visit to London to see her daughter there, using the emergency powers under the country’s Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), reimposed the ban on the LTTE which would have automatically lapsed with the emergency on July 11. She has also moved to retain other emergency regulations by invoking the same Act to declare all districts as “security areas”. Two other orders were issued on July 5 under the Public Security Ordinance to call out the armed forces for the maintenance of public order and essential services.



No confidence motion

Earlier the Opposition UNP which has pressed a no-confidence motion in the hope of defeating the Government following the withdrawal of support by the SLMC, had decided to vote against the motion to extend the emergency. The party has in the past several months voted against the Bill to extend the emergency from time to time, but the Government was able to successfully passed the motion because it had a majority. But after the SLMC MPs crossed over to the Opposition protesting against the sacking of their leader, Rauf Hakeem, from the Cabinet, the Government has been in a weak position. The Marxist JVP on which the Government is banking to retain power, had also decided to vote against the motion. This meant that together the Opposition had 108 votes and the Government had 109, leaving the success of the motion in the hands of the SLMC MPs.

In the meantime, battlelines have been drawn for a debate on the no confidence motion, the date for which is yet to be decided. The ruling Peoples Alliance has informed the Speaker that it is ready for the motion from August 7 to 10. The Leader of the House Mr. Richard Pathirana, has said the third week of this month is unsuitable as the national census is due to be conducted on July 17 and Parliament will be unable to meet on the day. However, the UNP is opposing the schedule set out by the PA. For the UNP, postponing the no-confidence motion debate till August would give the Government enough time to gather its resources and take steps to ensure its survival. Moreover, in case the PA loses the battle, it would enable the President to prorogue Parliament and keep it suspended till the time she can dissolve it and call fresh elections. Under the 1978 Constitution, the President can prorogue Parliament for a maximum of two months. The House cannot be dissolved till October 10, a year from the date of the last elections. Scheduling the debate for August would meet both conditions if the need arises.

In Colombo on July 4, some 50,000 Government supporters marched through the capital and blocked rush hour traffic, accusing the opposition parties of favouring the LTTE and creating problems for the President in governance of the country. President Kumaratunga’s governing alliance lost its majority in Parliament last month and was reduced to 109 seats in the 225-member legislature after she fired a key Muslim ally from the Cabinet. The UNP and its allies have 97 seats. The other seats are held by several smaller Opposition parties, which are undecided which way to vote on the proposed no-confidence motion.

The SLMC, however, is torn between the Government and the UNP. Though the SLMC is working with a vengeance its leader, Rauf Hakeem, still says he does not want to bring down the Government. But it was Hakeem who in the first place put the Government in this calamity when he walked out after he was relieved of ministerial duties by President Kumaratunga. This is why the UNP is confidently counting on his support. The JVP too has put its price up and has said MPs will only decide what to do when the motion is put in Parliament. Their indecision may see them abstain which will be advantageous to the Government. Whichever way each of the political parties its chooses to vote they are all likely to come out of the motion weaker. If the Government loses the motion it will be out of power but Ms. Kumaratunga will still reign as the Executive President and the country is likely to be in political turmoil.



Four-member Norwegian peaceteam

A four-member team led by Norway’s Deputy Foreign Minister Raymond Johansen will revive a stalled peace bid between Colombo and Tamil separatists, the Foreign Ministry announced on July 4.

“The Norwegian team which will facilitate the conduct of the peace process will henceforth consist of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, Raymond Johansen, Norway’s Ambassador in Sri Lanka Jon Westborg, Erik Solheim and Kjersti Tromsdal, executive officer, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” said the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry in a statement.

The statement quoted Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar telling an unnamed journalist that he had been informed that Norway was willing to continue to help “as long as its assistance is needed by both parties.”

“Sri Lanka wishes Norway to remain actively engaged in the peace process and we have again urged Norway to take that process forward as best it can and as soon as it can,” Kadirgamar said.

The announcement comes after Oslo’s special envoy, Solheim, was virtually demoted on June 7 with Colombo declaring that Norway would upgrade its participation in efforts to open talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Solheim began his shuttle diplomacy in April 2000, the high point of which was a face-face encounter with the Tigers’ elusive chief, Velupillai Prabhakaran, in November last year. He, however, fell out of favour after a trip to Washington in May this year where he urged the U.S. to exert pressure on Colombo to meet the LTTE’s pre-talks conditions.

The LTTE has strongly condemned Solheim’s sidelining and has blamed the Sri Lanka government for “irreparably damaging peace prospects,” not only because of removal of the special envoy, but also for mounting an aerial offensive over the week-end on suspected rebel positions in the northern Pooneryn sector.