SINHALA PRESIDENT HANDLED INDIA WITH MUCH CARE AND EFFECT THAN OTHER SINHALA LEADERS!!!

LTTE on brink of ultimate defeat.....A SINHALA POINT OF VIEW

KESARA ABEYWARDENE


The security forces over the weekend recorded the most significant victory in the present military operations against LTTE terrorism by decimating a large number of its top and middle level leadership and capturing the biggest haul of weapons and military equipment so far recovered from the Tigers. The troops had also found around 400 bodies of LTTE cadres; a significant proportion of the remaining Tiger fighting force.
With these gains the security forces have come to the final stage of the present military operations launched just two and a half years ago to bring all areas in the country under government control and put a stop to LTTE terrorism. The Tigers who controlled close to 15,000 square kilometres in the North and the East including a large coastal area in both the North-eastern and the North-western coast of the country have now been limited to as little as an 18 square-kilometre sliver of land in the Mullaitivu coast that has been declared a no-fire zone by the government for the safety of the civilians who are held back by the Tigers.

Although the victory gained by the armed forces in Puthukuduyiruppu did not carry the same symbolic value as in the rest of the country like the capture of Killinochchi, Elephant Pass or Mullaitivu, the final battle in Puthukuduyiruppu was the biggest blow dealt on the fighting force of the LTTE which Prabhakaran was able to keep intact through all the defeats in the last several months. Despite losing ground and all its strategic bases, the LTTE leadership was able to keep its main fighting force intact by continuous withdrawals in the face of the superior firepower and manpower of the Sri Lanka army.

In the last few months, the defensive strategy of the LTTE was to construct earth bunds and lay booby traps to delay the march of the troops and once they find it difficult to hold the positions any longer to withdraw behind another earth bund. The Tigers were careful to prevent heavy casualties to its main fighting units. Thus the LTTE was able to preserve its main fighting units and a large amount of its heavy weapons and small arms to be used at a time when the environment would turn favourable to them.

Although the Tigers controlled a large area in the Wanni, it is now clear that the nerve centre of all LTTE military and terror operations were in Puthukuduyiruppu. The Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu townships were kept as showpieces to be shown to gullible outsiders and foreign envoys that the Tigers were carrying out a parallel administration independent of the Sri Lankan state.

It was at Puthukuduyiruppu and Mullaitivu jungle area where the LTTE had invested all its resources. The discoveries made by the armed forces in the last few months in the form of underground bunkers, training camps, explosives and arms manufacturing plants, boatyards with submersible vehicles, aircraft hangars, military equipment were mind boggling to say the least.

However, by keeping on withdrawing, the LTTE leadership was pinning its last hopes on a ceasefire that would allow the Tiger cadres to regroup and carryout a lightning offensive against the military forward defence lines. The LTTE was about to launch such an attempt using around 600 from among its remaining cadre force to infiltrate army defences and push back the advancing troops, but it was then that the Tigers were encircled by the soldiers of the 58 and 53 divisions and the Special Forces.

Incidentally, the LTTE was getting ready to launch its offensive using the remaining heavy weapons in its arsenal and led by most of the senior Tiger leaders, at a time when the so-called international community and especially the British government was calling for a humanitarian pause in the fighting in Sri Lanka. Little did the Western countries understand that they were playing into the hands of LTTE terrorism through their continuous calls for ceasefires in the Northern battle front. On this score, the calls made by the British government and its Foreign Secretary David Millidand have come under heavy criticism in Sri Lanka. It is ironic that a fortnight ago even the special British envoy named to Sri Lanka Des Browne attended a forum organized by the British Tamil Forum which is a known pro-LTTE organization.

The military victory over the weekend in capturing the entire Puthukuduyiruppu area by decimating a significant portion of the remaining Tiger cadres and capturing a large amount of LTTE weapons have shown that President Mahinda Rajapaksa was correct in resisting all international pressure for a ceasefire. The success of the present military campaign was mainly due to the resolute political leadership provided by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the military leadership by Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Army Commander Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka.

The political leadership provided by President Rajapaksa amid heavy international pressure to suspend military action has been significant. He has been resolute in his will to crush the LTTE. In this regard the President has been able to handle the Indian factor in the Sri Lankan conflict with much care and effect than any other former leader in the country. The stance taken by the Indian Central Government not to throw the LTTE any lifeline was a major contribution to the forward march of the troops who had now reached the North Eastern coast after clearing all areas except for the civilian no-fire zone.

Now the Tigers are undeniably taking cover behind a human shield. If the civilians are allowed to leave the no fire zone and cross over to the cleared areas, the Tigers would be history in a matter of hours. The Tiger leadership does not have any option left other than to surrender or hold on to the civilians for an unknown number of days. The challenge before the army is to launch one of the biggest hostage release operations in history.

Now the real challenge is up to the International Community to call on the LTTE leadership to lay down arms and surrender. In doing so those countries could apply significant pressure on the pro-LTTE organizations that are quite openly functioning in the west displaying the LTTE flag and insignia in protest marches despite the Tigers being named as a terrorist organisation in those countries. In any case the coming weeks would be crucial with regard to the large number of civilians held hostage by the Tigers. Also it would decide the future of the LTTE and the fight for a separate state in Sri Lanka.
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