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By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
The tragic phenomenon of Tamil fratricide continues in the Eastern Province and
its border regions. The latest incident in this seemingly endless saga was the
killing of at least nine persons at a clandestine jungle camp in the Polonnoruwa
district bordering that of Batticaloa. In a bizarre development four of the nine
corpses presumed dead have now gone missing. In a further ironic twist the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam disclaim responsibility for the deaths and allege
that it was a result of internal strife within the Karuna faction while the Tamil
Eelam United Liberation Front denies it totally and accuses in turn the LTTE of
having launched the attack. Complicating matters more are charges of complicity
by the Sri Lankan armed forces.
It was in the early hours of the morning on April 14th that villagers of the area
discovered nine bodies lying in a makeshift camp in the jungle area close to the
village washing spot. They ran and alerted the security forces in close proximity.
Thereafter the security personnel came and took charge. Searches were done.
The people were kept away while some "movement" took place. The Police were
called in. No one was allowed to go near. After a few hours the Polonnaruwa
acting magistrate Ms. Chandani Meegoda came to the spot , conducted an
inquest but declared an open verdict.
When local journalists and people of the area came to the scene they were
puzzled to find that some dead men had walked away. Four of the bodies that lay
still when discovered were now missing. Journalists saw more than a dozen pairs
of footwear lying in the camp area. The camp itself comprised five thatched sheds.
Three were for living while the other two had provisions and supplies. They were
newly constructed. The people were upset by the missing corpses and told the
reporters about it. When the scribes informed ms. Meegoda she raised it with the
security forces who informed her that only five bodies were there.
The incident occurred at a spot near the place known as Vannaanthuraiady in the
Soruwil village near Aralanganwila in the Polonnaruwa area. Soruwil known as
Soruwila in Sinhala is a Tamil village close to the Tamil majority Batticaloa district
border in Sinhala majority Polonnaruwa district. Soruwil has about 240 to 250
Tamil families. The closest Sinhala inhabitation is the recently established Sinhala
agricultural colony of Maliyadevapura in Namalpokuna. This village has about 120
to 125 Sinhala families. There is an army camp , two mini - camps and about 24
sentry posts cum bunkers in the vicinity.
The stream Soruwil aaru runs through the area. Members of the "Vaannaar" or
"Dhobies" engaging in their traditional occupation as well as other people usually
wash their clothes at a particular spot along the river bank known as
Vannaanthurai or Washerman spot. On April 10 th a group of armed Tamil
militants came to the Soruwil area and set up camp in the jungles close to
Vannaanthuraiady. The exact strength of the "new" outsiders is not known.
On April 11th seven Tamil youths armed with T - 56 guns came into the village
and summoned the people for a meeting. They announced that they belonged to
the Tamil Eelam Ikkiya Viduthalai Munnani (Tamil Eelam United Liberation Front).
The TEULF consists of the Tamil Eelam Makkal Viduthalaip Puligal led by former
Eastern tiger commander Vinayagamoorthy Muraleetharan alias "Col" Karuna and
the Eelam Nationa; Democratic Kiberation Front led by Gnanapiragasam
Gnanasegeram alias "Paranthan " Rajan. Despite this tie - up most Eastern Tamils
refer to this group as Karunas boys.
The Karuna cadres informed the people that they would be staying in the area for
some time. No cadres belonging to the mainstream LTTE were allowed in the
area. If anyone came there or any suspicious outsider was seen the people
should immediately inform them they ordered. They told the people that they were
fully supported by the security forces and that they had nothing to fear. If anyone
was suspected of having links with the mainstream tigers they would be punished
the cadres warned.
An adhoc committee was formed to liaise with the militants on behalf of the
villagers. Some of the cadres were from Soruwil them selves.The people were
warned not to engage in hunting or distilling moonshine in the nearby jungle
areas. The cadres also said that they had enough food supplies but would require
small items and minor help from the people. Thereafter an uneasy co - existence
prevailed. While the people were generally sympathetic to Karuna they were
concerned about LTTE retaliation. They understood however that the Karuna
cadre presence there had the tacit support and approval of the armed forces.
Some people at least had heard reports of gunfire at about 1. 30 to 1. 45 am on
Thursday. It was also the night of Sinhala - Tamil new year. Some revelry was still
on. The armed forces too could have heard the gunfire but no one bothered to
investigate. In any case the presence of Karuna cadres was officially "unknown" to
the armed forces. The armed forces too were in an inebriated state due to
"avuruddhu" festivity. Besides they would have been reluctant to venture into the
middle of a suspected tiger attack. It could even have been a cynical calculation of
letting "Tamil" kill "Tamil" in internecine warfare.
After the bodies were taken to hospital the authorities were able to identify them.
The five "officially" acknowledged dead prsons were Rajenthiran Perinbanathan
alias Vijayan ; Selliah Kulanthaivelu alias Kabie; Sinnathamby Krishnapillai alias
thurai; Thevathasan Theiventhiran alias Vasu and Kandasamy Jeyaneethan alias
Kanthan. Vijayan and Kabie were from the ENDLF and hailed from Trincomalee
district. Thurai was from Valaichenai in Batticaloa. Kanthan and Vasu were from
Soruwil itself. All three were ex - tigers swearing loyalty to Karuna.
Interestingly two young Tamils Sinnathamby Mahendran and Karthigesu
Yogarakah were admitted to the Polonnaruwa hospital on the same day. Both
suffered gunshot injuries. It is not known whether they were of the four "missing"
bodies presumed dead or whether they were additional wounded cadres. It is also
not known whether they were injured in this incident or elsewhere.
The missing bodies claimed to have been seen by villagers is quite a mystery.
Two explanations are possible. One is that they could have been high ranking
leaders and that the bodies were removed to prevent the fact being known as it
would demoraise cadre morale. The other is that it could have belonged to
operatives of the state military intelligence reacting with the Karuna - ENDLF
group. The bodies may have been removed by the forces to prevent that fact
being exposed in an incriminating manner.
This also raises the question as to who was responsible. Usually a "successful"
strike like this would have made the LTTE claim credit proudly. The Karuna faction
would have taken pains to deny them that praise. Now ironically the opposite was
happening. The tigers were "modestly" disclaiming responsibility and alleging that
the Karuna and ENDLF factions had fallen out. The killings were an internal
dispute they say. The Karuna group vehemently denies this. Instead of decrying
tiger capability as is usually done the Karuna outfit is indirectly complimenting the
mainstream LTTE by stating the tigers were responsible.
Why are the tigers not claiming credit for a "militarily" successful operation
executed with precision? One is that this happened outside the North - East and
because it is in all respects a brutal violation of the prevailing ceasefire. The
second reason could be to sow doubts and dissension among their adversaries.
The Karuna - Paranthan Rajan alliance is by no means firm or concrete. It is like
most militant alignments opportunistic and fragile. The pro - tiger media has been
pushing the line that the marriage of convenience is collapsing for quite some time
now.There is also that remote possibility of the LTTE telling the truth for a change!
The LTTE propaganda is often fickle and fluid. There is no consistency and the
line changes often according to utilitarian requirements. Thus the LTTE will say on
one occasion that Karuna is a single individual and a madman without any
followers.The tigers will say that the attacks on the LTTE were done by the armed
forces. The tigers would on a different occasion allege that the killings were done
by Karunas group. They will also deny and charge that there was a wider alliance
of anti - tiger forces. So the tigers will contradict themselves regularly as their
accusations fluctuate according to their perceived needs.
In this case too the reasons for LTTE not claiming "credit:" is understandable but
why is the Karuna faction pointing the finger at the LTTE and giving them that
"credit"? Would not cadres be demoralised by the fact that the LTTE was capable
of executing successful operations like this? While this is true the Karuna faction
may be accusing the LTTE openly because it may be the lesser evil. It may be
better to accuse the tigers rather than let doubts of internal strife affect the
Karuna - Paranthan Rajan alliance. Also it may be useful to charge the LTTE of a
major ceasefire violation and take the moral high ground in a limited sense. Finally
what the Karuna faction says too could be the truth.
While Eastern journalists are not venturing to cast definite blame on any side the
news trickling down the grapevine points to the LTTE as being responsible. For
one thing the victims are all anti - tigers. The LTTE always guns them down and
says they were all internal killings. That practice is being followed here too.
Apparently someone from the village disgruntled with the Karuna cadres had
tipped off the LTTE.
The prime suspects in this instance are the Kasippu distillers put out of business
temporarily by Karunas men. A crack tiger squad hade rekked through the jungle
to strike it is alleged. Their task was easier as the inmates at the Vannanthurai
camp were having a "New year" party. There were some security personnel there
too who were killed. This explains the missing bodies.In the earlier days Karuna
cadres had been staying during day at the camp and sleeping by night in village
dwellings. They had changed the routine on this night presumably due to the
"Varushappirappuk Kondaattam".
Predictably the Army spokesperson Brig. Daya Ratnaike has denied any security
involvement of any kind in the incident. This however is to be expected. These
spokespersons admissions or denials have little credibility. When there were
newspaper reports about a Karuna camp in Theevuchenai Ratnayake denied it
completely. 24 hours later there was an attack and the spokesperson was forced
to eat his earlier words. In this case too if the media had exposed the existence of
a camp before the incident Ratnaike may very well have denied it first. After the
attack he would have sung a different song. Like that of a diplomat the duty of a
spokesperson too relies on lies and cover ups.
The ENDLF cadres Vijayan and Kabie are prized scalps. Both were Peoples
Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam cadres from the early eighties. They left
the PLOTE with Paranthan Rajan and helped form the ENDLF. They left for India
in 1990 and lived in Salem , Tamil Nadu for nearly fifteen years. Both of them
returned to Sri Lanka in the last quarter of last year and helped develop the
alliance with Karuna. Vijayan who was once taken prisoner by the tigers during the
IPKF period made a daring escape after overpowering his guards. A rare exploit! It
is reported that Vijayan travelled to Sri Lanka on an Indian passport and that
family members in Salem want his body to be brought there for the funeral.
The attack came at a time when LTTE morale in the region was down in the
doldrums and that of the Karuna cadres on the rise/ The anniversary of the battle
fought last year between Karuna and the LTTE last year was from April 9th to
11th. After arriving at a settlement with the tigers Karuna was given safe passage
to leave Tamil Eelam. Karuna jurneyed leisuredly with former UNP
Parliamentarian Ali Zaheer Moulana to Colombo. There he was met by Intelligence
chief Kapila Hendawitharana who persuaded Karuna to throw in his lot with
Colombo. Karuna did so and broke the agreement entered into with the tigers.
The rest is (contemporary) history.
It was widely expected that Karuna would wreak havoc on tigers in Batticaloa
during this anniversary period. So great was this fear that the LTTE members in
the East simply remained indoors in their camps, offices and bunkers without
venturing out during these days. This even led to the impression that the tigers
had fled to the Wanni en masse. This may have even led to overconfidence
among Karuna cadres. This cocksureness plus the New Year celebration may
have led to this debacle. The saying about four - legged felines that they crouch
only to pounce (Puli Pathunguvathu Paaivathatkaaha) holds true for the two -
legged followers of Velupillai Pirapakaran too.
This attack was not the first of its kind in Polonnaruwa. Some weeks ago the LTTE
launched a simillar attack on Mangalan Masters camp in Theevuchenai. But the
intended targets were ready and waiting. 12 of the 26 man squad were killed in
the skirmish and subsequent counter - ambush and attack.. Both sides
underplayed the incident and adopted a low - key stance due to different reasons.
Karunas cadres also executed operations that affected the LTTE considerably.
On one occasion Karunas boys infiltrated deep into tightly controlled tiger territory
on the West shore of the lagoon and seized the Great heroes cemetery at
Tharavai near Kokkatticholai. Instead of killing the cadres taken by surprise
Karunas boys seized their weapons, gave "lectures" and withdrew after occupying
the premises for nearly a whole night.
On another occasion they moved along the interior to Trincomalee district and
attacked a tiger post in Mahindapura in the Seruwila area. Two LTTE cadres were
killed in the shock attack. Karunas group are now moving about in the interior
areas of Eechilampattai and Serunuwara divisions while the tigers are in control of
the Vaaharai - Verugal littoral
The mainstream LTTE was on the defensive when the Soruwil attack happened.
Though not claiming credit the tigers will no doubt receive morale booster through
this. The Karuna cadres will be deflated temporarily. It does not require any
special skill to predict that there would be reprisal attacks and further related
attacks. The cycle of violence will go on.. "brother" will attack "Brother" in endless
bloodshed due to the ego and vanity of their leaders. Aided and abetted by
interested third parties the fratricidal fighting will continue to diminsh the Eastern
Tamils.
violence will go
on.. "brother"
will attack
"Brother" in
endless
bloodshed due
to the ego and
vanity of their
leaders. Aided
and abetted by
interested third
parties the
fratricidal
fighting will
continue to
diminsh the
Eastern Tamils."
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