| Government Responds to TNA Allegations
10 May 2006 Response by Hon. Nimal Siripala De Silva to a Statement in Parliament by Hon. Mavai Senathirajah on 9th May 2006 Hon. Mavai Senathirajah, on behalf of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) made a statement in parliament yesterday accusing the Government and the security forces of engaging in “state terrorism” and of “creating an utmost situation of genocidal activities”. The statement further lists out various incidents where the security forces and so called Tamil “paramilitaries” have been held responsible. Firstly, on behalf of the Government I wish to state categorically that allegations of “state terror” and “genocide” are mere justifications for LTTE terrorism. As a case in point, we are shocked by the statement issued by the TNA Parliamentary Group, following the suicide attack on Army Commander Lt.Gen Sarath Fonseka on 25th April 2006, that “it was a direct consequence of the State terror that has been unleashed against the Tamil civilian population of the Northeast”. At a time when terrorism is totally denounced by the entire civilized world, I am totally amazed by the callous justification used by the TNA. I would also draw your attention to the Report of the UN Secretary General on 27 April where he pointed out, “Terrorists must never be allowed to create a pretext for their actions. Whatever the causes they claim to be advancing, whatever grievances they claim to be responding to, terrorism cannot be justified.” It is also unbecoming of the TNA parliamentarians to remain silent in the face of tactics employed by the LTTE of using civilians as human shields and attacking the security forces in civilian populated areas. For instance, on 10th April, the LTTE detonated a claymore mine on the A9 highway in Mirusuvil killing 5 soldiers and 2 civilians. The following day on 11th April, a bus carrying Navy personnel on leave came under attack in Thampalagauwa in Trincomalee killing 10 Navy personnel and a civilian. Two foreigners were also injured in that incident. On 4th May, following the lobbing of grenades by LTTE cadres at a Police Duty Point in Vavuniya Town in which 1 army personnel and 2 police constable were killed, 10 civilians sustained injuries in the explosion as well as in the cross-fire. These are only some instances of what is almost a daily occurrence of the most heinous acts of terrorism perpetrated by the LTTE. What is particularly unacceptable is also the deafening sound of silence maintained by the TNA Parliamentarians to the LTTE’s ploy of holding civilians responsible for the spate of claymore mine and grenade attacks against the security forces. This is a total betrayal of the trust that the Tamil people have bestowed on the TNA parliamentarians since it places civilians in an extremely vulnerable and dangerous situation. I also wish to respond to the allegation leveled by the Hon Mavai Senathiraja that the aerial strikes and naval bombardment of 25th April in the Sampoor area, which is under the control of the LTTE and its Sea Tigers, was a deliberate attack on residential areas in retaliation to the suicide bomb attack on the Army Commander. On the contrary, the Head of Mission of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) at a meeting with Dr.Palitha Kohona, Secretary General of the Peace Secretariat (SCOPP) on 28th April, 2006 had said that the Sri Lankan Airforce and Navy had “definitely targeted military positions and offices of the LTTE” and that the security forces had not launched attacks “deliberately and entirely directed at civilian settlements”. We reiterate that the limited operation by the security forces was in response to a sustained campaign of LTTE terror attacks and specific attacks against the Sri Lankan Navy in the Trincomalee area and was designed to deter further attacks. It was carried out as a deterrent to neutralize the threat posed by the LTTE to the harbour and key naval installations in Trincomalee. What is of deep concern to the Government and any peace-loving people is the attempt by the LTTE to provoke an ethnic backlash by attacking Sinhala civilians. The cycle bomb in the Trincomalee market which claimed the lives of Sinhalese as well as Tamils was exploded in the vicinity of the vegetable stalls where the vendors are mainly Sinhalese. Likewise the attack on six Sinhala farmers at Gomarankadawa while they were working in their paddy fields was another act aimed at provoking maximum outrage. It is indeed to the credit of the security forces that the mob violence that followed both these incidents were quickly brought under control and not allowed to spread to other areas. Despite these outrageous acts of terror by the LTTE, the Government condemns all forms of reprisal attacks against innocent civilians. The President in his address to the Nation on 25th April, 2006, following the suicide attack on Army Commander Lt.Gen. Sarath Fonseka, specifically expressed awareness of the killings of several Tamil civilians and specifically expressed deep concern over the killing of Mr.Vigneswaran at Trincomalee. President Rajapakse in his address said that he had ordered the arrest of those responsible and instructed the Police to see that the perpetrators were brought to justice. I have been instructed by H.E. The President to inform Parliament that the Government vehemently condemns the recent spate of killings of civilians in Jaffna, Vavuniya and Avissawella and will take all necessary action to punish the perpetrators. This includes the killing of the 5 students in Trincomalee where the investigations are in progress. The Government considers as a curse the culture of impunity that this country has been witnessing at various dark periods since the 70s. As a democracy and a mature society we will not tolerate this any longer. We urge the police and the security forces to perform their duty to the country by maintaining law and order and in protecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country. This is what the citizens of the country expect from them. Meanwhile, the Government is taking all measures necessary to create the conditions for the recommencement of the Geneva Talks. Here we urge the LTTE to immediately cease all attacks on the security forces as well as the civilians and to respond positively to the flexibility demonstrated by the Government in providing transportation facilities to the LTTE to enable it to have its internal consultations. The flexibility shown by the Government deserves to be placed on record. The initial request for government helicopters made by the LTTE on 20 March 2006 was to transport six persons from Batticaloa to Kilinochchi and six persons from Trincomalee to Kilinochch and bring back an equal number as replacements. The government policy on theatre-to-theatre transport of LTTE leaders after the assassination of late Lakshman Kadirgamar was made clear to SLMM. In that the government will provide helicopter transport for senior LTTE leaders to travel to the airport for peace process related overseas travel, but no theatre-to-theatre transfers of leaders was accommodated. However, the government provided several alternatives, such as escorted surface transport, Navy ferry and the option of a civilian ferry. On 15 April 2006, when the civilian ferry was made available for the transport of Eastern Leaders, the LTTE requested that 16 Leaders be transferred from Batticaloa to Mullaitivu and 16 Leaders from Trincomalee to Mullaitivu and bring back an equal number as replacements. The LTTE unilaterally aborted the sea movement citing flimsy excuses that SLN Craft were escorting the civilian ferry. The SLMM written procedures clearly stipulated the presence of SLN Craft to follow the movement. When the government facilitated the use of a civilian helicopter, the LTTE insisted on a helicopter with capacity to carry 10 passengers, as they had to transfer 10 Leaders from Batticaloa to Kilinochchi and 10 Leaders from Trincomalee to Kilinochchi Though it was noticed that the so called Central Committee appeared to be an evolving and fluid notion, the government continued to oblige with the LTTE request in order to ensure that the talks in Geneva can take place as scheduled. When the government made facilities for the Royal Norwegian Government to engage a civilian floatplane with the capacity to carry required passengers, the LTTE responded with a list of preferred waterbody locations to land the floatplane. The government acceded to this request and made all arrangements with the Civil Aviation Authority and the Aviation Operator in consultation with the Sri Lanka Air Force to prepare a safe flight path. In terms of civil aviation regulations and safety conditions the Aviation Operator is requited to conduct water depth-checks and on-site inspection of the waterbody landing zones prior to authorization of the flight plan by the Civil Aviation Authority. On Saturday 6 May 2006 the inspection team from Sri Lankan Airlines together with SLMM were scheduled to visit the waterbody locations for an onsite inspection and to conduct depth-checks. Discussions are continuing. We hope that at least on this occasion, the LTTE will act responsibly and agree to use this mode of transport. The government is hopeful that the LTTE will desist from presenting excuses to delay the proposed air movement after all logistical arrangements have been completed and as required proceed with the air movement and follow through with its participation in Geneva. We urge the TNA parliamentarians who are here to represent the interests of the Tamil People to exert whatever influence it has on the LTTE to bring it to the negotiating table. This what the Tamil people want. This is what all peace-loving peoples of this country want. SCOPP, 10.5.2006 |