The Final Solution to the Lankan Crisis

Both sides of the Sri Lankan ethnic war are not letting down their killing spirit. Over 8000 soldiers, separatists and common people were killed in the last two years alone. All efforts by the international community have been destroyed by the stubborn war mentality of the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE.

The LTTE has lost almost all its strategic locations. One of the final assaults of the Lankan army came yesterday when the political and administrative capital of the Tigers – Kilnochchi was captured. This town is the main link from the south to northern parts. Now the connectivity route between south to Poneryn in the Jaffna peninsula is lost, LTTE will be compelled to move its central operation location to Mullitivu.

One cannot give a final reading on what is called as the ‘last nail on LTTE’s coffin’ As usual both the sides are breast beating their superiorities. Gen.Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lankan army chief says “Killnochchi was the LTTE’s pride, their police, judicial and political headquarters. They had to leave all that behind and run for their lives”. President Mahinda Rajapaksa said, “Today, our heroic troops have made that dream a reality. A short while ago, our brave and heroic troops fully captured Kilinochchi that was considered the main bastion of the LTTE”.

On the contrary the LTTE soft tuned the attacks and put a brave front. “The Sri Lanka army has entered a virtually ghost town.” It elaborated that the Tigers had minimized the causalities and properties by moving out all before the attack. In simple terms, LTTE was prepared for the attack and acted accordingly. This was reinforced when its suicide bomber carried out an attack outside the headquarters of the Sri Lanka air force and killed 3 people. More than 30 people were injured in the attack.

In the final analysis the ethnic war is not going to end in the near future. LTTE is pushing back to rebuilt its troops for more strikes. Encouraged by the Killnochchi’s capture, Sri Lankan army will double it assault mode. As usual, common people will be killed in large numbers. Children will lose their schools, patients will be left dead without adequate health care and all the normal services will be in for a toss again in the northern Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan government should immediately stop killing innocent lives and evolve a political solution to it. LTTE should lose its stubbornness in dealing with the crisis in the larger interests of the Tamil community. The extinction of its soldiers and supporters will be detrimental for the long term survival of the organization and Tamils. As a protector of Tamil interests, LTTE should agree for the autonomy package and Prabhakaran should take over the northern region autonomous region’s chairperson under the Sri Lankan government. Whatever lost in the past few decades should be rebuilt and overall development of the region should be ensured. If he and his Tiger men do that separate state support from the ordinary Tamils will be regained. Any time waste in this process will jeopardize LTTE’s goal forever.

Spilling Blood

1948 Ceylon gains freedom from Britain

1956 Govt makes Sinhala the language of state. Tamils say they feel marginalized

1958 First anti-Tamil riots

1972 Country renamed Sri Lanka. Buddhism made the principal religion

1976 LTTE formed

1983 Tiger attack kills 13 soldiers, triggering anti-Tamil riots in Colombo. Start of what

Tigers call “First Eelam War”

1987 India sends troops to enforce truce. Tigers renege on pact, begin three years of

fighting that kills 1,000 Indian soldiers

1990 India withdraws, LTTE controls Jaffna. “Second Eelam War” begins

1991 Suspected Tiger suicide bomber kills former Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi

1993 President Ranasinghe Premadasa assassinated

1995 President Chandrika Kumaratunga agrees to truce. ‘Eelam War 3’ begins when rebels sink naval craft. Tigers lose Jaffna to troops

1995- Suicide attack in Colombo kills around 100. Kumaratunga wounded in an attack

2001

2002 Ceasefire signed after Norwegian mediation

2003 Tigers pull out of peace talks, ceasefire holds

2005 Suspected Tiger assassin kills foreign minister. Anti-Tiger hardliner Mahinda Rajapaksa wins presidency

2006 Fighting flares in April – July raising fears of start of ‘Eelam War 4’

2007 Govt captures Tiger’s eastern stronghold of Vakarai

2008 Govt annuls 2002 ceasefire in early January. By August, military advances toward Tiger strongholds in the north

Jan 2, 2009 Troops capture Kilinochchi

Source: The Times of India, 3.1.2009, P.19