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On April 22 Sri
Lanka’s most heavily fortified garrison, at Elephant Pass, fell to the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The once impregnable Elephant Pass base, was a
huge complex that stood on a narrow strip of land, as gateway to the Jaffna
peninsula. Together with its satellite camps, it covered an area 23 kms long and
8-10 kms wide. It was defended by 15,000 troops, including Sri Lanka’s most
elite 53 Division, which had been trained by the US army. It collapsed like a
pack-of-cards under the LTTE strategy, which cut off its supply lines and its
only sources of potable water from Umaialpuram and Iyakachchi. With the camp’s
desalination plant having broken down, a large number of fleeing soldiers
succumbed to heat and dehydration.
After the
pre-election LTTE onslaught (see March issue of People’s March) in the Wanni and
Western regions, the LTTE began its northern offensive on December 11, ’99 (just
prior to the elections). The camps at Vettilaikerny and Kattaikadu on the east
coast and Pullaveli to the north of the Elephant Pass were taken in a land-sea
joint campaign.
The second stage of
the LTTE campaign, a multi-pronged assault, began on March 26. A joint
operation, led by Vasanthan of the Charles Anthony infantry division, and
Veerandan of the Sea Tigers took control of the
Chembiyanpattru-Mannthankery-Tharaiady complex that housed the 3rd operational
headquarters on the Vedamaratchy east coast. The army then vacated the camps at
Maamunai and Amban; the soldiers relocated to positions west of the lagoon.
Simultaneously, a
squad from the LTTE "Leopard" Commando brigade raided Pallai, the largest
junction to the north of Iyakachchi on the A-9 highway and decommissioned at
least 11 pieces of artillery. A contingent led by LTTE’s deputy military chief,
Balraj, then took a swathe of the Jaffna-Kandy road between Pallai and
Eluthmattuvaal. With this, the LTTE effectively cut off the main road link
between the Elephant Pass/Iyakachchi camps and Jaffna. On April 10, the Sri
Lankan armed forces recaptured a major portion of the road but failed to
dislodge the Tigers completely. Also, on March 26, the LTTE’s Killinochchi
commander, Theepan, led a team of men across the dried-up Chundikulam lagoon on
the south east of the peninsula, in the Vannaukulam region.
The third and
decisive stage of the LTTE campaign was played out around noon on April 18. A
‘Leopard’ Commando raid saw the LTTE take control of the Maruthankerny
causeway, which enabled it to proceed westwards on the Maruthankerny-Puthukadu
junction road, which links the east coast and the A-9 highway. The LTTE
guerrillas proceeded along the southern areas of Soranpattru after demolishing a
40-feet bund put up by the army as a defence measure. The Tigers headed south on
the A-9 highway and reached the northern sector of the Iyackachchi camp.
Thereafter the LTTE
mounted a fierce attack on the Iyakachchi camp. As the fighting intensified, the
Tiger guerrillas to the south east of the Elephant Pass broke through and began
assailing the camp. The armoured and artillery units of the LTTE, led by Bhanu,
pounded the base and inched forward. The telecommunication tower in the Elephant
Pass base was damaged, and all telephone lines to the North were severed. At
this critical juncture the bulk of the LTTE guerrillas, led by Balraj, abandoned
the A-9 highway and joined the fighting around Iyakachchi after setting up two
"cut-out" posts to the north of Pallai and south of Eluthumattuval, to prevent
an army advancement. Heavy fighting in and around Iyakachchi began on April 20.
The Tigers positioned themselves to the south of the camp, and cut it off from
Elephant Pass. Iyakachchi fell on April 21. Thereafter the theatre of war
shifted to Elephant Pass. The LTTE advanced on Elephant Pass from the North,
north east and south east. There was a heavy exchange of fire through the night,
and even while the fighting was on, the army vacated the camp. The LTTE marched
in at 2-30 pm the same day.
In the battle for
Elephant Pass the LTTE claims that 303 of its guerrillas were killed and 1000 of
the enemy. On the Tiger’s side the women’s brigade chief, Lt.Col.Lakshiya, was
reported killed. Among the top officers of the Sri Lankan army killed were Brig.
Fernando, Col. Jayatilleke, Col. Akeemana and Lt.Col. Hewawasam.
With the fall of
Elephant Pass and the LTTE’s march on Jaffna, the key town of the tamil homeland
with a population of five lakhs, panic overtook the Sri Lankan rulers. With the
Sea Tigers and LTTE’s anti-aircraft unit (with its missiles) able to restrict
the troops’ sea and air movement, there was fear for the 25,000 to 35,000
soldiers marooned in the peninsula. Ofcourse, to take control of the peninsula,
the LTTE would have to first defeat the Sri Lankan forces guarding the nearby
Palali air force base and the Kankeshanturai naval port. On May 6, the LTTE
began its efforts to capture Jaffna town by mounting a surprise attack from the
lagoon. As we go to the press, the battle for Jaffna continues, with the Sri
Lankan air-force straffing LTTE positions with the newly acquired Israeli
fighters.
After the fall of
Elephant Pass, the panic-stricken President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who, till
recently always said the ethnic struggle was an "internal issue" appealed
for help from "friendly" countries. She declared a state of Emergency and
reimposed the Public Security Ordinance, usurping powers to arrest without
warrant and a ban on strikes, public protest and demonstrations. She suspended
all developmental activity and geared all funds for the military ..... going on
a hectic shopping spree for arms from Israel, Pakistan, South Africa, North
Korea and the Czech republic. She withdrew its three decade old break with
Israel and established diplomatic relations within days.
Meanwhile,
Big-brother India, while caught in a dilemma, was demanding no interference from
any outsider (including Norway’s facilitation) in its "sphere of influence".
It was acting as though it is only the Indian rulers that have the right to
dictate terms .... of course, after consulting the bosses in the USA. The
USA has given India a carte blanche to assert its hegemony over Sri Lanka, and
even instructed its other stooge, Norway, to take instructions from India in the
facilitation process initiated. And India and the USA are in daily contact on
the issue.
While Sri Lanka
appealed to India for help, having burnt its fingers during the IPKF (Indian
Peace Keeping Force) episode of 1987-90; and facing opposition from the Tamil
Nadu NDA partners, it offered ‘humanitarian aid’ and ‘suggested’ Israel for its
source of arms. Also, regarding the conflict, it has been taking an ambiguous
position, blowing hot and cold on the LTTE issue. Over the last two years,
Delhi’s policy of hot pursuit of LTTE vessels in Indian waters was relaxed, and
intelligence sharing between India and Sri Lanka has reduced drastically. It
sought to use the LTTE issue to whip the Sri Lankan government to toe its line
in SAARC, on the free-trade issue, etc. Yet it is paranoiac about an independent
Tamil Eelam, fearing it could have a domino affect in Kashmir, North-East and
elsewhere. It seeks the establishment of a servile Tamil state as part of Sri
Lanka, through which it can assert its influence.
So, while flexing its
muscles against the Tigers, the Indian government says it is willing to mediate
between the two if invited by both. While simultaneously extending the ban on
the LTTE for another two years, it sends a strong warning to Sri Lanka at the
"unprovoked firing", by the Sri Lankan navy on Tamil Nadu fishermen. In
order to pressurise the LTTE to accept an `Indian formula’ on the issue, it has
: sent its air force chief, Tipnis on a lengthy six-day visit to Sri Lanka,
accompanied by a senior "technical officer" (of rank of Air-vice marshall)
to assist Sri Lanka’s air force operations; it has offered "humanitarian aid" to
Sri Lanka; it has instructed the Indian navy and Coast Guards to conduct
exercises off the Sri Lankan coast, to boost the morale of the Sri Lankan forces
and send a "graduated message" of "operational readiness" to the
LTTE; it has also planned to dispatch the fascist KPS Gill to Sri Lanka for
counter-insurgency "advice"; and it has quietly received the Sri Lankan Defense
Minister at Bangalore.
In India, it has got
the DMK to give up its support for the LTTE and has got it to launch vicious
attacks, on any organisation that lends support to it, by banning meetings,
demonstrations or any other show of public support to Tamil Eelam in Tamil Nadu.
Ofcourse, the MDMK, PMK and even Shiv Sena continue to voice their support.
Basically, the major section of the Indian ruling classes would find Chandrika
Kumaratunga’s devolution package an acceptable formula for peace, with, may be,
a little adjustments.
The just struggle for
Tamil Eelam will no doubt continue, but it would have to steer clear of
‘international’ mediation of the Kosovo/East Timor type, and also the
expansionist designs of the Indian rulers. Let this struggle be a warning to all
fascist oppressors who seek to crush the national aspirations of the people
through brutality, rape, murder and inhuman pogroms.
20-5-2000
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