26 julio 2016
The undeclared Eelam War IV, now raging,
has seen a slow but sure increase in the military thrust by the Security Forces
against Tiger guerrillas. Since the Government's official claims that the
guerrillas have been "completely driven away" from the East, the
focus of military actions has been almost entirely in the North.
That is not to say the East has fallen
silent. Small groups of guerrillas, mostly intelligence operatives, have
re-appeared in some parts of the Batticaloa district. In the adjoining Ampara
district, there has been a string of skirmishes with the Police Special Task
Force (STF) commandos. They are also moving around in some parts of Trincomalee
north.
In the North, the Security Forces have
continued their efforts, particularly ahead of their defended localities west
of the Omanthai entry-exit point, located some eight kilometres north of
Vavuniya. Moves to seize guerrilla-dominated territory are meeting with heavy
resistance.
Yet, their efforts continue. Air Force
fighter jets have been bombing several locations in the North including
Pooneryn, a guerrilla staging area where there has been a reported build up for
the past several months. This is for a foray into the Jaffna peninsula.
It is against this backdrop that the Sri
Lanka Navy made what is easily one of its biggest achievements - the
interception and destroying of three cargo vessels of the Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Since the re-capture of Toppigala [in the
Batticaloa district], there have been no major guerrilla attacks. It came
amidst a relative lull in the form of any significant retaliatory response.
This drew further attention after the Navy's attack on the LTTE ships.
This situation led to many conclusions by
influential sections in the Government, both political and military. Some
declare that the guerrilla military strength has been completely weakened. They
even estimate that it is by over fifty per cent.
This has diminished their capability to
strike at targets outside the North and East, they argue. Others contend that
in the light of this, a military thrust towards the North would virtually
finish the LTTE's military capability. Yet others also say the guerrillas were
now incapable of staging any attacks in the City of Colombo, suburbs or other
outstation areas.
No doubt the Security Forces and the
Police (including the Special Task Force) have played a major role in curbing
Tiger guerrilla attacks. However, has the military capability of the LTTE been
completely weakened? The question requires a dispassionate appraisal.
There have been many such occasions in
the past where such underestimation and a consequent "underestimated"
response have led to unpleasant consequences.
Before examining these aspects, first to
the Navy's success story as recounted by a high-ranking officer. The
intelligence had come from different credible sources. The background data were
available from confessions made by captured Sea Tiger cadres. Yet, the LTTE
ships were operating in the high seas, off the Sumatra coast in Indonesia.
The next day (Monday September 3) SLNS
Suranimala , the Israeli-built Fast Missile Vessel (FMV) set sail from the
Eastern Naval Area Headquarters at the Dockyard in Trincomalee. Also heading
out from the same port was SLNS Sayura, the Indian built Advanced Offshore
Patrol Vessel (AOPV). Departing from the Navy's SLNS Rangala base in Colombo
was SLNS Samudura, the former United States Coast Guard vessel "Courageous."
This vessel was a gift from the United States and was refurbished in that
country at a cost of US $ 10 million (over Rs 100 million).
The Sri Lanka Navy flotilla sailed for
almost a week. They had to resort to mid sea re-fuelling to continue their
voyage. Arriving at a location in the international waters off Sumatra
(Indonesia), the flotilla began their search operations for LTTE vessels
beginning midnight on Sunday (September 9). Officers and sailors on board were
well briefed on logistics movements of LTTE vessels and the sea-lanes they
used.
The first encounter with MV Manyoshi, an
old cargo vessel with a crane on board, came at noon on Monday (September 10).
Upon confirming that it was one of the LTTE cargo vessels, 76 mm guns on board
the SLNS Suranimala began to fire. Others followed engulfing the aft of the
vessel in a ball of fire. The second to be hit on the same day was MV Scishin
shortly after dusk had set in. Its aft too was enveloped in black plumes of
smoke. It was only before dawn the next day (Tuesday September 11) that the
Navy flotilla spotted MV Koshiya, said to be a tanker that was carrying fuel
for the LTTE. Navy officials say it was hit and sank early morning. There were
no signs of the vessel after the crack of dawn.
A fourth cargo vessel, MV Matsushima,
high ranking Navy officials said, could not be located in the vicinity. It was
known through intelligence information that this vessel was one of those
operating in the deep seas off Sumatra. However, efforts to trace it had not
been successful.
According to high-ranking Navy officials,
MV Manyoshi was carrying a large quantity of 120 mm mortar shells, fuel for
aircraft, a variety of spare parts for vehicles, boats, communication equipment
and striped Tiger guerrilla camouflage uniform material. On board the MV
Scishin there had been three 120 mm mortar launchers, mortar rounds for them,
medical supplies and a variety of canned food items.
But it must be remembered that despite
the heavy losses to the LTTE, last week's deep sea encounter in itself does not
alter the military balance.
Replenishing their military supplies,
where the LTTE is concerned, is an ongoing process. In March 2003, just over a
year after the Ceasefire Agreement between the then Government and the LTTE,
the Navy sank a guerrilla tanker in the deep seas northeast of Mullaitivu. The
vessel was identified as MV Koimar and had been carrying large stocks of
ammunition and artillery shells. Thereafter, in June 2003 the Navy sank two
more LTTE cargo vessels, each with a deadweight of 600 tons. This was some 200
nautical miles northeast of Trincomalee.
In June 2003, the Navy received credible
intelligence information that two guerrilla cargo ships were each towing
heavily laden boats. These boats, it was later revealed, had been built in a
boatyard in Indonesia. They were being towed until it reached closer to Sri
Lankan shores. Thereafter, their engines were powered and the boats were moved
to a Sea Tiger base. Among the cargo on board the two vessels were 23 mm
anti-aircraft guns, assorted ammunition and artillery shells.
[Last week] There was a grand welcome
ceremony at the Gun Boat Pier in the Dockyard in Trincomalee for the Sri Lankan
Naval flotilla that took part in the attack on these two cargo ships. The
flotilla included the Navy's Israeli built former Fast Missile Vessel (FMV),
SLNS Nandimitra, SLNS Ranawickrema, SLNS Ranajaya, SLNS Prathapa and SLNS
Udara. Navy Commander Vice Admiral Karannagoda was on hand at the ceremony to
receive the return to port of the flotilla.
There have also been instances where
inclement weather or other obstacles prevented the Navy from tracking down
guerrilla logistics vessels. One such event, where they were almost on the
verge of closing in on a big cargo vessel came in May 2003 in the deep seas
some 150 nautical miles off the shores of Mullaitivu. This cargo vessel was
also towing a heavily laden boat. However, Naval craft lost track of it after
trailing it for days.
As is clear from the above events, it has
been a practice for the LTTE to change the modus operandi of its logistics
movements periodically. More so, after the latest attack by the Navy bared
detailed information of its operational activities.
For over two years now, there has been
considerable concern in the defence and security establishment that the LTTE
was using hideouts in Indonesia.
Last year, Prime Minister Ratnasiri
Wickremanayake flew to Jakarta for a meeting with Indonesian President Susilo
Bambang Yudyono. As a special envoy of President Rajapaksa he raised issue over
this matter. The Indonesian authorities had assured co-operation but urged that
specific instances be made available to them. Government sources said that a
full dossier that will include details pertaining to the Navy's recent attack
was now being formulated.
An instance where the pattern of LTTE
logistics movements changed became known recently. This was after reports that
the guerrillas were using hideouts in the neighbouring southern Indian state of
Tamil Nadu as a "transhipment facility." After stockpiling military
supplies there, they were using the shallow Gulf of Mannar to smuggle them into
Sri Lanka across the western seaboard. The Sea Tiger base at Viduthaltivu is
known to play an important role in this regard, according to intelligence
sources. This is causing considerable concern to the Security Forces in view of
the induction of some quantities of military supplies through this sector.
Another was the shores of Silavathurai,
located north of the Wilpattu National Park. Here the Tiger guerrillas had
regularly maintained a mobile presence to take delivery of military supplies
smuggled from Tamil Nadu. They considered it safe since larger Navy patrol
craft could not traverse the Gulf of Mannar due to the shallow seas. The fact that
there was no major permanent guerrilla presence in the area was proved after
the Security Forces conducted a complete sweep of the area.
This came after the LTTE demonstration of
its air strike capability early this year. During the recent military
offensive, an LTTE intelligence cadre and a member of the political wing were
among those killed. A "suicide boat" and 39 other boats were seized.
Now Security Forces are to return the boats said to belong to the civilians.
The fact that the Tiger guerrillas have
not engaged in any major military attacks in the recent months, particularly
after the re-capture of Toppigala in July this year, means they have not
expended vast quantities of ammunition. Even the use of mortar and artillery
has been less.
The main reason for this is the undivided
attention to meet a military thrust to the North, either from south of the
Jaffna peninsula or northwards from the defended localities astride the
entry-exit point at Omanthai. The latter would be either from the Mannar side
or from the Weli Oya end. That pre-occupation has been militarily uppermost to
them.
That is why a considerable strength holed
up in the jungles of Toppigala were ordered to return to the North. These
cadres were earlier on the hop when the Security Forces seized Sampur, Vakarai
and later made their foray into Toppigala. Intelligence sources confirm that in
the light of this triggering off any major incidents, be it in the North, East
or areas outside including the City of Colombo became low priority. Stepped-up
efforts to stockpile more military supplies, needed when they come under heavy
pressure from the Security Forces, are also for the same reason.
LTTE's Political Wing leader S.P.
Tamilselvan broke silence during past months to tell Tamilnet that it has been
intentional. It may be rhetoric.
But it is not rhetoric that is to be
dismissed. Despite the attacks on the ground, at sea and by air, Tiger
guerrillas retain a military capability. Whilst strongly acknowledging the
brave role of the Security Forces and Police to deal with them, the truth of
the threats posed by the guerrillas should not be buried by heaps of
propaganda. Those who do so are fooling only themselves.
Antecedentes
Guerra Civil de Sri Lanka
La Guerra Civil de Sri Lanka fue una guerra civil y étnica en la país insular de Sri Lanka. Desde 1983 hasta 2009 hubo una lucha esporádica, la mayoría entre el gobierno y los tigres tamiles, un grupo militar separatista. Organizaciones de la etnia tamil en el norte y este del país pelearon contra lo que a su percepción era una discriminación de la mayoría, perteneciente a la etnia cingalesa, y eventualmente pidieron la creación de un Estado independiente y exclusivo para ellos. Con el tiempo, la organización terrorista Tigres de Liberación del Eelam Tamil (LTTE) eliminó a todos sus rivales moderados y tomó el control completo del norte y el este de Sri Lanka, agrediendo a su propia gente y llevando consigo una campaña de terror a la isla y más allá. Los Tigres luchaban para crear un estado tamil independente que se llamaría "Tamil Eelam" en el Norte y Este del país. Los Estados Unidos y la Unión Europea lo consideraban un grupo terrorista.
Mientras tanto, líderes estrictos del gobierno de Sri Lanka agravaron el problema con su enfoque de cero tolerancia. Mucha gente fue torturada, mientras los periodistas que criticaban al gobierno y otros oponentes fueron asesinados. Cuando un grupo de jóvenes nacionalistas de izquierda, llamado Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, organizó un levantamiento en el sur del país, más de 30 mil personas “desaparecieron” en manos del gobierno.
En el 2005 el candidato Mahinda Rajapaska fue elegido presidente. Estaba determinado a acabar militarmente con la guerra civil y bajo su mandato hubo asaltos brutales a las zonas donde se encontraban los miembors del grupo guerrilero tamil.
Se estima que unas 80 a 100 mil personas perdieron la vida durante el conflicto.29 También ha causado gran daño a la economía y a la población.
La organización Tigres de la Liberación Tamil Eelam fue derrotada el 17 de mayo de 2009 y su líder (Velupillai Prabhakaran) muerto en combate.
(Tomado de https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerra_Civil_de_Sri_Lanka)
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