03-09-2004, 09:55 PM
Can Prabhakaran wrest control of the East?
By Champika Liyanaarachchi
Battle lines have been drawn in Mavadichenai, north of Verugal, as a Northern Tiger platoon led by a former Trinco military commander and Prabhakaran-loyalist Swarnam is facing stiff resistance from Eastern cadres led by Regi, brother of the leader of the South Tamil Eelam (Eastern) Col. Karuna.
While Swarnam continues to send radio messages to Regi saying that he is on a peace mission to strike a deal between Prabhakaran and Karuna, all his attempts at advancing towards Vakarai have been blocked.
Karuna and his seniors are under the impression that this was a ploy by the LTTE hierarchy to break into Karuna's territory. In fact, on Sunday, on Swarnam's arrival, Karuna had given orders to Regi to shoot Swarnam and his men. However, seeing the resistance from Karuna's camp, Swarnam had pulled troops a few kilometres back.
Again on Monday Swarnam reappeared and this time it was Karuna-loyalist Sudahar who informed the Eastern leader. The instruction given was - to wait. At the time of writing they were still waiting.
On Sunday night nearly 200 Tiger cadres from Karuna's base in Karadiyanaru were transported to Vakarai by tractor and many thought that a major battle with Prabhakaran's loyalists who have infiltrated the east would ensue the next day.
By then the Sri Lanka Army was getting information that Karuna had temporarily shifted his base to Thoppigala, a safer location as there were strong rumours of an imminent infiltration of Northern cadres to Karuna's territory from all corners.
However, there seems to be some hesitancy from both camps to go for a major confrontation. As both factions together had fought several battles against the Sri Lankan military in the past two decades, the war veterans know too well the possible repercussions of such reckless moves. In any event, it is interesting to see who will fire the first shot.
Despite the tension and volatility of the area, Batticaloa remained calm up to Tuesday noon, three days after Karuna was fired by LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.
Repeated requests to the Sri Lanka Army for joint patrolling in the Batticaloa district and sending reinforcements to the Panichchankerni, north of Mankerni, to prevent the newly appointed Eastern leaders landing on the East coast from the sea, were among the very first things that the de facto leader of the South Tamil Eelam, Col. Karuna did, as soon as he was dismissed.
Karuna's requests for joint patrolling to crack down on Northern cadres were understandably turned down by the Army on instructions by the Defence hierarchy.
Given the type of explosive statements made by Karuna during the last few days, any other LTTE regional leader would have been history by now.
But the ceasefire that is in force and Karuna's enormous military strength which makes it almost impossible for the newly appointed leaders to set foot in the East has prevented the renegade's elimination.
On the other hand, given the grievances of the Eastern cadres, if Karuna is killed, it might worsen the situation. Velupillai Prabhakaran, though livid with anger, is caught in a dilemma that could not be easily resolved.
The projection of a larger-than-life character Prabhakaran, who was said to be unanimously accepted and worshipped as a god by the Tamils in the North and the East, is fast being demystified.
Effigies of the Tiger leader were burnt in the East, perhaps for the first time since the breakout of full scale war in 1983, in support of, and probably instigated by the one time blue-eyed boy of the Tiger leader.
Prabhakaran, even in his worst nightmares, would not have thought that his Eastern Commander would be the reason for the dilution of his clout.
It could be safely predicted that the Eastern rebellion heralds the beginning of the end of LTTE hegemony. While many were entertaining initial doubts as to whether the rebellion was another stage-managed episode by the LTTE as in the case of Karikalan, the suspicions were warded off last Thursday after Karuna accused Intelligence Chief Pottu Amman over the recent killing of two candidates in the East.
This exposed the Tigers right royally while almost confirming that it was the LTTE which was behind the other political killings too since the ceasefire agreement was signed.
Unfortunately, it was only the EPDP and the United States which pointed accusing fingers at the Tigers for last week's killings before Karuna's declaration.
The UNP, fearing that it would earn the wrath of the Tigers, thus minimizing the prospects of TNA support after polls, refused to comment, even though one of the victims was a UNP candidate.
Feeble attempts were made by LTTE Political Wing Chief S.P. Thamilselvan at Saturday's press conference in Kilinochchi to disassociate themselves from the killings.
Karuna's accusations only show that the Tigers have become the very antithesis of what they stand for. The charge of discrimination - the LTTE's reason to wage war - has now been levelled against the Tiger leadership. The gross negligence of Eastern Tamils as against the northern community has been cited by Karuna for his parting of ways.
Karuna says the Northern leaders have enjoyed perks, foreign trips and relative prosperity at the expense of the welfare of the Eastern cadres. Given the nature and evolution of conflicts and the parties to conflicts around the world, the defection by the Eastern commander is not something unexpected.
According to sources very close to Karuna, the South Tamil Eelam leaders have launched a major operation to hound - their bete noir - Sivasankaran alias Pottu Amman.
And we know Karuna is not the only one after the Tiger intelligence chief - a key suspect in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and many other leading politicians."Pottu Amman is the one responsible for all the problems we face today and there is no pardon for him by our leader" says Karuna's assistant Varathan.
He adds that attempts are being made by Pottu Amman's team to enter the east through sea routes but as all entry points are blocked it appears to be a Herculean task. Though it was Prabhakaran's effigies that were burnt by the civilians, it was Pottu Amman who had earned the wrath of cadres of the South Tamil Eelam, more than anybody else.
The showdown appears to be between Karuna and Pottu Amman - the LTTE's toughest and best brains respectively. The towers of strength to Karuna during these decisive days have been his own brother Regi and Robert - the new military commander of Batticaloa and Amapara after Ramesh pledged loyalties to the Wanni leadership.
Both Regi and Robert were busy moving cadres from various parts of Batticaloa to land and also sea entry points along the Mankerni, Kirimichchai, Panichchankerni, Vakarai and Kathiravel coastal belt during the last few days.
This is in addition to the support of divisional leaders like Thothiran, Karthi, Jeya, Sudan and Bawa who have put their weight behind Karuna.
The signs are that others, including those who have left for the Wanni after Karuna's defection, are planning to return to the base to join hands with Karuna.
These include the former Eastern strongman Senathiraja who was the head of both Pulianthivu and Udumpankula divisions. By Monday evening Senathiraja had returned to Trincomalee from Wanni and had been sending messages to the Eastern leaders that he wanted to escape to Batticaloa. Senathirajah who had returned unaccompanied was finding it difficult to proceed from Trinco, as the Wanni team led by Swarnam was on the way. His fear was that he will get caught to these cadres if he proceeded towards Vakari.
By Tuesday morning Karuna and his aides were busy arranging an alternative passage for Senathirajah. However South Tamil Eelam leaders are being extra careful."Even this could be a ploy," says Varathan adding that according to their intelligence Senathirajah is genuine in his plea.
If Senathiraja reunites with Karuna, it will be a considerable blow to the Wanni leadership which is trying its best to get Eastern seniors to desert Karuna and join the new Eastern leadership under Ramesh.
Efforts made by the clergy to bring about reconciliation between the Wanni and the Eastern leaders have so far failed. As things stand now, Karuna is very much in control of the East, reducing Ramesh, the newly appointed Eastern commander - to the status of a nominal leader in exile.
Thanx: Daily Mirror
By Champika Liyanaarachchi
Battle lines have been drawn in Mavadichenai, north of Verugal, as a Northern Tiger platoon led by a former Trinco military commander and Prabhakaran-loyalist Swarnam is facing stiff resistance from Eastern cadres led by Regi, brother of the leader of the South Tamil Eelam (Eastern) Col. Karuna.
While Swarnam continues to send radio messages to Regi saying that he is on a peace mission to strike a deal between Prabhakaran and Karuna, all his attempts at advancing towards Vakarai have been blocked.
Karuna and his seniors are under the impression that this was a ploy by the LTTE hierarchy to break into Karuna's territory. In fact, on Sunday, on Swarnam's arrival, Karuna had given orders to Regi to shoot Swarnam and his men. However, seeing the resistance from Karuna's camp, Swarnam had pulled troops a few kilometres back.
Again on Monday Swarnam reappeared and this time it was Karuna-loyalist Sudahar who informed the Eastern leader. The instruction given was - to wait. At the time of writing they were still waiting.
On Sunday night nearly 200 Tiger cadres from Karuna's base in Karadiyanaru were transported to Vakarai by tractor and many thought that a major battle with Prabhakaran's loyalists who have infiltrated the east would ensue the next day.
By then the Sri Lanka Army was getting information that Karuna had temporarily shifted his base to Thoppigala, a safer location as there were strong rumours of an imminent infiltration of Northern cadres to Karuna's territory from all corners.
However, there seems to be some hesitancy from both camps to go for a major confrontation. As both factions together had fought several battles against the Sri Lankan military in the past two decades, the war veterans know too well the possible repercussions of such reckless moves. In any event, it is interesting to see who will fire the first shot.
Despite the tension and volatility of the area, Batticaloa remained calm up to Tuesday noon, three days after Karuna was fired by LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.
Repeated requests to the Sri Lanka Army for joint patrolling in the Batticaloa district and sending reinforcements to the Panichchankerni, north of Mankerni, to prevent the newly appointed Eastern leaders landing on the East coast from the sea, were among the very first things that the de facto leader of the South Tamil Eelam, Col. Karuna did, as soon as he was dismissed.
Karuna's requests for joint patrolling to crack down on Northern cadres were understandably turned down by the Army on instructions by the Defence hierarchy.
Given the type of explosive statements made by Karuna during the last few days, any other LTTE regional leader would have been history by now.
But the ceasefire that is in force and Karuna's enormous military strength which makes it almost impossible for the newly appointed leaders to set foot in the East has prevented the renegade's elimination.
On the other hand, given the grievances of the Eastern cadres, if Karuna is killed, it might worsen the situation. Velupillai Prabhakaran, though livid with anger, is caught in a dilemma that could not be easily resolved.
The projection of a larger-than-life character Prabhakaran, who was said to be unanimously accepted and worshipped as a god by the Tamils in the North and the East, is fast being demystified.
Effigies of the Tiger leader were burnt in the East, perhaps for the first time since the breakout of full scale war in 1983, in support of, and probably instigated by the one time blue-eyed boy of the Tiger leader.
Prabhakaran, even in his worst nightmares, would not have thought that his Eastern Commander would be the reason for the dilution of his clout.
It could be safely predicted that the Eastern rebellion heralds the beginning of the end of LTTE hegemony. While many were entertaining initial doubts as to whether the rebellion was another stage-managed episode by the LTTE as in the case of Karikalan, the suspicions were warded off last Thursday after Karuna accused Intelligence Chief Pottu Amman over the recent killing of two candidates in the East.
This exposed the Tigers right royally while almost confirming that it was the LTTE which was behind the other political killings too since the ceasefire agreement was signed.
Unfortunately, it was only the EPDP and the United States which pointed accusing fingers at the Tigers for last week's killings before Karuna's declaration.
The UNP, fearing that it would earn the wrath of the Tigers, thus minimizing the prospects of TNA support after polls, refused to comment, even though one of the victims was a UNP candidate.
Feeble attempts were made by LTTE Political Wing Chief S.P. Thamilselvan at Saturday's press conference in Kilinochchi to disassociate themselves from the killings.
Karuna's accusations only show that the Tigers have become the very antithesis of what they stand for. The charge of discrimination - the LTTE's reason to wage war - has now been levelled against the Tiger leadership. The gross negligence of Eastern Tamils as against the northern community has been cited by Karuna for his parting of ways.
Karuna says the Northern leaders have enjoyed perks, foreign trips and relative prosperity at the expense of the welfare of the Eastern cadres. Given the nature and evolution of conflicts and the parties to conflicts around the world, the defection by the Eastern commander is not something unexpected.
According to sources very close to Karuna, the South Tamil Eelam leaders have launched a major operation to hound - their bete noir - Sivasankaran alias Pottu Amman.
And we know Karuna is not the only one after the Tiger intelligence chief - a key suspect in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and many other leading politicians."Pottu Amman is the one responsible for all the problems we face today and there is no pardon for him by our leader" says Karuna's assistant Varathan.
He adds that attempts are being made by Pottu Amman's team to enter the east through sea routes but as all entry points are blocked it appears to be a Herculean task. Though it was Prabhakaran's effigies that were burnt by the civilians, it was Pottu Amman who had earned the wrath of cadres of the South Tamil Eelam, more than anybody else.
The showdown appears to be between Karuna and Pottu Amman - the LTTE's toughest and best brains respectively. The towers of strength to Karuna during these decisive days have been his own brother Regi and Robert - the new military commander of Batticaloa and Amapara after Ramesh pledged loyalties to the Wanni leadership.
Both Regi and Robert were busy moving cadres from various parts of Batticaloa to land and also sea entry points along the Mankerni, Kirimichchai, Panichchankerni, Vakarai and Kathiravel coastal belt during the last few days.
This is in addition to the support of divisional leaders like Thothiran, Karthi, Jeya, Sudan and Bawa who have put their weight behind Karuna.
The signs are that others, including those who have left for the Wanni after Karuna's defection, are planning to return to the base to join hands with Karuna.
These include the former Eastern strongman Senathiraja who was the head of both Pulianthivu and Udumpankula divisions. By Monday evening Senathiraja had returned to Trincomalee from Wanni and had been sending messages to the Eastern leaders that he wanted to escape to Batticaloa. Senathirajah who had returned unaccompanied was finding it difficult to proceed from Trinco, as the Wanni team led by Swarnam was on the way. His fear was that he will get caught to these cadres if he proceeded towards Vakari.
By Tuesday morning Karuna and his aides were busy arranging an alternative passage for Senathirajah. However South Tamil Eelam leaders are being extra careful."Even this could be a ploy," says Varathan adding that according to their intelligence Senathirajah is genuine in his plea.
If Senathiraja reunites with Karuna, it will be a considerable blow to the Wanni leadership which is trying its best to get Eastern seniors to desert Karuna and join the new Eastern leadership under Ramesh.
Efforts made by the clergy to bring about reconciliation between the Wanni and the Eastern leaders have so far failed. As things stand now, Karuna is very much in control of the East, reducing Ramesh, the newly appointed Eastern commander - to the status of a nominal leader in exile.
Thanx: Daily Mirror
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