SRI LANKA: TERROR INTERRUPTED ANALYSIS

By SATP-APRIL 21, 2014

By Ajit Kumar Singh Apprehensions of an attempte re!i!a" #y the Li#eration $igers of $ami" %e"am&s 'L$$%( )ere pro!en true )hen, in the ear"y hours of Apri" 11, 2014, a Se*urity +or*es 'S+s( team "aun*he a *or on an sear*h operation in the forest area off Pa a!iya in Anura hapura ,istri*t, an )as fire upon #y mi"itants hi ing in the forest- $he S+s .i""e three arme "o*a" L$$% "ea ers, reporte "y in reta"iatory fire- $he ea )ere i entifie as Se"!anayagam Kajeepan a"ias /o#i, Sun ara"ingam Kajeepan a"ias $he!ihan an 0a!aratnam 0a!aneethan a"ias Appan%ar"ier, on Apri" 10, 2014, troops ha re*o!ere four #a*.-pa*.s *ontaining rations, me i*ine, *"othes, et*-, #e"ie!e to #e ha!e #een use #y the s"ain *a res, near the en*ounter site- $he S+s ha intensifie their operations in the 0orthern Region fo""o)ing a shootout in the ,harmapuram area of Ki"ino*h*hi ,istri*t on 1ar*h 12, 2014, )hen /o#i, )ho ha returne to the *ountry after f"eeing o!erseas at the en of the )ar, ha es*ape after injuring a Po"i*e offi*er- 3n 1ar*h 22, 2014, Po"i*e announ*e a re)ar of LKR 3ne mi""ion for any information "ea ing to /o#i&s )herea#outsCrucially, reports suggest that the neutralized local group was functioning under the instructions of LTTE leaders, Norway-based Perimbanayagam Si aparan alias Nediyawan and !rance-based "inayagamoorthi Se#arapillai alias $adiragamaseram

"inayagamoorthi alias $amanan "inayagam Se#arapillai alias "inayagamoorthy %ri azhaghan alias %ri alahan alias $athirgamathamby &yyana alias "inayagam' %ccording to a Press (elease issued by the )edia Centre of the )inistry of *efence and +rban *e elopment, They were preparing the ground for another armed struggle' &mmediate ob,ecti es of the local group included the reco ery of war li#e material dumped by the LTTE during retreat, re-establishment of LTTE intelligence networ#, regrouping of the potential cadre including those rehabilitated, collecting information on potential targets, including in other pro inces- &n estigations re ealed that the funds for these acti ities that came from Europe were being transferred using .awala system' &t was also re ealed that many safe houses, ehicles and other resources re/uired for resurgence of the LTTE had been procured by them using this money' $he S+ 4omman er in Ki"ino*h*hi, 1ajor /enera" Su antha Ranasinghe, in his meeting )ith reha#i"itate former *om#atants of the L$$% in Ki"ino*h*hi ,istri*t on 1ar*h 25, 2014, a"erte them to e6terna" threats that )ou" #e ire*te at them #y parties intereste se*uring their return to !io"en*e- Signifi*ant"y, out of 11,700 e6-L$$% *a res )ho surren ere to the S+s after the en of )ar in 1ay 2008, on"y 222 ha!e #een "eft in *amps, )hi"e the rest ha!e #een reha#i"itate In ee , in!estigators trai"ing /o#i&s team ha a"rea y reporte "y arreste at "east 59 suspe*ts, in*"u ing some top L$$% "ea ers, in separate in*i ents sin*e 1ar*h :, 2014, of )hom 22 )ere su#se;uent"y re"ease - A huge *a*he of arms, ammunition, e6p"osi!es an other materia" that )ere in their possession )as a"so re*o!ere - 3n 1ar*h 5, 2014, for instan*e, Su#ramaniam Kapi"an a"ias 0an a /opan, the hea of L$$%&s internationa" me ia net)or., )as arreste after his arri!a" at the Ban aranai.e Internationa" Airport in 4o"om#o, fo""o)ing his eportation from 1a"aysia- A**or ing to partia" ata *ompi"e #y the South Asia $errorism Porta", at "east 295 former L$$% *a res<sympathi=ers ha!e #een arreste 'from )ithin an outsi e the 4ountry( after the en of )ar in 2008Signifi*ant"y, on Septem#er 19, 2012, A jutant /enera", 1ajor /enera" 1ahin a >athurusinghe, asserte that there )as a possi#i"ity of a#out 4,000 former L$$% *om#atants, )ho )ere sti"" at "arge, regrouping$he 3*to#er 2, 2008, in*i ent in )hi*h an uni entifie gunman .i""e t)o Army so" iers an injure another at Parantha.a athan in 1annar ,istri*t )as the "ast

terrorism-re"ate fata"ity ti"" the Apri" 11, 2014, in*i ent- >o)e!er, se!era" !io"ent in*i ents re"ate to former L$$% *a res an sympathi=ers ha!e #een re*or e in the inter!ening perio , in*"u ing one prominent in*i ent in In ia? on 1ar*h 17, 2012, $ami" a*ti!ists in $ami" 0a u, In ia, assau"te a Sri Lan.an Bu hist mon., i entifie as Ban ara, at the 4entra" Rai")ay Station in 4hennai, in support of the L$$%- 3n 1ay 22, 2012, Po"i*e arreste fi!e persons for the mur er of An re) 1ahen rarajah Anthonipi""ai, a 4ana ian $ami" of Sri Lan.an origin, )ho )as .i""e at Kaagn*heepuram "ane near the Paranthan @un*tion in Ki"ino*h*hi ,istri*t on 1ay 2, 2012- 3ne of a""ege .i""ers, i entifie as A- A.i"an, )as a former L$$% mi"itantIn!estigations are sti"" on in the *ase+ormer *a res<sympathi=ers of the L$$% ha!e a"so *"ashe )ith S+s on se!era" o**asions, )hi"e attempting to *ommemorate the eath of their *omra es uring the %e"am Aars- In the )orst su*h in*i ent sin*e the en of )ar in 2008, some stu ents at @affna Bni!ersity, sympatheti* to the L$$%, *ommemorate 1aa!eerar ,ay '1artyrs& ,ay, )hi*h *ommemorates ea L$$% fighters( on 0o!em#er 29, 2012- $he fo""o)ing ay, a tense situation e!e"ope at the *ampus, resu"ting in a !io"ent *"ash #et)een stu ents an S+s- Later, on ,e*em#er :, 2012, 10 stu ents )ere arreste un er the Pre!ention of $errorism A*t 'P$A(- Po"i*e *"aime a"" of them ha #een in!o"!e in Cterrorist a*ti!itiesD )ith the L$$% #efore 2008 an none of them ha *omp"ete a /o!ernment reha#i"itation *ourse for L$$% suspe*tsIn a ition, the L$$% is #e"ie!e to ha!e assiste se!era" of its *a res to es*ape from prisons- In the "atest of su*h in*i ents, four L$$% *a res )ere he"pe to es*ape from the $rin*oma"ee @ai" in the ear"y hours of 0o!em#er 12, 2012- %ar"ier, on Apri" 19, 2012, an L$$% *a re, i entifie as 1ahen ra Rajah Shashi haran a"ias 4risty, )ho )as arreste in 0o!em#er 2011 an imprisone after #eing foun gui"ty of .i""ing 10 persons, es*ape from the Pottu!i" 4ourt premises at Pottu!i" to)n of Ampara ,istri*tIn a more !io"ent in*i ent insi e prison, on @une 27, 2012, a group of L$$% *a res at the Ea!uniya Prison, reporte "y "e #y former Sea $iger 'Sea Aing of the L$$%( "ea er Shashi Kumar, too. three jai"ers hostage, eman ing that authorities re*a"" L$$% suspe*ts )ho ha #een transferre to the Boossa ,etention 4amp in /a""e- 3n @une 28, 2012, S+s "aun*he an operation an res*ue the jai"ors- Se!era" prisoners sustaine injuries, an t)o L$$% *a res ie "ater- 3n @u"y 2, 2012, Prisons an Reha#i"itation 1inister, 4han rasiri /aja eera, o#ser!e that the unrest in the Ea!uniya Prison )as a )e""-p"anne *onspira*y of the L$$% internationa" net)or., as the L$$% suspe*ts at the prison )ere foun to ha!e sate""ite mo#i"e phones an other

*ommuni*ation e;uipment in their possession- 4ru*ia""y, there are 710 former L$$% *a res in reman *usto y, isperse a*ross se!era" prisons an , /aja eera note further, Cthey are not po"iti*a" prisoners #ut har *ore L$$% *a res )ho or ere .i""ings an other heinous terrorist a*ti!ities-D $here is, ho)e!er, "itt"e e!i en*e of the Sri Lan.an /o!ernment "o)ering its guar In ee , Prime 1inister ,-1- @ayaratne to" Par"iament that pro!isions of the P$A )ere re;uire to ta.e a*tion against L$$% suspe*ts )ho ha not surren ere after the )ar en e - Re*ent"y, the Sri Lan.an /o!ernment in a ga=ette ate 1ar*h 21, 2014, pros*ri#e the main L$$% an another 1: a""ege front organi=ations of the outfit, prominent"y in*"u ing the $ami" Reha#i"itation 3rgani=ation '$R3(, $ami" 4oor inating 4ommittee '$44(- A**or ing to sour*es these organi=ations fa"" un er four #roa *ategories un er the o!era"" *ontro" of four .ey in i!i ua"s? 0e iya)an, +rS"eemanpi""ai @oseph %mmanue" a"ias S-@- %mmanue", Ru ra.umaran Eish!anathan a"ias Kumaran Eisu!anathan a"ias Ru ra, an Einayagam- Some 422 in i!i ua"s, in*"u ing 22 peop"e present"y resi ing in In ia, )ere name in the ga=ette- +urther, the Sri Lan.an Po"i*e has o#taine Interpo" Cre noti*esD f"agging foreign operati!es of the L$$%- CIn a ition to the 40 Re 0oti*es #y Interpo" another :5 non-L$$% operati!es ha!e a"so #een f"agge ,D Po"i*e spo.esman Ajith Rohana is*"ose on Apri" 19, 2014$hese Re 0oti*es in*"u e Einayagam an 0e iya)an, )ho are suspe*te of finan*ing an re-organi=ing the L$$%Regretta#"y, the internationa" *ommunity, )hi*h appears to ha!e fai"e to *ome to terms )ith the efeat of the L$$% in 2008, *ontinues to *reate hur "es for 4o"om#o&s attempts to )ipe out "ingering irritants- 3n, 1ar*h 29, 2014, a reso"ution )as passe at the Bnite 0ations >uman Rights 4oun*i" 'B0>R4( a""o)ing for a B0 pro#e into a""egations of )ar *rimes *ommitte #y the Sri Lan.an /o!ernment uring the termina" se!en years of the *onf"i*t- B0 in!estigations are e6pe*te to #egin in their )or. in 1ay 2014- $he Sri Lan.an /o!ernment, mean)hi"e, has !ehement"y reje*te the reso"ution an p"e ge to pre!ent B0 in!estigators from entering the *ountry%6pressing eep *on*ern o!er the internationa" mo!es, ,efen*e Se*retary /ota#aya Rajapa.sa, on Apri" 15, 2014, o#ser!e ? C$hough there )as no more terrorism in Sri Lan.a, the L$$%&s g"o#a" net)or. *ontinue to fun*tion "arge"y unhin ere - $he net)or. *ontinues to sustain an internationa" propagan a *ampaign against Sri Lan.a through front organi=ations that ha!e no) put on a emo*rati* fa*e- Some nations seem to ha!e *hosen to turn a #"in eye to these front organi=ations an their

a*ti!ities #e*ause they *"aim to support po"iti*a" a*ti!ism or humanitarian re"ief-D 3n the omesti* front, the emo*rati*a""y e"e*te $ami" 0ationa" A""ian*e '$0A(-"e 0orthern Pro!in*ia" 4oun*i" '0P4( /o!ernment has a"so sought to o#stru*t efforts to *ontain terrorism, insisting on the remo!a" of the Army from the 0orth an %ast, espite !isi#"e resi ua" threats- Signifi*ant"y, mi"itary personne" ha #een re u*e from 25,400 in ,e*em#er 2008, to appro6imate"y 12,1:2 present"y- Any further *uts )i"" *ertain"y jeopar i=e the authority of the state an pea*e in the regionIt is iffi*u"t for the L$$% to regain its inf"uen*e at the present jun*ture, as 4o"om#o has su**ee e in ete*ting an neutra"i=ing ea*h *onspira*y in its ear"y stages0e!erthe"ess, the sustaine efforts of the ra i*a"i=e $ami" ,iaspora, an a su#stantia" for*e of L$$% *a res )ho ha!e refuse to surren er offer e!i en*e of *ontinuing efforts to re!i!e the terror, "ea!ing no room for *omp"a*en*y- /i!en the unre"enting hosti"ity of a ominant segment of the internationa" *ommunity to the 1ahin a Rajapa.sa regime, 4o"om#o )i"" *ontinue to ha!e to fight on three fronts, against the or*hestrate internationa" *ampaign against Sri Lan.aF against in*ipient efforts to resus*itate L$$% terrorismF an to se*ure an en uring reso"ution to the unsett"ing ethni* po"ari=ation in the *ountryAjit Kumar Singh

Resear*h +e""o), Institute for 4onf"i*t 1anagement