The New Theatre of Conflict in Eastern Province
March 13th, 2007
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
On Thursday March 8th morning a combined operation of the army and STF was launched. The A – 5 or Chenkalladdy – Badulla road was the axis in this new theatre of war. Two columns moved from opposite ends. One column from Chenkalladdy moved via the “Karutha Paalam” towards Koduvaamadhu; The other moved from Pulukunawe – Maha Oya – Siyambalanduwa areas towards Periya pullumalai and Aayithiyamalai. The LTTE offered fierce resistance.The Chenkalladdy column withdrew but the second column advanced into the Pullumalai area.
On Friday March 9th the armed forces advanced again from the Pullumalai area. It was officially announced that a military operation codenamed “Operation Human shield” to liberate the people held as human shields in LTTE areas was on. There was no movement from Chenkalladdy. After intense fighting the armed forces consolidated some gains in the Pullumalai and Periya pullumalai areas. There was a lull in fighting during Saturday March 10th. Violence escalated during the night and the conflict raged throughout Sunday March 11th. But by Sunday evening the armed forces withdrew into Mangala Oya and Pulukunawe.
According to LTTE statements fighting had been intense in the general areas of Paavatkodichenai, Ooraandakulam, 8th milepost, Unnichchai and Pansenai. Two bodies of dead STF men were cremated at Illuppaiyadichenai by the lTTE. Four bodies of STF personnel were handed over at Karadiyanaaru. LTTE’s Seeralan claimed that only one woman cadre was killed. The reality of casualty figures could be much more on both sides.
Even before the current phase of fighting the targetting of these LTTE areas had begun last year but an effective cordon sanitaire on the lines of Sampoor and Vaakarai was not implemented. Yet supplies began to be restricted.Shelling and bombing took place sporadically. This itself resulted in some civilians moving out in a slow trickle over a period of several months. The pressure began mounting in earnest after the fall of Vaakarai.
Supplies going in were completely restricted. Steady and selective shelling of places began. A psychological offensive was launched with people being warned that their villages would be shelled. People were asked to move out. . With each burst of artillery fire the panic increased as the people knew what had happened in Sampoor and Vaakarai. The outflow began increasing It would have been much more but for the tigers .
The LTTE feared a repetition of Vaakarai and Sampoor and began restricting the people from moving out. Initially people defied the LTTE and moved out clandestinely by boat and catamaran. Some days later the tigers said the people could sneak out but not to do it openly and that if anyone is seen punishment would be meted out. After a while the tigers stopped strict enforcement and told the people they could go if they wished but warned them they could not return. In the last few days all controls were lifted and the people simply streamed out. The LTTE apparently made a virtue of necessity as terror stricken people would have fled en masse despite the tiger presence
It looks as if the LTTE is preparing to abandon Batticaloa district temporarily. The remaining cadres may offer resistance for a while and then fade away. A low – ket guerilla campaign would continue for a while till there is a change in the ground situation or a radical shift in LTTE military strategy. If the tigers wanted to fight on for a while they would have tried to hold on to the civilian population . The state charges the LTTE of using civilians as human shields but now the tigers are “shieldless”. This simply means that they are not ready for combat. Even in Vaakarai the last lot of civilians were allowed to leave when the tigers themselves began withdrawing.
The military moves however were accompanied by prolonged artillery and MBRL barrages from fourteen camps. The 23- 3 headquarters at Weber Stadium in the heart of Batticaloa town as well as the camps at Kalladdy, Manchanthoduvaai, Vavunatheevu, Valaiiravu. Thimilatheevu, Sathurukondaan,Karutha Paalam,Kommathurai,Mayilambaaveli , Vaalaichenai paper factory, Thampitiya, Pulukunawe and Maha Oya junction A steady barrage was maintained at a stretch for 48 hours till Saturday morning. After a lull during day artillery firing began in the night and went on till Sunday evening. At least 1000 shells per day were fired on Thursday and Friday. About 700 – 800 were fired on Saturday – Sunday.
The artillery – MBRL fire was directed against all five AGA divisions under LTTE control. It is reported that all 124 villages and hamlets in these areas were hit. Houses, huts, places of worship, public buildings etc were hit. Around 50 people were injured and one died. Apart from the shelling K-firs and Mig’s bombed the Tharavai – Kudumbimalai region for four days in a row.
The fall – out from this shelling and bombing has been massive destruction, displacement and despair. According to civil administrative authorities about 162, 000 people were living in LTTE controlled areas. Of these 18, 045 had come out into GOSL areas by Wednesday March 7th. The Internally displaced persons figures for B’caloa district on March 7th were 91, 143. Of these 47, 434 were staying outside welfare camps with relatives and friends. The rest were at 58 IDP camps.
After the first two, three days of conflict a massive outflow of IDP’s occurred. 30, 025 persons from 7, 846 families were displaced in the Vavunatheevu AGA division; In Vellaveli AGA div it was 41, 590 people from 10, 226 families; 23, 653 persons from 5362 families were displaced in the Eravurpattru AGA division; 25, 644 people from 6651 families were displaced in the Pattipalai AGA division; The Kiran AGA div figures were 20, 074 people from 4290 families.
This amounts to 138, 995. When added on to the earlier IDP figure of 18, 045 from these areas the number becomes a mind- boggling 157, 040.This meant more than 95% of population were displaced. An unconfirmed report states that the remaining thousands too had left over the week – end. If this is true the five AGA divisions do not have civilians. It must be emphasised that the civil administration figures are much larger than the military figures.
What is important to note however is the fact that neither the civilian nor military or for that matter the NGO’s are prepared or equipped to handle this massive IDP flood. People are living under trees and on the roads. A major humanitarian tragedy is in the making. Urgent attention is required. As stated in these columns the Tamils are becoming a homeless people. A nation that wanted a homeland of its own is being deprived of its home in what is regarded as its traditional homeland.
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Entry Filed under: MinorMatters
