by Sachi Sri Kantha
No, no, I am not asserting a new discovery which would contradict a well-certified zoological fact. The title of my commentary relates to the opinion piece of D.B.S. Jeyaraj, The Sunday Leader (Colombo)’s token Tamil pontificator, which appeared on July 24, 2005. In the imagination of Jeyaraj, pigs are indeed flying in Batticaloa, and he has seen them from Canada – of all locations. That is how one has to infer the cockamamy yarn Jeyaraj provided under the caption, "Tigers get a taste of their own bitter medicine."
D.B.S.Jeyaraj’s yarn
For those who have missed reading Jeyaraj’s yarn, I reproduce the initial segment consisting of 214 words.
"For the first time in many years the Tigers feel threatened and beleaguered. The organisation that revels in terrorising others particularly those of the Sri Lankan Tamil community through violence finds itself at the receiving end.
In a remarkable reversal of roles a motley group of various anti-Tiger Tamil elements aided and abetted by the security and intelligence networks of the state is providing the LTTE a taste of its own bitter medicine. Naturally the Tigers are not relishing it.
The Karuna factor dismissed derisively by the Tigers and their sycophants is looming large on the eastern horizon. Karuna himself shuttles between Sri Lanka and a southeastern country where his family resides. He left Sri Lanka last on May 6. Some say he has now returned.
In any case, as this column stated earlier, Karuna is now a brand name. A large number of Tiger cadres loyal to him are now in the Eastern Province and Polonnaruwa District. They are kept in different units in different locations. They are functionally autonomous but are helped and to some extent logistically supported by the security network.
Sri Lankan military intelligence provides some guidance and direction. It also exercises some amount of control and restraint. The espionage agency of at least one country has provided financial aid…."
Jeyaraj is a master of ‘hide and seek’ and learnt his journalism from the Madras Hindu school of camouflage, so he would neither identify his "sources" nor mention any names. He has not a single ‘Deep Throat,’ but dozens of ‘Deep Throats’ to protect. Check again his last sentence quoted above. "The espionage agency of at least one country has provided financial aid…"
This is presented by Jeyaraj as a big finding, while every Tamil child in Jaffna, Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Vavuniya would name names. That espionage agency has an acronym - RAW - and its headquarters are in New Delhi.
Relating to the issue of how defector Karuna is shuttling between Sri Lanka and an unnamed "Southeastern [Asian] country where his family resides," I have heard from a Batticaloa source who visited Batticaloa in June and July. His assessment of the ground-level situation is interesting and I would like to pass it on to readers.
Defence Analyst Iqbal Athas’s View
Before that, I also would like to present excerpts [published on the same day, July 24, 2005, in the Sunday Times] from the commentary of Colombo defence correspondent Iqbal Athas, which somehow contradicts the ‘Pigs are Flying’ yarn of Jeyaraj. Pertaining to the recent assassination of LTTE Sea Tiger leader, Dikkam, and one of his colleagues, Iqbal wrote:
"Senior Army officials who spoke to The Sunday Times on grounds of anonymity insisted that neither their intelligence arm nor other personnel were involved in the attack [in Chelvanayakapuram, Trincomalee]
At least one suggested it could have been the work of the dissident Karuna faction, though the group has dwindled in numbers and had its ammunition stocks run low. Even if they were behind the attack, the source argued, the LTTE would not concede it because that would amount to giving credit and credibility to the dissident group as a formidable rival…"
Then, contradicting Jeyaraj’s ‘Pigs are Flying’ tale, Iqbal described the Sri Lanka’s military establishment’s view of how the LTTE countered the loss of Sea Tiger leader Dikkam. As I have previously written in my ‘Pirabhakaran Phenomenon’ series, the LTTE leader is a master of the ‘Jimmy Malone offense,’ which I named after the Sean Connery character in ‘The Untouchables’ movie.
"…LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran ordered a stepped up campaign to eliminate personnel of all state intelligence agencies in the East. Operatives of the country’s premier intelligence organisation, the Directorate of Internal Intelligence (DII) in the east were ordered to remain indoors. Personnel of the Army’s Directorate of Military Intelligence were told they required the permission of their superiors before they ventured out to meet informants.
In a separate development, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga tasked Major General Kapila Hendavitharana, now Director General of Military Intelligence (DGMI) for a temporary foreign assignment. This came amidst reports that Tiger guerrillas had planned to eliminate him first, before they killed Lt. Col. Tuan Nizam Muthaliff. They had mounted surveillance and found that he frequented a market area on Sundays. This is where the attack was to be carried out but he had gone abroad that week, as revealed in The Sunday Times (Situation Report) of July 10.
Maj. Gen. Hendavitharana, a former Director of Military Intelligence, was attached to the Joint Operations Headquarters (JOH). His post as Director General of Military Intelligence (DGMI) is to remain suppressed until his return to Colombo. However, retired Major General Chula Seneviratne, Chief of National Intelligence (CNI) is to overlook his responsibilities. A routine Posting Order on Thursday attaching Maj. Gen. Hendavitharana to Army Headquarters had fuelled wild rumours that he had been removed from his post.
It turned out that intelligence operatives in the East were not the only targets Tiger guerrillas were pursuing…"
Iqbal continued further, which rather reflects the sense of haplessness prevailing in the Sri Lankan military establishment, as opposed to the LTTE’s no-nonsense response to the activities of puppet-masters and their puppets.
"….The head of the Military Intelligence branch at the Army’s 22 Division Headquarters in Trincomalee, responsible for intelligence activity in the district, was immediately transferred to Colombo. This week, President Kumaratunga spoke to General Officer Commanding (GOC) 22 Division, Major General Sumith Balasuriya, an experienced officer, about the prevailing situation in the area and on other important matters. This came amidst a number of other steps she took in her capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. The Sunday Times learnt she has initiated a top level inquiry to ascertain who was responsible for the Chelvanayakapuram incident. The probe which was under way in Trincomalee this week was also trying to ascertain whether "a hidden hand" was behind the string of incidents in the East including grenade throwing in order to sabotage the peace process.
Some senior military top brass have been ticked off for not being aware of what was going on under their very nose. A state run Sunday newspaper even suggested that pro Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) recruits to the Army were behind attempts to trigger hostilities…"
In sum, Iqbal Athas - reporting from Colombo - has debunked the delusion of D.B.S.Jeyaraj and has inferred that ‘Pigs are not flying on the Eastern Front.’
Now, I provide my correspondent S. Sivakumaran’s field report from Batticaloa in response to my request. He visited Batticaloa in June and stayed there till mid-July. He works outside the boundaries of Sri Lanka.
S.Sivakumaran’s report [via e-mail] on Karuna’s current status in Batticaloa
I
haven't
read
the
D.B.S.Jeyaraj’s
article,
which
you
have
mentioned.
Anyway,
it
is
not
worth
reading
him
anymore.
Last
February,
he
wrote
about
Karuna's
‘Second
Coming’and
that
Batticaloa
and
Amparai
will
fall
under
Karuna's
control
by
April
[New
Year]
2005.
Yes,
you
had
dismissed
this
as
a
"Pigs
are
flying
story"
by
Jeyaraj.
April
has
come
and
gone.
As
you
had
mentioned,
Karuna
remains
a
faceless
phantom
to
date.
As
for
the
Karuna
affair,
both
the
UNP
and
SLFP
are
playing
on
the
same
side.
Remember
the
role
played
by
Ali
Zahir
Moulana
(former
MP
from
Eravur)
and
his
vanishing
act
from
the
scene
when
his
link
came
out
in
the
open.
Ranil
Wickremasinghe
and
the
UNP
have,
for
the
moment,
safely
extricated
themselves
from
the
Karuna
affair.
Now,
Karuna
is
being
harboured
and
used
by
President
Chandrika
Kumaratunga
and
her
army.
Whether
it
is
Ranil
or
Chandrika,
the
Sinhalese
army
remains
the
same.
Also,
the
entire
puppet
show
is
being
run
by
the
Indians
(UNP,
SLFP,
JVP
-
on
the
Sinhalese
side;
Karuna,
Anandasangaree
and
other
Tamil
paramilitaries,
on
the
Tamil
side).
This
is
an
open
secret
to
all
in
Sri
Lanka.
So,
now
the
only
game
in
town
is
the
LTTE
(Eelam
Tamils)
vs
Indian
tentacles,
namely
-
RAW.
Now,
RAW
has
access
to
any
place
or
any
facility
in
Sri
Lanka,
except
in
LTTE-controlled
areas.
Karuna
cannot
be
(need
not
be)
in
Sri
Lanka.
He
is
only
a
faceless,
phantom
figure
used
by
the
Indians
(and
Sinhalese)
to
break-
up
Tamil
solidarity,
mainly
the
bond
and
linkage
between
the
North
and
East.
It
was
reported
in
July/August
2004
that
Karuna’s
wife
had
left
for
Malaysia
with
a
few
bags
full
of
cash.
This
"bags
full
of
cash"
part
of
the
Sinhalese
media
story
was
to
stress
that
Karuna’s
wife
had
gone
to
Malaysia
with
this
booty.
Most
probably
it
appears
that
Karuna
and
his
family
have
landed
in
India,
well
guarded
by
RAW,
using
Malaysia
as
a
transit
point;
RAW
guys
have
worked
this
in
the
past,
for
Varatharaja
Perumal
(EPRLF).
In
Malaysia,
who
will
provide
security
to
Karuna
and
his
kin,
around
the
clock?
Moreover,
in
Malaysia,
RAW
cannot
have
Karuna
under
their
effective
control.
Like
how
Varatharaja
Perumal
was
kept
in
cold
storage
during
the
1990s,
Karuna
is
being
kept
now,
in
one
of
the
North
Indian
states.
No,
Karuna
can
never
physically
appear
anywhere
in
Batticaloa
hereafter;
especially
in
Kiran.
The
presence
of
the
LTTE
is
very
strong
in
the
Valaichennai,
Kalkudah
and
Kiran
areas.
Also,
Kiran
is
predominantly
a
LTTE
support
area.
When
Karuna
was
a
very
successful
LTTE
commander,
he
was
widely
respected,
more
so
in
Kiran
and
Batticaloa,
as
a
son
of
the
soil.
This
fame
and
respect
for
Karuna
was
an
extension
of
that
for
the
LTTE,
for
its
efforts
towards
the
Tamil
cause.
As
an
individual,
without
his
LTTE
connections,
Karuna
is
a
zero.
Now
that
he
has
defected
from
the
LTTE,
even
in
Kiran
his
support
is
very
suspect.
Since
Batticaloa
town
is
under
the
control
of
Sri
Lankan
forces,
all
the
anti-LTTE
paramilitaries
(PLOTE,
EPRLF,
the
Razeek
group,
ENDLF,
etc)
have
their
bases
and
camps
in
the
town
area,
especially
in
Puliyam
Tivu,
an
island
surrounded
by
the
lagoon
with
only
three
access
bridges,
which
are
well
guarded
by
the
police
and
army.
Also,
people
supportive
of
these
anti-Tamil
groups
and
their
families
have
moved
into
Batticaloa
town
area
as
it
is
a
safe
haven
for
them.
Thus,
due
to
fear
of
reprisals
from
these
groups,
the
general
public
that
is
supportive
of
the
LTTE
are
not
that
vocal
now.
One
does
not
find
the
movement
of
these
anti-LTTE
groups
beyond
the
town
area.
So,
an
outsider,
when
entering
into
Batticaloa
town,
finds
quite
a
handful
of
groups
that
are
against
the
LTTE.
Now
that
they
have
‘made’
Karuna
the
captain
of
all
the
anti-LTTE
groups,
it
is
natural
for
an
outsider
to
think
that
Karuna
commands
a
lot
of
support
in
Batticaloa.
These
outsiders
think
that
Batticaloa
town
reflects
the
general
mood
of
the
entire
Batticaloa
and
Amparai
districts.
They
are
completely
misled
by
what
they
see
and
hear
in
Batticaloa
town.
During
my
vacation
(June/July)
I
traveled
quite
widely
in
Batticaloa
district
and
interacted
with
the
ordinary
people
at
various
villages
and
spoke
to
my
friends.
A
few
of
these
friends
are
government
servants
in
various
departments;
others
are
ordinary
traders
who
sell
firewood,
curd,
etc.
I
found
that
Karuna
does
not
have
any
support
among
this
populace.
Also,
what
has
Karuna
done
to
the
public
since
he
left
the
LTTE,
to
command
their
support?
Everyone
knows
that
he
has
betrayed
the
Tamil
cause
and
is
now
with
the
Special
Task
Force
(STF)
and
Army
who
killed
our
youngsters
until
2002.
Since
Karuna
is
an
ex-LTTE
commander,
he
knows
fully
well
that
he
cannot
come
out
in
public
-
neither
in
Batticaloa
nor
in
any
foreign
land.
So
Karuna
will
only
exist
in
the
romantic
yarns
penned
by
guys
like
D.B.S.
Jeyaraj
and
B.
Raman.
In
Batticaloa,
the
Sri
Lanka
Monitoring
Mission’s
(SLMM)
head
office
is
located
on
Lake
Road,
a
stone's
throw
from
my
house.
The
very
next
compound
to
this
SLMM
office
is
the
camp
where
Razeek
group
personnel
are
being
housed.
Next
to
the
SLMM's
main
gate
there
is
a
road
barrier,
manned
by
the
Razeek
group
boys,
with
a
long
log
across
the
road.
This
Razeek
group
camp
compound
belonged
to
the
EPRLF-politician
Sam
Thambimuttu,
killed
in
1990.
One
early
morning
I
met
Karuna's
maternal
uncle,
(Mrs.
Vinayagamoorthy’s
younger
brother)
Mr.
Kumarakuru.
In
the
past,
he
was
working
at
Valaichenai
Paper
Mills
Corporation
as
a
foreman,
in
charge
of
the
"Weighing
Bridge."
During
the
1980's,
till
I
left
the
Paper
Mills
Corporation
office
in
late
1989,
he
served
as
the
President
for
the
Jathika
Sevaka
Sangamaya
(the
UNP
trade
union).
I
met
him
around
6.00am,
while
he
was
doing
his
morning
walk
in
Adidas.
I
was
very
careful
with
him
and
just
inquired
about
the
general
welfare
of
him
and
his
family
and
did
not
bother
to
ask
about
Karuna.
To sum up, in reality, Karuna now remains faceless except in some 'Pigs are Flying' stories.
###
Posted August 5, 2005