. Access to Information is a Fundamental Bight NEWS BULLETIN OF THE TAMIL INFORMATION CENTRE SEPTEMBER 1993 No. 26 ARMY FAILS TO TAKE JAFFNA IN OPERATION YAL DEVI Over 100 civilians are reported Helicopters continued to fire on troops advanced to Kilali on 1 killed in Operation Yal Devi Kunchuparanthan in Kilinochchi October and claimed to have launched by the military in Jaffna District. At Pulopallai troops destroyed a pier and 450 boats. on 28 September. Reports say the faced major attacks by the Tigers. Defence Ministry says 114 main objectives of the operation, Some sources say the LTTE did soldiers, including seven officers,’ involving around 9,000 troops, not offer much resistance earlier in were killed and 248 were seriously were capturing, Chavakachcheri order to draw the Army into injured. According to the LTTE town in the south of the Jaffna difficult terrain covered by 96 Tigers were killed in the battle peninsula to prevent people coconut trees, thorn bushes and and the army’s four Czech made crossing the Jaffna lagoon at Kilali ponds. Main Battle Tanks were destroyed. and to launch an offensive on the Jaffna town further west. Surprisingly, the Army withdrew from Kilali on 4 According to reports, plans for October and returned to Operation Yal Devi began as Elephant Pass. The foilowing soon as General Hamilton. day civilian crossing at Kilali Wanasinghe assumed duties with Sea Tiger security as Secretary to the Ministry of resumed. The Tigers had Defence. General Wanasinghe moved most of the boats now also heads the Joint further east of Ki1ali during Operations Committee ‘formed Operation Yal Devi and the after the disbanding of the Army claim that 450 boats Joint Operations Command. by’ were destroyed was certainly President D. B..Wijetunge. false. Army officers accuse Weapons and military the political leadership for the equipment received from decision to withdraw from China in late September were Kilali and government officers in ’ immediately dispatched to the The Jaffna peninsula was shelled Colombo say the decision was north and the three armed forces from military bases in Mandaitivu, taken by the military high chiefs flew to, Palaly Army Camp Palaly, Mathagal and Karainagar command. Apparently no one in Jaffna on 26 September to.meet and from naval vessels. On 28 wants to take the blame for defeat. the northern commanders. September 20 civilians were buried alive at Sangathanai in According to Army Commander Curfew was imposed in Jaffna, Chavakachcheri when a bunker Cecil Waidyaratne Operation Yal Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and collapsed due to airforce bombing. Devi had four aims: 1) to advance Mannar districts on 28 September Seven others were rescued and to Kilali pier and destroy all boats and troops began advancing from admitted to the Chavakachcheri and allied facilities thereby Elephant Pass northwards towards hospital. The Nanthavil Amman preventing the LTTE from making Iyakachchi and northwest towards temple in Kokkuvil was use of this crossing point; 2) to Pallai accompained by extensively damaged by bombs destroy as many LTTE camps indiscriminate bombing and and four elderly civilians were while advancing; 3) to kill as many shelling of populated areas. killed. Seventeen students LTTE cadres as possible; 4) to Supersonic planes bombed Kilali, attending classes in the adjoining deny the LTTE a major source of . Allippalai, Sangathanai, Mattuvil, social welfare centre were injured. income. ‘It was alleged that the’ Chavakachcheri, Pallai, Kokkuvil, LTTE was making use of the Eluthumatuval and Nanthavil. After heavy fighting at Pallai, crossing to earn millions. of rupees Tamil Information No. 26 j September 1993 . 1 a month. Lt Gen Waidyaratne is and has ended in failure at the cost of hundreds of lives. adamant that these objectives had Both parties are continuing to been achieved but has not attempt to win battles saying that explained the withdrawal. Reports from Colombo indicate such victories are necessary for a that whatever claims by the stronger negotiating position. But The fierce charge by the Tigers in authorities about successes at in reality, winning a battle makes the Pulopallai area took the troops battle fronts and whatever them believe that they could win by surprise and reports say that statistics are released by the the war. Therefore fighting many soldiers fled in panic. Army Defence Ministry, ordinary people continues in which many hundreds officers had great difficulty in have learned to make their own of innocent civilians are killed. As making them hold their positions. observations and judgement. Many said earlier, many operations have The large number of deaths had people stand by the Galle road and been launched for the capture of demoralised the troops. It was observe ambulances rushing from the Jaffna peninsula. At least, after realised for the first time since the the Ratmalana airport to the Operation Yal Devi the Sri Laukan beginning of the operation that General Hospital taking injured government must realise the territory could not be held. and dead soldiers and they are able futility of the attempt at a military to estimate the number injured and Airforce bombing was not solution. killed and judge whether the army effective because of the terrain and Tigers could ambush the troops in has been successful. Observers say Prime Minister Ranil any number cf places. Although most soldiers sent to the front line Wickremasinghe and Foreign the aim was to establish camp at are from rural areas and their Minister A.C.S.Hameed have been Kilali, commanders also realised deaths do not evoke any emotion recently saying in the United that the camp could not be in Colombo. Politicians praise the States and Britain that Sri Lanka supplied through land or the “sacrifice they have made for their was pursuing a political lagoon and without supplies there country” and have no hesitation in settlement. President Wijetunge was no hope of holding the camp sending more to their deaths. continues to lament over the huge or making further advance on amount of money spent on Chavakachcheri. In fact a camp Operation Yal Devi was planned in defence. If these concerns are could not be established anywhere the backdrop of President genuine, the government must along the 12km route the army had Wijetunge’s continuous assertion accept all as equal citizens of Sri advanced. There would have been that Sri Lanka faces a terrorist Lanka, and call for a ceasefire and further losses and the troops would problem and not an ethnic crisis, enter into negotiations to work out have been further demoralised. For and the anticipated publication of a lasting solution. Continuing the these reasons, analysts say, the the Parliamentary Select military objective will lead to decision was taken to withdraw. Committee report in mid-October: further militarisation of the whole The Sri Lankan government has society and result in suffering and Several major military operations also rejected all recent peace increased human rights violations. have been launched in the Jaffna initiatives including international If the international community peninsula in the last two years. A mediation efforts. Observers does not play a role in finding a large number of civilians have believe that the real objective of solution to the Sri Lankan crisis, been killed and enormous property the operation was to weaken the human right violations will destroyed in operations Liberation, bargaining position of the Tamils continue and more lives will be Valampuri, Chess, and Whirlwind. and impose the recommendations lost. The international community Operation Yal Devi, named atter of the Select Committee which has must press for a political solution the Colombo Jaffna express train, already been rejected by all Tamil, in Sri Lanka. was the biggest operation thus far political parties. REPRISAL KILLING PROHIBITED ZONE POLICE OFFICER KILLED REDUCED Three policemen on patrol near Assistant superintendent of REDD BARNA village in Ampara Police Ranjith Ekanayake was Responding to India’s concerns the killed by gunmen on 19 District were killed in an LTTE government reduced the prohibited September at Rawanaella in ambush. P.Gopalapillai a resident zone from the earlier announced of the village was tortured and northern territorial waters to Sri , Budulla District. Deputy Inspector killed by armed men in military General Frank Silva notified all Lanka's maritime boundary in the police stations to apprehend all fatigues. Villagers fled the area north as per Emergency army deserters after the leader of and fifty three houses were set (Establishment of Prohibited Zone alight as night fell. the gang was identified as an army No. 2) Regulations 1993. desertor. Tamil Information No. 26 September l993 2 2224 Tamil Detainees TIC ACCESSION LIST in NE Military Camps A selection of documents received by TIC in September 1993 Human Rights Task Force in its annual report has revealed the number of detainees held in SHR 3223 Office practice in “safe third military camps in North-East as at Balasingham, Anton country” asylum cases 10 August 1993. The camps where Itandu tacaptankalum pulikalum London: Amnesty International detainees are held have been listed Tamil Eelam: LTTE; August 1992 (British Section); July 1993 with Eastern Province accounting 43p. (Text in Tamil) 8p. for the vast majority. Some of the DESCRIPTORS: LTTE / War / DESCRIPTORS: Asylum / Cases camps listed are:- Ethnic Problem / History / United Kingdom Camps Detainees SHR 3222 SGN 363 Inkulap Eelaththuppooradanar Batticaloa Military/ Inkulap Kavitaikal Penamunaiyillihmtu ed. by Vi. Police camp - 982 Paris: LTTE International Pacupati Selvatacakopal Trincomalee Military Secretariat; 1993 Canada: Nilal Publication; 1988 camp- 141 36p. 160p. (Text in Tamil) Amparai military camp - 27 DESCRIPTION: Political poems/ DESCRIPTORS: Tamil / Essays Hardy military camp - 06 Tamil Batticaloa military prison - 142 SGN 359 Kommathurai military SHR 3220 Eelaththuppooradanar prison - 50 Interviews given by Dr. Kumar Minkananit Tamilum Eluttuc Trincomalee military -- Rupesinghe, Secretary General, Cirtituttamum ed.