12 Friday 1st January, 2010 IV

targeting the 59 Division. The LTTE Hot on the heels of judiciary could have on what he Continued from page 8 caused heavy losses on the Army Prabhakaran’s killing, President called business related matters. though it failed to sustain the offen- Rajapaksa declared war on waste The government ordered UNICEF The following is a summary of sive due to swift counter-attacks by and corruption though he is yet to spokesman James Elder to leave for the main security, political, econom- the Army. take some tangible measures to being hostile towards . ic and international developments: Hot on the heels of battlefield vic- improve the public sector finances. Minister Dallas Alahapperuma tories, the government comfortably The government called on accused the Opposition of being part won Central and Wayamba Malaysia to hand over ‘KP’ as the of an international conspiracy to January Provincial Councils taking all elec- intelligence services stepped up change the Rajapaksa administration. The Army liberated Paranthan, torates in the two provinces. pressure on the Tamil Diaspora to The government clashed with the US Elephant Pass, Kilinochchi, Pallai, The LTTE massacred 21 men, thwart an attempt to name a succes- and some foreign funded NGOs for Soranpattu in quick succession women and children at sor to Prabhakaran. targeting Sri Lanka over human close on the heels of veteran politi- Kirimetiyaya in the Inginiyagala rights violations. cal cum defence columnist D.B.S. area. June SLFP dissident Mangala Jeyaraj’s claim that the 12,000 to UNP National List MP K. N. Army Chief General Sarath Samaraweera accused the Rajapaksas 15,000 battle-hardened LTTE cadres Choksy declared that he would not Fonseka retired to take over the post of transforming Parliament into remained on the Vanni front. He quit his seat to pave the way for S. B. of Chief of Defence Staff while “money laundering joint.” asserted that the LTTE had the Dissanayake to re-enter Parliament. Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda The Opposition stepped up pres- wherewithal to destroy the Army The LTTE carried out its last air assumed the office of the Transport sure on the government with a frontal east of the A9. This claim was made attacks on Colombo and Secretary. The change in the top attack on the Rajapaksas. in the wake of the LTTE declaration idly retreated towards the seaside. Opposition to challenge him. Katunayake. The SLAF shot down command and control structure of The Justice and Law Reforms that the liberation of Kilinochchi The 72-hour battle saw, the Army both aircraft but the Inland Revenue the Army and Navy facilitated an Ministry announced Raj Rajaratnam, was only a daydream of President recovering about 420 bodies, includ- headquarters suffered heavy dam- Opposition move to drag General Sri Lanka born US-based investor Rajapaksa. ing senior commanders, who had May age forcing the government to shift The Army recovered Fonseka to politics, thereby causing with significant stakes in several com- UNP Assistant Secretary been at the forefront of the LTTE offices temporarily. Prabhakaran’s body on the banks of a severe political crisis. panies here both on his own account hailed battle- over the past decade. It was the sin- the Nanthikadal lagoon. The recov- and through the Galleon Funds he field victories while praising the gle biggest blow suffered by the ery of his body triggered celebra- controls, would contribute $ 1 million Rajapaksa brothers, Mahinda and LTTE in the entire war. As the LTTE July March tions in Colombo and its suburbs to rehabilitate detained LTTE cadres. Gotabhaya for giving the required defences collapsed, the number of The government requested the The government turned down a and in many other parts of the The government denied Indian leadership. Much to the chagrin of civilians fleeing in boats increased ICRC to vacate the East as part of an US offer to evacuate LTTE leader- country. The Army killed several press claims that the Sri Lanka Navy his colleagues, the Kegalle District with the Navy rescuing thousands of overall plan to reduce presence of ship to facilitate an end to hostilities hundred LTTE cadres in battles had killed 50 fishermen in two weeks. MP declared that they had met the men, women and children. With INGOs in the Northern and Eastern on the Vanni front. Large groups of after thwarting a last ditch attempt The government said that this was LTTE military challenge boldly and time running out for Prabhakaran, Provinces. civilians fleeing the LTTE sought by them to reach Mullaitivu jungles. part of their campaign to cause a rift also successfully executed the war. the UK called for a two-day suspen- The SLAF revealed the dropping refuge in the government-held area. The SLAF flew Vinayagamoorthy in Indo-Lanka relations. accused sion of military operations to evacu- of its plans to acquire MiG 29, a While the Army advanced on the Muralidharan alias Karuna, now a the government of failing to evacu- ate civilians. After rejecting the fourth generation multi-role fighter enemy, the government stepped up Minister and Vice President of the ate soldiers wounded on the Vanni British call, the government autho- now in service in over 30 countries. diplomatic efforts in South East SLFP to recognise the body of October front, a charge denied by the Asia in a bid to arrest Kumaran rised the Army to pierce the last The government increased fuel India and Sri Lanka conducted a Defence Secretary. Padmanathan aka ‘KP’ widely prices with a litre of petrol going up three-day joint naval exercise off editor believed to be responsible for run- by Rs. 10. Colombo shortly after Sri Lanka was Lasantha Wickrematunga was killed ning a vast LTTE arms procurement General Fonseka declared that he accused of killing 50 Indian fisher- in broad daylight in Colombo. ring. would not seek a political career. men. The joint exercises belied the Wickrematunga, who fearlessly took Navanetham Pillay, UN High Addressing a packed press confer- anti-Lanka propaganda campaign car- on the government, was the most Commissioner for Refugees alleged ence at the Joint Operations ried out by a section of the Indian prominent journalist to die at the that 2,800 civilians, including chil- Headquarters, the war veteran said press. hands of assassins. An armed gang dren may have been killed and 7,000 he did not want to lose his popularity In a surprising move, US Secretary 2009: within 24 hours. stormed MTV/MBC studio at wounded since January on the 2009: of State Hillary Clinton accused Sri The government was caught lying Pannipitiya. The Opposition Vanni front. The government vehe- Lanka of using rape as a tool in Sri about feeding the war displaced on its accused the government of carrying mently rejected the allegation as the Lanka’s successful war against the own. The government was embar- out both attacks though being Army stepped-up the offensive. LTTE, a charge subsequently retract- rassed by the revelation that the WFP denied by the UPFA. But today, the The government also survived a ed by the US. It was one of the most and UN agencies as well as many Wickrematunga assassination is an US-EU spearheaded anti-Sri Lanka The Road to Presidential, serious charges levelled against the other donors contributed heavily to a issue at the presidential election Resolution at Human Rights Council Sri Lankan forces by the international with claims and counter claims over sessions in Geneva. It was perhaps programme aimed at providing basic food items to some 300,000 people. community after the war ended May. the despicable act of killing a jour- Sri Lanka’s greatest diplomatic vic- The government denied TNA alle- nalist. The government offered a general tory achieved against tremendous gations that it was planning to change The government proscribed the odds. amnesty to military deserters. Parliamentary Polls - Early Versatile teledrama actress the ethnic ratio in the Vanni region. LTTE on January 7 as several fight- President released Mary Juliet The UPFA secured the Southern ing formation converged on the last Umayangana Wickremasinghe called Monica , the wife of Pubic Estate Provincial Council comfortably LTTE strongholds east of the A9 Management and Development for police crackdown on local porn though it failed to achieve over 80 per road. The BBC and several other Minister , sen- after an organised gang released a CD cent vote as speculated by UPFA pro- media institutions continued to tenced to death by the Colombo High featuring a girl who looked like her pagandists. Hot on the heels of elec- attack the government over heavy Court on March 2, 2005 for abduct- baring it all. tions to the SPC, the JVP hinted that loss of civilian life on the Vanni ing and murdering Charlotte Teresa The government received the first it may throw its weight behind the (East) front, with special emphasis Fernando, believed to be Milroy’s instalment of $ 2.6 IMF standby facili- 2010 ty to the disappointment of the UNP to topple the President by field- on an alleged artillery strike on the mistress and her domestic aide 2010 government hospital at Susanhewage Teckla alias Opposition which campaigned ing General Fonseka at the presiden- Puthukudiyirippu. Seelawathie. Monika Fernando and against it. tial election. The Navy lost a Fast Attack Craft 2 foreign women, both over 60 years The Campaign for Free and Fair Democratic People’s Front leader (FAC) off Mullaitivu in a suicide of age found guilty of heroin smug- Elections warned that President Mano Ganeshan vowed to quit the attack. The January 19 attack was gling were among 13 women Rajapaksa was rapidly moving UNP-led Opposition Alliance if the last suicide attack on the Navy released on March 8 to coincide with towards a one-party authoritarian Fonseka was brought in as the before the war came to an end in the International Women’s Day. regime. Dr. Nimalka Fernando said Opposition candidate but quickly May. Since the introduction of the execu- that having provincial council polls pledged his allegiance to the war hero The LTTE also thwarted repeated tive presidency about 100 convicts on a staggered basis was the ruling following pressure being exerted on attempts by the UN to evacuate over have received presidential pardon. coalition’s strategy to throttle the him. a dozen Sri Lankan employees Among them were Gonawala Sunil Opposition. Raj Rajaratnam was arrested by US trapped in the war zone along with and Manohari Daniels by the then authorities following a painstaking their dependents. Presidents, JRJ and Ranasinghe August investigation into his alleged involve- The Defence Secretary ruled out Premadasa, respectively The government brought ‘KP’ to ment in insider dealing. a general amnesty to the LTTE lead- Auditor General S. Swarnajothi Colombo following exhaustive negoti- The US authorities sought to ques- ership though ordinary cadres could accused Parliament of failing to act ations with a South East Asian coun- tion Fonseka regarding Defence be rehabilitated. on his findings, particularly in the try.It marked the beginning of a Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s By end January, the total area state financial sector though being major operation targeting the Tamil alleged involvement in human rights under LTTE control was reduced to submitted late last year. He also said Diaspora in a post-LTTE era, particu- violations during Eelam War IV.The about 400 square km. that the Draft National Audit Bill larly LTTE-owned assets overseas. government thwarted the attempt and On January 25, the Army liberat- which would strengthen the state The UPFA comfortably secured facilitated his return to Colombo in ed Mullaitivu on the north-eastern audit was still with the Legal the along with the the first week of November. coast following a year-long opera- Draftsman. Jaffna Municipal Council while the tion. The 59 Division fought some of The Parliamentary Select TNA captured Vavuniya Urban the fiercest battles on the Vanni LTTE defences to rescue the civil- Committee (PSC) headed by Vijitha Prabhakaran. The ICRC revealed Council. November/December (East) front and paid a heavy price ians. The Colombo-based diplomats Herath, MP, investigating INGOs that the LTTE made a bid to surren- The UNP and JVP trade unions to seize the town, which the Army were given an opportunity to and NGOs operating in Sri Lanka der to the Army through the ICRC joined hands in an unprecedented lost in 1996. The Division crossed observe the rapid progress made on revealed PNNOS South Asia paid a though nothing materialised. September show of solidarity to cripple essential Anandakulam and Nagacholai forest the ground. The Supreme Court paved the way group of Sri Lankan journalists to The Attanagalle Magistrate services. This signalled the launch of reserve to reach the outskirts of The President visited Kilinochchi for former Treasury Chief Dr. P. B. report on ‘conflict issues’ remanded JVP MP Piyasiri their political alliance against the Mullaitivu before a daring lagoon- for a first hand briefing as the Army Jayasundera to return to office dis- Wijenayake over the killing of JVP Rajapaksas now riding high on the borne assault facilitated the final went ahead with operations with the missing an earlier SC decision to pre- activist Nandana Ballaga in the run armed forces’ triumph over the LTTE assault. Following the liberation of April UN making a last minute bid to vent him from holding pubic office. up to elections to the WPC. UPFA though the Opposition wanted to deny Mullaitivu, the then Army Chief The Ceylinco Group withered arrange a meeting between UN rep- This followed Jayasundera’s making MP was also the President and the Defence declared that 95 per under pressure as depositors and resentatives and the top LTTE lead- submissions that the government remanded over the alleged abduc- Secretary the credit they deserved for cent of the war was over. investors launched protests. The ership. The government rejected the needed his expertise in a post-LTTE tion of the son of a supporter after sustaining the offensive amidst Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Ceylinco Success Educational UN call while emphasising that the era to handle mega development he switched his allegiance to tremendous international pressure on Mukherjee’s sudden visit to Services Limited, another branch of LTTE leadership would not be projects. . the government. Similarly General Colombo late January fuelled specu- Lalith Kotelawela’s group hit by allowed to surrender to a third party WPC Opposition leader Rosy WPC member Hector Bethmage Fonseka, too, could not be denied the lation that New Delhi wanted deteriorating financial crisis. whatever the pressure brought on Senanayake defended their decision was remanded over the alleged credit for keeping the offensive on President Rajapaksa to stop the The Fort Magistrate sentenced the government. to tour China with a group of UPFA killing of a youth on April 11 though track though taking heavy losses on offensive, though the Foreign three national athletes, including Amidst bloody battles on the members at the taxpayers’ expense. the Police had been initially reluc- the battlefront. A final victory over Ministry emphasised that military Prasanna Sampath Amarasekera, a Vanni front, the government bagged Army Chief Lt. General Jagath tant to take the politician into cus- action would not be called off. Gold medallist at regional, level and the Western Provincial Council with Jayasuriya denied British press the LTTE would not have been possi- tody. a member of Sri Lanka’s 400 metre Prasanna Ranatunga succeeding reports that arms of British origin ble without the political and military Former Navy Chief Admiral relay team to the Olympics to one as the Chief were used in the battle against the leaderships targeting the LTTE on all Wasantha Karannagoda revealed February year rigorous imprisonment sus- Minister of the council. LTTE. fronts. As we enter 2010, the country that the LTTE had brought arms, The Army captured last of the pended for 10 years and fined them In late April, the government Police commandos shot dead Fajji faced a new challenge though the ammunition and equipment with seven LTTE airstrips at north-east Rs. 100,000 each on their pleading ruled out talks with defeated Tigers during a shootout on a roof top in LTTE could no longer posed a military the help of Eritrea. of Piramtharukulam in the guilty to human trafficking charge. as the President signalled that a the Maligawatte police area. threat. The bottom line is that a split Sri Lanka blocked an Israeli pro- Puthukudiyirippu area The Army The Army encircled and annihi- presidential election could be Business tycoon Harry in the nationalist camp will only bene- posal to send a joint UN-WHO team also thwarted an attempt to blast lated a large LTTE fighting forma- favourable to him. What he never Jayawardene said that overseas fit the enemy who may not have a mil- to investigate the conduct of Sri Iranamadu tank bund but the LTTE tion east of Puthukudirippu in the believed was one of the top players investors would not be keen to invest itary capability but cause political Lankan forces during the final launched a major counter-offensive first week of April as the LTTE rap- switching allegiance to the in Sri Lanka due to the impact the chaos. phase of the offensive.