A-9 Issue a ploy of the LTTE to avert peace talks
 "Let us make it clear. Does the LTTE want peace and,
if so, what sort of peace? The answer seems clear, the LTTE wants peace
on its own terms: the terminal division of the sovereign state of Sri
Lanka with two thirds of the coastal and half of the landmass ceded to
the LTTE in perpetuity".- (Paul Harris former Janes Defence
correspondent).
Pro-LTTE media and agents are creating a general
psychosis of fear, undermining the government's efforts to enhance the
living conditions and flow of Humanitarian aids to the Jaffna peninsula.
It is the LTTE that is determined to sabotage all avenues of help to the
people of Jaffna but despite these, essentials are being shipped to the
peninsula.
These efforts by the LTTE are made to defy the
International community and facilitate procurement of military hardware
inland and also enable the terrorists to infiltrate into the government
defences.
LTTE has identified the Humanitarian issue as its only
winning strategy during the discussion tables in Geneva.
Despite being crucified as a terrorist organisation
the LTTE in their bid for international sympathy and recognition are
thriving to rule out the terrorist tag.
The A-9 road, the Jaffna - Kandy trunk road became a
major issue since 11th March after the flaring up of eruption between
the SL security forces and the LTTE.
This road remains to be the main source of local
income to the LTTE who patrol a stretch of this road from Muhamalai to
Omanthai in the Northern Province. LTTE is profound to levy taxes and
tolls on goods, children and vehicles passing through the stretch of
this road.
It is believed that the LTTE daily collects more than
Rs.900,000 in the form of illegal tax and other revenue in this road.
From Omanthai in the cleared area, an average of 7000-8000 civilians and
1000- 1200 vehicles cross the stretch of land daily.
The LTTE terrorists are in the verge of precipitating
a humanitarian crisis which does not truly exit. In fact the terrorist
outfit have gone berserk unable to extort large sums from the civilians
crossing the A-9 road at Muhamalai in the un-cleared area.
Records revealed that the LTTE extortions to be an
estimated sum of Rs. 200- 300 million from Jaffna bond cargo passing
from its entry exit point in Pallai.
The estimated illegal tax revenue for the LTTE from
the goods sent to Jaffna through A-9 road from June 01st to 19th is
Rs.65, 721,821.
LTTE also earned Rs.285 million from goods to Jaffna,
during March -April, on the festive eve on the Sinhala Tamil New Year.
A-9 road is at present opened from Omanthai for
civilians and transfer of essential food items to the peninsula. The
truth in the closure of the A-9 road is that although the Omanthai
entry/exit post is open by the Government to facilitate day to day needs
of the Wanni civilians, the LTTE is not permitting the people to leave
the un-cleared areas through Muhamalai. Especially those between 15 & 38
years of age prohibited by the LTTE from leaving the un-cleared areas.
Meanwhile the civilians in the area have taken
measures themselves not to take the route through Pallai-Muhamalai
entry/exit point to cross into the government controlled areas in the
south.
Many Tamils parents fear that their children would be
abducted by the LTTE. So they have opted for other alternative modes of
transportation facilitated by the SL Government. They (LTTE) are running
out of man power and indeed will not hesitate to take our children if
given a leeway.
The A-9 issue was brought upon to give a breathing
space to the LTTE to finish off hundreds more of the Tamil youth by
having the chance to force them into the Tiger forces. Desperate Tamil
parents said that they would not allow the terrorists to continue with
their extortion activities.
If the LTTE are genuine in facilitating movement of
civilians and goods along the A-9 Road in the un-cleared patches, then
the LTTE must move at least three miles away from either side of the
road and should not engage in any activities on this stretch or molest
those who use this highway stated a Tamil civilians who fears that the
terrorists will avenge every Tamil in the process.
Meanwhile some civilians said that they were
discouraged to take the land route through the A-9 due to the
indiscriminate mortar and artillery shell fire from the terrorists
towards the FDL's at Muhamalai.
Earlier an LTTE agent Marai S. Senathirajah said for
unknown reasons they keep the entry/exit positions of the Muhamalai FDL
closed depriving movement of people and traffic in and out the Jaffna
peninsula.
Meanwhile a Tamil source form Wanni, stated that the
LTTE delegates will want the A9 Highway issue and will state in support
the "people of the north are starving". Despite the harsh defeat
encountered in the face of Security Forces retaliation, the LTTE
continues with its sporadic artillery and mortar attacks at the Security
Forces' FDL, almost on daily basis.
According to the civilian sources in the area, the
attacks are launched in order to entrap people who are desperately
hoping to come in to the Government controlled areas. The closure of the
A-9 road has become the main theme of the LTTE propagandists to mislead
the world by blaming the government for the shortage of essential food
items in Jaffna and Wanni.
They will also have something to say about other anti
LTTE groups whom they want to decimate once they are disarmed like what
they did within hours of the CFA being signed with PLOTE, TELO and the
EPDP. They will talk about human rights violations at which the Tigers
are experts with impunity.
Interestingly, the LTTE has already taken its
aggression towards the free media in its legacy of banning newspapers
and magazines belonging to the other Tamil groups and opposition
political parties in the East.
According to the precedent set out by the LTTE, an
unnamed armed group has already banned two Tamil newspapers published
from Colombo.
Furthermore, recently on 23 October it had banned
another Tamil daily "Veerakesari" by burning down copies of the paper
taken in the van from Colombo for distribution to the news agents in the
east of the country under government control.
Government of Sri Lanka has deplored the recent
burning of the "Veerakesari" News paper bundles sent out for
distribution in the East by an unknown group in Batticaloa.
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