Separate ‘War’ From Elections

(December 17, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Squint-eyed people have been cruelly described by some humourists (in colloquial English) as: ‘Colombo looking Matara going people.’ Critics of the Rajapakse government’s military strategy in the north may well call it a ‘Killinochchi looking everywhere going’ strategy.

The focus of the military strategy for the past six months has been on the capture of Killinochchi town. This town, military pundits have confessed, is not strategically important. It is of symbolic value — both to the Rajapakse government and the LTTE — since it has been the headquarters of the LTTE. In terms of propaganda value too it is political dynamite to both sides.

Elections to the North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Councils were called in August this year by President Rajapakse for no conceivable reason other than to ride on the wave of military victories and the crescendo of it all was to be the fall of Killinochchi. The main slogan for these two election campaigns was: ‘If you want to win the war, the government must win the two elections.’

The government won the two elections but Killinochchi is still under the control of Velupillai Pirapaharan. Some reports on the eve of the elections even said that troops were so close to Killinochchi that they could see the outlines of the town.

Three and a half months have passed since the two PC elections and this week’s reports were not about Killinochchi but about the capture of other outposts around Killinochchi and also the proposed control of Mullaithivu.

All this it could be claimed is a part of the deceptive military strategies which we laypersons may not be able to comprehend — as we were lectured to once by a military top brass. But why take the people for a ride on TV and radio programmes? Can’t deceptive military strategies be deployed without taking the people for a walk on radio, TV and the newspapers? Two other provincial councils have now been dissolved and elections will have to be held in the early part of the new year. Media Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa last week said that a general election will be held early next year and thereafter a decision on a presidential election will be made. The question has now arisen whether the elections are being timed for anticipated military victories.

While in contemporary politics, military victories may have a favourable fallout on governments in power it is essential to bear in mind that the lives of the people — soldiers as well as civilians are at stake in this game of war and elections.

In the theatre of war in the Wanni tens and thousands of citizens of this country are undergoing much suffering and privation having been driven out of their homes. Human Rights Watch an international organisation for protection of human rights, in a report released this week has said that the LTTE is risking the lives of Wanni Tamils by subjecting them to forced recruitment, forced labour and restricting their movements.

The Asia Director of the organisation, Brad Adams has said that in the face of the ongoing government military offensive, the LTTE has increased pressure on the civilian population living in the areas under its control and by having long used a coercive pass system preventing civilians from leaving the areas it controls. However the BBC Sandesaya programme has quoted the Government Agent of Mullaithivu District, Emilda Sukumar as saying that many Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were fleeing towards LTTE controlled territory despite repeated appeals by the government. The BBC report said that people were suffering from malaria, tuberculosis and malnutrition as a result of the lack of proper food.

Both these reports may be having some degree of substance of truth in them because some would want to flee LTTE terror while other LTTE diehards will prefer to be under their patrons. But the hard reality, the government must realise, is that all these people are citizens of the country and needs protection of the government.

Thus, the sooner the Rajapakse government ends this war one way or the other without waging battles simply to fit its political agenda, it would be better for all Sri Lankans. The Indians are expressing serious concerns about the displaced persons and pressure is being built up by Tamil Nadu politicians on the New Delhi Central Government to intervene and stop military operations of the Sri Lanka government.

New Delhi knows well that the Tamil Nadu leaders’ interests are not so much the civilians in the Wanni but the LTTE terrorists. But the internal political compulsions of the Congress led government make them susceptible to Tamil Nadu pressure. Thus, if this war ends soon — as promised by the Rajapakse brothers — before the end of the year, it would be to the immense relief of New Delhi as well.

President Mahinda Rajapakse cannot mix up victories n the battlefield with electoral victories. No doubt he would vehemently deny any such attempt being made. But the progress of military operations and the timing of the provincial council elections lead to the inevitable conclusion that it has taken place and he has benefited much from it, politically. It is time that he separated elections from war.

- Editorial, The Morning Leader, weekly news paper based in Colombo - Sri Lanka Guardian