Tigers, P-Toms and the Eastern Littoral

A significant gain made by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam through the Post - Tsunami Operations Management Structure was the legal extension of its writ in areas not coming under its direct control in the Eastern Province. Recent developments however suggest that the tigers are likely to encounter problems while trying to assert their authority via the P- TOMS in those areas of the Eastern littoral. Of the six North - Eastern districts coming under the P- TOMS the LTTE controls the Mullaitheevu and Kilinochchi districts entirely. In Jaffna the tigers control the Peninsulas eastern coast up to Nagarkovil. In Trincomalee the Sampur and Verugal coastal areas are under the LTTE. In Batticaloa the Vaharai -Kathiraveli coastal area is under them. In Amparai district they have no distinct coastal control but have some influence in the Thirukkovil and Pottuvil - Komari areas. Though the tigers do control large swathes of territory in the Eastern Province most of these areas are in the hinterland. The tiger writ does not run much in the densely populatd littoral. Most of these coastal areas come under direct army and Special Task Force control. Moreover this littoral is not homogenously Tamil. Muslims and Tamils live in adjacent and inter-spersed villages. This demographic pattern is often compared to the layers of flour and coconut in a pittu bamboo. This heterogenous ethnic mixture also restricted tiger mobility along the coast In spite of this prevailing reality the LTTE was given authority over the entire Eastern coast as a result of its legal , dominant position in the P- TOMS. Of course it was only up to a two km limit. Yet the fact remained that the P- TOMS had given the tigers a foothold in areas it did not control. This resulted in a lot of criticism. This factor was one of the finest advantages accruing to the tigers due to the P- TOMS. So it was to be expected that the LTTE would derive maximum advantage out of it. Events of the past few weeks suggest that the tiger entry into the Eastern littoral may not be easy. In fact it is fraught with pitfalls and dangers. Two sets of problems are emerging.. One is overt Muslim opposition. The other is covert operations by the states cloak and dagger personnel. The Muslims are angry and rightfully so at the treatment meted out to them. Both the Government and the LTTE are to be blamed for the Muslims being deprived of tripartite status in the P - TOMS. It has also been denied an equitable share in the important regional committee. Adding insult to injury has been the manner in which Muslim ministers and leaders were kept in the dark about P- TOMS details until the last minute. fuelling the fire further was Norwegian insolence. The Muslim politicians though having common cause against the P- TOMS are also divided among themselves. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress under Rauff Hakeem is in the opposition. Three splintered factions of the SLMC led by Ferial Ashraff, AHM Athaullah and Rishard Badurdeen are in the Government holding cabinet, non - cabinet and deputy minister posts. When Hakeem was a minister in Ranil Wickremasinghes cabinet Ferial Ashraff and Athaullah had a field day criticising Rauff for selling out the Muslims for cabinet perks. Now the "sappathu" is on the other foot. It is Rauff Hakeems turn now. The SLMC "thalaiver" is spearheading a widespread campaign against the P- TOMS now. His immediate targets are the ex - SLMC rivals in government. Those worthies were upset over the P- TOMS but in no mind to resign their portfolios. But Hakeem is on the warpath. In a move reminiscent of both Mahatma" Gandhi and Mohamed Ali Jinnah the SLMC leader has launched a non - violent campaign of "Othulaiyamai" ( non - cooperation). By all accounts this campaugn seems to have won the hearts and minds of the Muslim people. The resolutions passed at the Oluvil University conference suggests that Muslim youths are pf the same mindset. Already hartals are paralysing Eastern Muslim areas. Against this backdrop the Muslims in Government too are forced to become more strident. Rauff Hakeem whose political clout was at a low ebb is now trying to riding the high tide. The ultimate result of this is still unfathomable. But one thing is certain. Non - Cooperation by the Eastern Muslims will diminsh the P - TOMS considerably. Hartals and stoppages of work not to mention road blocks if maintained continuously could affect coastal rehabilitation significantly. Moreover Hakeem has urged people not to participate or help the P- TOMS. The LTTE and the Govt will discover that the cooperation of the Muslims is essential for the P- TOMS to succeed in the East particularly the Amparai district. Thus the LTTE may find itself unable to maximise its gains in terms of extended territorial control in the Eastern littoral. The second problem facing the LTTE is the stepping up of activity by the Sri Lankan intelligence apparatus. Muslims are opposed to the manner in which the P- TOMS was formulated. The Sinhala hardliners of whom there are many in the security forces are opposed to the whole concept of sharing power with the LTTE in a joint mechanism. Elements within the security - intelligence apparatus are all out to sabotage it. The most pliable catspaw is that motley group known as :Karunas boys". Karuna himself was sent out of Sri Lanka via Singapore on May 6th but his cadres sub - divided into several units are still there on ground. they are being used to foment trouble and provoke the LTTE. The most notable incident was the one at Bowatte on the Welikande road on June 26th. Around 40 tiger cadres led by Amparai district political commissar Kuyilinban were returning home from the Wanni under army escort. The bus driver saw a freshly filled hole and became suspicious. He veered to a side and avoided it. A split second later an explosive device was set off by a remote.No one was killed. What makes the LTTE suspicious of "state" complicity is the refusal of the army to ride with the tigers in the same vehicle. Also a previously planned return trip was cancelled because the LTTE got information that an ambush was being planned. The tigers fel that such an attempt could not have been made without security force connivance. There is much merit in this line of thought. Among other recent incidents were the assassination of the chief distributor of the LTTE newspaper "Eelanatham". Then there was the grenade thrown at Tamil e3mployees of a Muslim owned rice mill. One died and two were injured. All three had been in the forefront of a tiger backed demonstration to remove the Santhiveli checkpost some time ago. In a retaliatory move three military intelligence personnel were shot dead in Oorani. Others were killed in Trincomalee and Kalkudah. The LTTE is the obvious suspect. LTTE Political Commissar SP Thamilsevn has also issued an ultimatum that unless the safe transport of cadres are guaranteed the LTTE will undertake its own transport and security from July 14th. One thing is clear. There is a definite scheme to target tiger cadres and restrict their mobility in the East. The anti - tiger violence could encompass not only cadres or helpers but also government servnts and professionals involved in P- TOMS work. The Karuna faction has already protested the LTTE being given a role in Eastern tsunami relief work. So the stage is being set to circumscribe the LTTE in the East and prevent it from executing its new duty as joint administrator of the P- TOMS in the Eastern littoral. The overt Muslim "non - cooperation" and the covert "Karuna faction" violence will combine to restrict the LTTE role in the P- TOMS. The tigers may find themselves unable to do anything meaningful in the East as joint administrators of P- TOMS. " Minor Matters" was a column written some years ago in "The Sunday Leader" by friend and former colleague on the "Island" Qadri Ismail. When the Editor requested a column for the "Morning Leader" on minority issues and asked me to choose a title I thought "Minor Matters" would be appropriate for more than one reason and Qadri concurred....................DBSJ