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A secret proxy war is being conducted against the LTTE by the Sri Lankan Military

According to the MOU, signed by the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the LTTE on February 2002, armed Tamil militias and home guards should not be allowed to operate in the northeast. Clause 1.8 of the MOU states that, "paramilitary groups shall be disarmed by the GOSL by D-day + 30 at the latest. The GOSL shall offer to integrate individuals in these units under the command and disciplinary structure of the GOSL armed forces for service away from the Northern and Eastern Province". In violation of this clause the intelligence wing of the Sri Lankan military has set up a big network of operatives in the east to function against the LTTE.

According to this same MOU, the Sri Lankan military should also have vacated and returned all the homes and villages that it is occupying to the people. But this clause in the MOU has not been implemented. Now, the Sri Lankan military is violating another clause, Clause 1.8, in the MOU, by arming militias. Although this activity was present on a small scale at the time of signing the MOU, when the Defense Ministry was under the Ranil Wickremasinghe, it was kept under control. Now, when the Defense Ministry is under the control of President Kumaratunge, it has been expanded into a big network. The recent murders in the east by faceless assailants are indeed operations under this proxy war. Using Karuna's desertion in the east as a cover, the proxy war against LTTE has been intensified.

The LTTE until now had to face up to these attacks. Karuna's associates, who stayed with him until recently and have now returned to the LTTE, and the capture by the LTTE of the militias, who were working for the Sri Lankan military to conduct this proxy war, and other factors have made LTTE fully aware of the details of this proxy war by the Sri Lankan military and its intelligence wing.

This proxy war not only violates Clause 1.8 of the MOU, but it is in fact violating the basic tenets of the MOU as stated in the preamble. It says in the preamble, "Parties have agreed to enter into a ceasefire, refrain from conduct that could undermine the good intentions or violate the spirit of this Agreement and implement confidence-building measures …" The GOSL actions are in fact destroying the confidence and indeed are worsening the situation.

In Clause 1.2 of MOU, the term "military actions" is clarified in detail for the purpose of the MOU document. It states, "Party shall engage in any offensive military operation. This requires the total cessation of all military action and …." In other words, the term "military action" in MOU is not restricted to the operations that are specifically mentioned in it. It allows for further expansion of the term "military actions" to cover other actions by both sides that will be detrimental to the peace process. The current proxy war of the Sri Lankan military is exactly the type of "military action" that this expansion is intended to cover.

Over the last two and half years, after the signing of the MOU, LTTE has handed over many Sri Lankan military deserters who have taken refuge in areas under its control, back to GOSL through the SLMM. As far as the LTTE is concerned, Karuna is a deserter and LTTE can expect the same from GOSL. Instead GOSL is using Karuna in its secret proxy war. It has not only given refuge to Karuna, it is planning to give him the space to start a new political party. GOSL's plan is to weaken LTTE by giving political power to Karuna. The extended definition of "military actions" in MOU also refers to the actions of GSOL regarding Karuna.

Until MOU is implemented in full there can be no meaningful talks about peace between the GOSL and the LTTE. It is a hollow gesture to say that peace talks will resume, without bringing an end to the secret proxy war.

This was published in Uthayan daily news on 2nd July 2004.

03 July 2004

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