Shenali D Waduge

Let’s start from the beginning by answering some direct questions. No investigation can omit to investigate how armed militancy started in Sri Lanka. It was not home grown. The Vaddukoddai Resolution may have called for youth to take up arms, but arms and arms training were not provided in Sri Lanka. Unemployed Tamil youth from Sri Lanka were taken to India and clandestinely trained under the auspices of the Indian Government. All those chirping ‘reconciliation’ ‘accountability’ and ranting on about root causes need to bring out how terrorism began in Sri Lanka and India’s role cannot be omitted from investigation. If India had not secretly trained Sri Lankan Tamils in India, armed, financed and guided them there would have been no militancy and the type of terror that Sri Lanka had to face throughout 3 decades including over 100,000 lives. If this is no investigated first there is really no point investigating the middle or end.

How did terrorism begin in Sri Lanka?

• India trained unemployed Tamil youth in India clandestinely in the 1970s
• Where is the evidence for this? Jain Commission report following assassination of Rajiv Gandhi names the camps that these trainings took place, the number of batches as well
• Council of Foreign Relations RAW helped to train and arm the LTTE in the 1970s”
• Dixit, in his memoirs, had said that arming Sri Lankan Tamil youths was one of the two major policy blunders of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Intelligence agencies (RAW) said….these are boys who were trained by us from 1977” (Dixit, Assignment Colombo)
• Intelligence agencies (RAW) said….these are boys who were trained by us from 1977” (Dixit, Assignment Colombo)
• Paying LTTE Rs.50 lakhs per month (Apri 5, 1988 Wikileaks cable quoting Dixit)
• April 5, 1988 Wikileaks cable quotes J N Dixit that India had agreed to pay LTTE Rs.50lakhs per month which was paid in July 1987. This was to make up for the tax loss for the LTTE upon IPKF arrival. It was also a payment that sealed Prabakaran’s agreement to the Indo-Lanka Accord.

Affidavits in the Jain Commission report

• Nedumaran : Para-6 :- It was at that juncture, the Late Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi entrusted the full responsibility of Military training of the Tamil Militant youths, to the Research and Analysis wing (popularly known as RAW).
• Karunanidhi – It is a well known fact that the LTTE and other Sri Lankan Militants camps were established in India ever since 1982 in tune with the policy of the Central Government at that time. The Tamil militants were given military training and allowed to have their own training camps in India.”
• Shri K. Mohandas Dir Gen. Police Para 13 :- ….The issue had become very sensitive, and meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s advisors were working overtime, giving facilities to the militants, particularly the TELO (Tamil Ealam Liberation Organisation) to be trained in the use of modern arms in the camps organised in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi and elsewhere. The idea was that after the training, they would be supplied with arms and sent to Northern Sri Lanka to engage the Sri Lankan troops in guerrilla action. It was supposed to be a top secret operation without even the knowledge of the State Government and its Intelligence agency. (at least as far as Tamil Nadu was concerned.”

LTTE:- 6 camps were reported being conducted by the LTTE in the districts of Anna (1 camp), Thanjavur West (1 camp), Thanjavur East (1 camp), Salem (1 camp, Madurai (1 camp) and Ramnad ( 1 camp) of Tamil Nadu. The total strength of trainees in these camps was reported to be 495 cadres including 90 female Tigers. The camp at Sirumalai (Anna district) was the only camp were all the 90 female Tigers were getting training along with 40 male Tigers. The largest LTTE camp was located at Kumbarapatti in Salem district. The training comprised Arms Training, swimming, boat driving and physical training. The camps were equipped with transport facilities such as Jeeps, Vans, motor cycles etc.

 TELO:- Five camps organised by Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) were reported to be running in the districts of Ramnad ( 3 camps) and Salem ( 2 camps). There were totally 233 male cadres undergoing this training which comprised Physical Training, Arms training, swimming and boat driving.

EROS:- Eelam Revolutionary Organisers (EROS) were reported to be conducting two camps in the districts of Ramnad and Pasumpon Muthuramalingam districts. There were 8 male trainees in these camps which were imparting Physical Training and Arms Training.

 EPRLF: The Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) was reported to be conducting 7 training camps in the districts of Thanjavur West (3 camps), South Arcot (2 camps), Trichy ( 1 camp) and Ramnad (1 camp) with a total strength of 73 male trainees who were being trained in Guerilla warfare, Physical Training and Arms training. These camps reportedly possessed sophisticated weapons such as Light Machine -guns as well as transport vehicles.

PLOT:– The Peoples Liberation Organisation for Tamil Eelam (PLOT) was conducting training in 18 camps located in the districts of Thanjavur West (11 camps), Pudukottai ( 4 camps), Tirunelvei East (2 camps) and Thanjavur East (1 camp). Totally 2236 cadres in addition to 94 female cadres were getting trained in these camps. The camps possessed transport facilities, boats and some weapons. Predominantly, the training comprised guerrilla warfare and also Physical Training, Swimming and Boat Driving.

Other assorted organisations were also conducting their camps in Tamil Nadu such as Tamil Eelam Army (TEA) – 2 camps, 31 trainees; TELA -Kanthan group ( 3 camps, 117 trainees); TELA-Rajan group (1 camp, 10 trainees); TENA (1 camp, 25 trainees); RELO ( 1 camp, 13 trainees; NLFT (1 camp, 2 trainees); ECRP (1 camp, 4 trainees) and TMPP ( 1 camp, 6 trainees).

As per the enclosure, the total number of trainees of various Sri Lankan Tamil militant organisations in their training camps being conducted in Tamil Nadu was 3179 males and 184 females, totally 3363 cadres.

Training by India and existence of armed militancy nullifies

• Claims that LTTE emerged following 1983 riots
• Raises eyebrows as to whether the 1983 riots were created to bring into the open LTTE & other armed groups who had thus far being in hiding
• If LTTE were initially trained, funded, armed by India it means that the killing of the 13 soldiers that is said to have resulted in the riots may have been under orders of the Indian intelligence – this needs to be investigated and confirmed.

Sri Lanka’s terrorism would not have lasted 3 decades

• If India had not stopped Sri Lanka’s armed forces from capturing Prabakaran when cornered at Vadamarachchi in 1987 and evacuating Prabakaran in a helicopter to India
• If India had not allowed LTTE to use Tamil Nadu as a logistics hub
• If India had stopped LTTE opening offices in Tamil Nadu – LTTE was bold enough to shoot & kill other Tamil militant group leaders/member in Tamil Nadu (13 EPRLF leaders including Padmanaba)!
• If India had not allowed Tamil Nadu fishermen to smuggle arms, medicines, food etc for the LTTE along with narcotics, humans etc. (Tamilselvan said that 35% of LTTE cadres were from Tamil Nadu)
• If India had not funded LTTE – MGR Ramachandran Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu even donated money to LTTE

India’s violations against Sri Lanka

• Sending a flotilla by sea on 2 June 1987
• Evacuating a rebel leader
• Threatening Sri Lanka if the forces captured the rebel leader
• Violating Sri Lanka’s air space, giving Sri Lanka’s Ambasador in Delhi 30minutes notice before dropping 25 tons of food in Jaffna on 4 June 1987 at 4p.m. It was the first case of violating airspace after the 1971 Pak war. The flight was escorted by 5 Mirage 2000s armed 2ith 2 matra magic AAMs and 3 drop tanks. 35 national/international journalists were on these 5 planes. The Sri Lankan Ambassador was told that any opposition by Sri Lanka ‘would be met with force’ (this constitutes a Crime of Aggression on a sovereign country)
• Forcing Sri Lanka to sign the Indo-Lanka Accord on 29 July 1987 drafted by India to suit India’s interests (not Tamil Nadu’s or Tamils)
• What type of international accord is signed with Indian jets hovering Sri Lanka’s air space, parippu dropped, where Sri Lanka’s cabinet has had to give undated resignation letters and are kept in a hotel and frisked to the venue of signature under armed escort and with state of emergency declared and even media are debarred from being presentWhat type of international accord is signed with Indian jets hovering Sri Lanka’s air space, parippu dropped, where Sri Lanka’s cabinet has had to give undated resignation letters and are kept in a hotel and frisked to the venue of signature under armed escort and with state of emergency declared and even media are debarred from being present
• What type of international accord is signed with Indian jets hovering Sri Lanka’s air space, parippu dropped, where Sri Lanka’s cabinet has had to give undated resignation letters and are kept in a hotel and frisked to the venue of signature under armed escort and with state of emergency declared and even media are debarred from being presentRaping 3000 Tamil women,
• Attacking and chasing out Sinhalese from North and parts of East.
• Creating an exodus of Tamils fleeing to Tamil Nadu enabling India to use this to exert  diplomatic pressure with India demanding right to play a role in settling issues because India is ‘concerned’ about Tamils in Sri Lanka. The concern part is relevant only for India’s own interest.
• India violated the Accord by creating Tamil National Army recruiting local Tamils who were armed by the IPKF and tasked to support the Chief Minister Varatharaja Perumal who became the merged N&E Province’s 1st Chief Minister
• The Accord ended up with Sri Lanka having no choice but to amend the country’s constitution and introduce the 13^th amendment, introduce a provincial council system, merging two provinces

India’s broken promises

• Claiming to get Prabakaran in 72hours but had to be asked to leave Sri Lanka after 3 years of failure to capture LTTE

• India DID NOT disarm ALL terrorists within 120hours

• Sri Lanka’s obligation to the Accord was conditional to India following through on 5 steps if the armed militants refused to surrender their weapons. India did not follow through on its initial 5 steps.

1. India assured that Indian Territory was not used for activities prejudicial to the unity and security of Sri Lanka (this end of the bargain continues to be violated even to this day as Tamil Nadu politicians openly support the LTTE)

2. India assured Indian Navy would cooperate with Sri Lanka’s Navy to prevent Tamil militant activities (India did not uphold this assurance given that the LTTE freely travelled to and from Sri Lanka to India, transported weapons and other supplies, obtained medical assistance and even had offices in Tamil Nadu)

3. India assured to provide military assistance to implement Accord on the request of Sri Lanka but the IPKF operations took place without involvement of Sri Lanka which resulted in President Premadasa requesting IPKF to withdraw from Sri Lanka but the IPKF did not honor the deadline compelling President Premadasa to demand IPKF withdrawal.

4. India assured to expedite repatriation of Indian citizens residing in Sri Lanka to India. This obligation is long overdue and it is a good time to conduct a thorough DNA of all Tamils to ascertain whether they are Sri Lankan or Indian given that through 30 years many Indians would have come to settle in Sri Lanka.

5. India assured the physical security and safety of all communities in the Northern and Eastern provinces however the records of IPKF rape of Tamil women, the indiscriminate shooting on Tamil civilians, Sinhalese civilians in Trincomalee, Kantale and Habarana showed clearly that IPKF were ordered to either kill or chase out Sinhalese from these 2 provinces.

Since India has failed to fulfil its end of the obligations an Accord cannot function with only one party following on commitments. Unless both parties perform their obligations the Accord can be nullified using the Pacta Sund Servanda (pacts are meant to be honoured for agreements to be valid)

India is responsible for

• Over 100,000 deaths of both civilians, politicians, military personnel including militants India helped train
• 3 decades of war that stalled development in areas that LTTE ran defacto rule
• 3 decades of war wherein the low caste/class Tamils were guinea pigs of the LTTE, the Tamil politicians, the UN/NGOs and international community who kept them as buffer to advance their own agendas
• False chivalry behind the façade planning to destablize Sri Lanka (the plan still continues and is part of the Arthashastra foreign policy)

Powerful countries should not be allowed to bully smaller nations by creating problems and then appearing as conflict resolutionists with the intention to either create more problems or delay the problem further in order to ensure that they have sufficient time to create what they intended which was the reason for starting the trouble in the first place.

Shenali D Waduge