It is re****ted that the Sri Lankan security forces have arrested three
Sinhalese men in Colombo. They have been identified as journalists
attached to a trade union paper (not a known national newspaper).
There is strong evidence proving their links to the LTTE and they were
nabbed with a haul of arms and ammunition in their possession.
Soon after the arrests, of these so-called journalists, politically
motivated movements, going under various names, came out with their
usual slogans of 'free', 'fair', 'abduction', 'human rights', etc. and
attempted to manipulate the situation to discredit the government on
human rights issues.
During the investigation, it was found that one of the Sinhala LTTE
terrorists was a ranked activist in one of the Trade Unions in the
Railway Department. The leading figure in the gang, during his
confession, had stated that their party was against 'neo imperialism'
with a different face and their main aim was to strongly act against
it.
Incidentally, this new development was revealed at a time when so-
called 'ultra leftwing', 'anti neo imperialist' party leaders like
Vickramabahu Karunrathna called upon the Tamil Tigers to join hands
with the working m***** in the country and abroad to fight together to
liberate the country from Global capital and national oppression.
According to the media re****ts, Vickramabahu was said to have made the
above comments at a public meeting at 'Krishjohn' social club in
Eastham, organised by the Tamil Information Centre, Tamil Community
Forum and the World Peace Organisation in East London, on February 4.
He is expected to address a series of meetings in the UK with his
newly found theory, probably, with the full patronage of the pro-LTTE
organisations active abroad. Apparently, Vickramabahu is not aware
that he is calling the working m***** in the country to join hand with
an organisation whose top nine leaders, including Prabhakaran, Soosai
and Pottu Amman are criminals and 'wanted' by the Interpol.
This is not the first time that incidents of treacherous acts of
Sinhala people were re****ted. Two years ago (The Island dated
22/03/2005), a Sinhala spy was caught when he was trans****ting bombs
to Colombo. We also read about cases of printing of vital information
in a newspaper published by a Sinhala media personality, which was
useful to the terrorist outfit and risking the security of the country
and its leaders.
A few weeks ago, the former OIC of the Harbour Police, Trincomalee (a
Sinhala national) was arrested with a Tamil national at a hotel in
Matara for alleged involvement with the LTTE and a re****ted fraud
amounting to millions of rupees.
A senior ranking Sinhala officer of the security forces was also
arrested for providing assistance to kill Major General Parami
Kulathunga. Former Commissioner in-charge of the issue of National
Identity Cards, another Sinhala national, is also in custody for
allegedly issuing forged Identity Cards to LTTE suicide cadres. We
read about Sinhala politicians, parliamentarians, servicemen, NGO
personal, academics and journalists who are serving the LTTE in
various ways. Some of these personal are said to be in the pay of the
LTTE. Thus, the roots of LTTE terrorism have now extended to all parts
of the country, including the South.
The Tamil Tigers, whose killing spree was limited mainly to Colombo,
and the Northern and Eastern parts of the country so far (other than
bombing of Dalada Maligawa and Sri Maha Bodhiya), have apparently
found new avenues and safe havens in the South, via media and trade
unions, to extend their operations (on large scale) to the other parts
of the country. Incidentally, a journalist attached to 'Maubima', a
Sinhala weekly news paper, is also now in custody for allegedly
helping LTTE suicide cadres.
There should not be any argument as to the existence of freedom of
expression in a democratic society. But the obvious question, that
arises after the above incidents, is, 'are we expecting to compromise
the security of the country, as a whole, against those who write
something somewhere or call themselves journalists or manage to get
media accreditation cards (probably to enter high security areas
freely) and engage in terrorist activities? If the FMM is genuinely
interested in their profession, what they should do is to assist the
investigations and take necessary steps to regulate the profession and
uplift its image.
It is shocking to find the extent of involvement of these so-called
media personalities possessing arms and ammunition and extensive
terrorist training, at a time when the blood thirsty outfit is looking
for its next vital targets. The LTTE has so far succeeded in either
getting or attempting to get the lives of their targets and they may
use all the available avenues to achieve the rest of their targets by
hook or crook. Under this situation, no place is secure unless through
investigations are carried out with determination to eliminate those
who are in the payroll of the LTTE, regardless of ethnicity, political
affiliation, profession or creed, if we are to eradicate terrorism and
to protect the lives of VIPs opposed to terrorism and those of
innocent civilians.
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