Lies, Lies, and More Lies

Lies, Lies, and More Lies

By Ehalaivan

 The past few days must have been busy, to say the least, to the public relations managers of the GoSL. One is left with the question of how they are going to escape the critical eyes of the world, unscathed, after all these statements, that were followed by withdrawals and then by counter statements – all with the singular aim of hiding the military debacle of Anuradhapura.  In their efforts to hide their atrocious military and political debacles the GoSL has resorted to such lies that even a child of five or six years cannot be fooled. Regardless they continue. They continue because their message is getting heard and unbelievably with not much questioning. Let us look at some of these lies and more lies and how that is reported: 

On the attack itself: 

Here is what Mr. Keheliya Rambukwalla, Defence spokesperson and Minister had to say about the attack, as was reported in The Hindu (Sri Lanka Air Force jets pound LTTE airstrip – hindu.com, Tuesday, Oct 23, 2007)“Mr. Keheliya said the ground forces at Anuradhapura could not take on the LTTE aircraft as they were engaged in a fierce battle with a 21-member Tiger suicide group which had split into two groups and indiscriminately firing at them. “Further, we could not afford to open indiscriminate fire as the Tiger suicide squad was outside the airbase. Just outside the base are civilian settlements and indiscretion on the part of the forces could have led to civilian casualties,” the Minister said.”Mr. Rambukwalla claimed that the attackers were outside the airbase and the SLA was holding back as their counter attack may cause damage to civilians. Well, but isn’t it true that all the attackers were killed inside the airbase and on the tarmac? Isn’t that what the Ministry of Defence says? The MoD has posted on its website several pictures of the LTTE commandoes, as they lay dead, on the tarmac. So are those pictures lying? Well, Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara may even say that some unscrupulous photographer has doctored those photos, to appear as if the LTTE commandoes were lying on the tarmac, and then given to MoD.  

Air Defence gone bust!

The Hindu reported:  “Political and diplomatic observers here are surprised how the Tiger aircraft managed to stay in the air for at least half-an-hour without taking a hit particularly after the Sri Lanka Government in June/July claimed to have put in place a ‘fool proof’ air defence system to counter the nascent air power of the LTTE.” 

In my humble opinion, the air defence system is not just about putting in place a few radars from India. It is also having the resources to then take down those planes.

Let’s look at the air defence system that was initiated immediately after the attack to bring down the Tamil Eelam Air Force planes:

“Defence spokesperson and Minister, Keheliya Rembukwella, maintained that the new air defence system was effective in detecting the Tiger aircraft well in time but neither of the two aircraft could be successfully intercepted as the military helicopter dispatched to chase them developed a technical snag and crashed.” 

Pardon my ignorance – when the GoSL, immediately after the LTTE’s attack on Katunayake, claimed that they have spent millions in putting together an air defence mechanism did they mean putting the military helicopters (which they already had and wasn’t procured after) to use? One would have thought that they were already meant for such purposes. One is left with the question of where then did the money go? If it wasn’t spent on new equipments, where did it end up?

The Morning Leader reported that “… (h)e (Mr. Rambukwalla) also said that the Tigers had changed their usual manoeuvring style after take off, but did not elaborate.”

As to what that mean: only Mr. Rambukwalla only knows. But to all others – to use a common parlance – BS!

 Helicopter crashes: “Though the radars detected the approaching aircraft, they managed to sneak back into the Tiger controlled territory as the military helicopter deployed to intercept them developed a technical snag and crashed.”LTTE launches aerial attack on Anuradhapura air base by B. Muralidhar Reddy (http://www.hindu.com/2007/10/23/stories/2007102361020100.htm)But, it was reported widely that the LTTE commandoes had infiltrated, secured the air defence positions of the base, and then had used those guns to bring down the helicopter. Finally, succumbing to the reality, the GoSL has set up two separate teams – five-member team and a four-member team -to investigate the attack as well as the crashing of a Bell-212 helicopter in the pre-dawn attack. 

Child Commandoes: Mr. Rambukwalla, not a man to mince words, then took on the issue of child soldiers (make hay while sun shines!). The Hindu reported: “Categorising LTTE as a ruthless terrorist outfit, the Defence Ministry said that a number of the suicide squad members of the LTTE, as per the photograph released by the organisation, were in the age group of 13 to 16 and said that no further proof was required of its callousness to humanity.”  

The photos are wildly available on the net and one can come to his/her conclusion as to the age of the commandoes. More important, for a second, accept Mr.Rambukwalla’s argument that they were child soldiers and then look at the issue. LTTE has been consistently claiming that they have instituted several mechanisms to not recruit children into their ranks. They have formed working relationship with several NGOs including the UNICEF in promoting the welfare of the children. They have been fighting a PR battle in the outside world against claims made by the GoSL on the same issue. According to Mr. Rambukwalla, regardless of all the potential PR fallout, the LTTE leadership chose to use children in the attack. To top that, they even handed out photos of the so called “children” to International media. Mr. Rambukwalla may have some obedient listeners in the form of The Hindu reporters but the world, as one knows, is certainly not full of such inept reporters, or for that matter, readers.

On the issue of losses: An MoD news release, posted on the official website of the MoD reported the losses as follows:  “…two Russian built MI 24 helicopter gunships on ground were severely damaged in the attack. Eight airmen are also reported to have suffered injuries in the incident.” And finally, with mounting political pressure the GoSL was forced to recant their story:“…Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake stood before parliament and announced that three helicopters, four training planes and a Beechcraft surveillance plane were destroyed in the attack, essentially confirming the Tamil reports of the damage. He did not explain the discrepancy.”-    Sri Lanka’s government says rebel attack caused more damage than previously reported, Associated Press, Wed October 24, 2007 04:31 EDT . RAVI NESSMAN

However, the lank e-news said that:

“Badulla district UNP MP Lakshman Senevirathna revealed the total damage of the LTTE attack at Ahuradhapura airbase at a press briefing held in Colombo today, bearing the responsibility.According to his details, 18 aircrafts of the Air Force were either destroyed or damaged and the total lost to the country is Rs. 6.6 billion.

The loss from the Beach Craft and its equipment alone is US $ 28 million (Rs. 119.3 million). Sri Lanka had two such Beach Crafts and only the destroyed one was usable.”

http://www.lankaenews.com/English/news.php?id=4818&PHPSESSID=032577bbde3e0d67aa03a60cdf5f297c

Despicable Display of Necrophilia: “Somebody has taken (those photographs) to tarnish the image of the (armed forces),” military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said on Wednesday, without specifying who. “We are professional soldiers. We do not want to do (things) like that. “I can assure you we wrapped all those bodies in black polythene bags … and sent it to the hospital,” he added. “Some photographer who is interested in tarnishing the image of the army has done this purposely.” “It’s not a real photo. It’s a made up one.”-         Rebels slam Sri Lanka for showing naked war dead , http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/COL185477.htm 

Here is what a reporter (as reported by the reuters news) had to say:

“The bodies were taken from the camp to the mortuary. One tractor trailer contained naked bodies, bodies in the other were in plastic bags,” said a journalist known to Reuters who was at the scene and asked to remain unnamed for fear of retribution.

The Bishop of Anuradhapura condeming the way the bodies of LTTE carders were displayed to the public said: “that this was not something which was acceptable especially in a city like Anuradhapura sacred to Buddhists. The people in the area who talk about this with contempt do not approve such a move”.Display of bodies ‘condemned’ – http://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala/news/story/2007/10/071023_bodies.shtml 

Lankadissent.com website said that the bodies were displayed to “prevent the mentality of defeat from entering the public mindset in the aftermath of this major military debacle.”

War on North is still on! 

In a recent statement the SL army chief, General Sarath Fonseka, has claimed that the Tigers will be chased from the north in a year or “maybe less”.

“Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa speaking on the present security situation assured that yesterday’s (22) attack on the Anuradhapura Camp would not in any way upset planned military operations against the LTTE terrorists and their bases in the Wanni.”

http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20071023_06

What one can understand here is: GoSL planning a war. It has been executing the war in small piece meal style. What one doesn’t understand is: How can they so arrogantly think that the world wouldn’t see that the GoSL is actually planning and prosecuting the war?  It is because they know that they can count on some parrots to report as follows: LTTE launches Eelam War IV.

And, finally on a comical (or is it sad?) note, here is what Sri Lanka’s Minister of social services and welfare Mr. Douglas Devananda had to say, while addressing the International Conference on Countering Terrorism:

“During the four decades of confrontation, not a single Tamil leader has been murdered by the Sri Lankan Security Forces”

- Sri Lanka MoD news, http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20071021_08

One can only conclude that the honourable minister has forgotten who is a Tamil or what it means to be a Tamil. It is that complete loss of memory and reasoning ability that has lead to such an irrational utterance and should therefore be taken in that light.