The Army launched Operation Rana Gosha IV on 10 June and troops advanced towards Vidataltivu on the western coast, 11 miles north-east of Mannar town. Opposition from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was mild and the Army captured Andankulam, Adampan and the coastal village of Pappamoddai.
Some 8,000 people are said to have remained in the territory. A night curfew was imposed in these areas. The military say 500 sq. mile territory has so far been captured in the four Rana Gosha operations and only 1,400 sq. miles are now controlled by the Tigers in the Vanni.
Vanni Army Commander Lionel Balagalla told journalists at the Thatchankulam military base on 16 June that attempts to open a landroute to Jaffna will continue despite the failure of the 18 month-long Operation Jayasikurui (Certain Victory). The current small-scale operations are aimed at denying the LTTE, control of the population which is the base for new recruitment. Maj. Gen. Balagalla says that the Rana Gosha operations have brought 35,000 people under Army control.
When the Army began moving northwards from Pappamoddai on 26 June, there was stiff resistance from the Tigers. The heaviest clashes took place around Nayatruveli. Some 200 combatants are reported to have died in the fighting. The Tigers refused to accept 37 bodies, which were later buried on the orders of the Mannar Magistrate. Tamil group TELO alleges that they were civilians killed by the Army in Pappamoddai and other surrounding villages. Reports say five civilians were killed and 60 others were wounded by Army shells. More than 4,000 people took refuge in two churches in Vidataltivu. These churches have no basic facilities.
Some 20,000 people fled northwards from Vidataltivu, after heavy Army shelling and took refuge in Paliyaru and Vellankulam. Mantai North Assistant Government Agent, Mariyadas says that some people found shelter in schools and temples, but others were living in the open, under trees. Food is short and they face difficulty in obtaining drinking water. Reports say some refugees have begun moving further north towards Kilinochchi District. On 2 July, over 120 people fled from Mannar in boats to the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
The military also launched Operation Whirlwind on 10 June, further north in Kilinochchi District, where troops advanced west from Paranthan towards Pooneryn. The Army encountered resistance from the LTTE within two miles, but assaulted and caused heavy damage to LTTE’s Rahulan camp, which is believed to be a base for launching attacks on Jaffna peninsula. Although the military claim that Operation Whirlwind was a diversionary tactic, analysts believe that the military now aims to open a supply line to the Jaffna peninsula through Mannar and Pooneryn.
There is an acute shortage of food in the whole of the Vanni following Operation Rana Gosha IV which disrupted food supply through Pallamadu along the western coast. Early July reports say that following discussions with the ICRC, the LTTE agreed to allow food lorries through Army-held Mankulam on the Vavuniya-Kilinochchi road.
While fighting continued in the Vanni, infighting in Colombo led to restructuring of the military hierarchy. According to reports, President Chandrika Kumaratunge had become directly involved in military planning after the LTTE recaptured Kilinochchi in September last year. On 3 June, former Army commander Rohan Daluwatte was appointed as Chief of Defence Staff, to head the Joint Operations Headquarters (JOH). But within six days, the President scrapped this powerful post which would have effectively given Gen. Daluwatte command of all the armed forces.
Observers say there is dissatisfaction with Deputy Defence minister Anuruddha Ratwatte, and Gen Daluwatte’s short-lived promotion was an attempt to reduce his powers as a prelude to removal. Mr Ratwatte appears to have thwarted any moves against him, at least temporarily.
While these military manoeuvres continue, peace in the island remains as remote as ever. Leading businessman and trading firm Aitkin Spence Chairman R Sivaratnam has expressed disappointment over the lukewarm response of the two main political parties to the bipartisan peace programme launched by businessmen in October 1998. Observers say there are no signs of government measures to realize the President’s assurance to the Tamil political parties that the devolution package would be tabled in Parliament before August this year.
There was mounting speculation in June of a new peace initiative involving South Africa, following the visit of Tiger ideologue Anton Balasingham to Britain, for medical treatment. Mr Balasingham, a citizen of Britain, is said to have travelled from the Vanni through Singapore, accompanied by his wife Adele, who was with the LTTE’s medical corps. He may become involved in strengthening the Tiger International Secretariat in London. Observers say Western governments which have been complaining, now have someone from the LTTE for consultation outside Sri Lanka.