The Airforce and the Navy have continued to assault the eastern coastal areas of Mullaitivu District, which is under the control of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Villages on the isthmus connecting the Jaffna peninsula and the mainland have also come under attack.
The Sri Lankan Airforce celebrated its Golden Jubilee at Ratmalana, 8 miles south of Colombo, on 9 March. President Chandrika, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, participated in the event and urged Airforce personnel to ensure the safety of civilians during military operations.
But in a six-hour operation on 21 March, Airforce planes bombed the areas around Chundikulam, 13 miles north-east of Kilinochchi, killing four civilians at Kurusady. Eleven people were seriously wounded at Puthumathalan and Kurusady. Twenty to houses were destroyed while fishing equipment and boats were damaged. Thousands of people have fled to Ananthapuram, Iranaipalai and Puthukudyiruppu, seeking refuge. Local NGOs say that the people were unable to take the wounded immediately to hospital because of continued airstrikes.
Nallathanithoduvai village near Chundikulam is almost wiped out. Bombing raids and Navy shelling have damaged or destroyed 300 of the 320 houses in the village. According to Grama Sevaka (Village Headman) V Kannappamurthy, nine people have been killed and 13 others injured.
As hundreds of people demonstrated on 26 March in Puthukudyiruppu and Mallavi against the bombing and handed a petition to the UNHCR to be sent to the UN Secretary General, the Airforce struck at Pooneryn, 15 miles north-west of Kilinochchi. Fisherman Stanislaus Romy died of shock during the raid. Kilinochchi’s civil society organisations have written to human rights agencies, including Amnesty International, to prevail upon the Sri Lankan government to respect international humanitarian standards. Reports say that Airforce planes also bombed rice fields in Thoppigala and Miyankulam in Batticaloa District, destroying paddy and farmers’ huts. Military officers claim that the Airforce targeted LTTE’s Beirut Base in Kokkaddicholai.
The Jaffna Bishop pointed out in a letter to President Chandrika that attacks on civilians will affect the Norwegian peace process. Despite the difficult situation in the north-east, reports say that some progress has been made following the visit of Norwegian special negotiator Erik Solheim to Sri Lanka and India in early March. India is said to have indicated full support for the peace initiative.
Amidst speculation that the first round of negotiations may be held in the Netherlands, press reports suggest that initial talks will concentrate on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government. An international team may supervise the implementation of the MOU which contains confidence-building measures by both parties, such as prisoner release and the lifting the economic embargo on the northern region.
President Chandrika, who was on a tour of the West in mid-March, pledged to the leaders of Europe and the European Union that the Sri Lankan government will take appropriate measures for devolution of power, constitutional reform, talks with the LTTE and development of the north-east.
Following a visit to Germany in mid-March, Mannar Bishop Rayappu Joseph accused President Chandrika of lobbying to marginalise the LTTE during her discussions with foreign leaders, at a time when peace talks are a possibility. He regretted that the government was attempting to push the LTTE into a vulnerable situation, similar to the powerless state of the other Tamil parties, to ensure that the Tigers are in a weak bargaining position during negotiations.
Reports say that peace talks will begin in May. But the optimism is not shared by observers who say that both sides have not demonstrated total commitment to the peace process, but are involved in undermining each other’s position. Sources say despite the apparent progress in the peace process, both parties are preparing for Eelam War IV and have accelerated recruitment and the acquisition of new weapons.
The LTTE extended its unilateral ceasefire for a further month till 24 April. But the government again announced that the war against the Tigers will continue. The Army launched another offensive in Jaffna on 28 March at Eluthumadduval, 12 miles north-west of Elephant Pass base which the LTTE now controls.
Analysts say the budget for the year 2001 tabled in Parliament on 8 March by Deputy Finance minister GL Peiris, appears more like a war budget and shows the lack of government confidence in the peace process. The allocation for defence is Rs 75 billion ($850 million) which is 50% of the budget deficit. The National Security Levy on all goods and services has been increased from 6.5% to 7.5%. Last year defence expenditure rose from Rs 51 billion to an unprecedented sum of Rs 83 billion ($1 billion).