The Situation Report

9th August 1998

Guessing game: who suffered the most casualties?

By Iqbal Athas

Guessing game: who suffered the most casualties?

The Censor's fears

Guessing game: who suffered the most casualties?

If the attention of the local and foreign media was focused on the three days SAARC summit in Colombo late last month, it did not take another three days for it to shift to the event that has been making most of the news in Sri Lanka, the separatist war, or more pointedly the 15 month old "Operation Jayasikurui," ( Victory Assured).

The LTTE launched another fierce counter attack on the western flank of the Jayasikurui defenses, at a point where the positions held by the Sri Lanka Air Force and the Sri Lanka Army merged. Creating a gap of almost three kilometres, some 150 LTTE cardres infiltrated after midnight struck signalling the dawn of Monday, August 3.

The latest counter attack came during a lull in the fighting in the renewed phase of the operation which began on May 28, this year. Fierce gun battles which resulted in a heavy casualty count, both killed and wounded, led the security forces to halt their advance (on two different flanks) and consolidate their positions.

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With the programmes over, security forces planned to launch an all out offensive, firstly to capture the strategic junction of Mankulam and thereafter venture out for a link-up at Kilinochchi. That would mark the successful conclusion of "Operation Jayasikurui". And greater troops preparedness was felt essential since they had to keep to the latest deadline.

Deputy Defence Minister General Anuruddha Ratwatte, Sri Lanka's de facto military chief who is personally directing the military machine against the LTTE, has now declared that the ongoing offensive, "Now at a decisive phase" would be over by November, this year.

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That would not only bring an end to the major part of the ongoing separatist war but also facilitate the conduct of the Provincial Council elections, which has now been put on hold.

With a tight censorship in place Sri Lankans and the

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outside world were unaware but early last week saw bitter fighting in the battlefields of Wanni. For nearly three days troops fought their way to link up their defensive positions.

Now that the fighting has ended, the usual guessing game took over. Who won and who lost? Who suffered the most casualties? Censorship not withstanding, BBC television in their early Tuesday morning news programme declared 55 Sri Lankan soldiers were killed. This statement was already aired when someone at MTV which downloads BBC for local broadcast wiped out the rest of the references to Sri Lanka. Yet, those in most parts of the world heard the news. Here is food for thought for those champions who espouse the cause of censorship giving various reasons at various times. It brings forth once again the question of how effective censorship is in this modern age of communications technology.

The Operational Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence gave a different casualty figure. A three paragraph "special press release" on August 3 gave a brief account of the fighting.This is what the release said:

"In early hours of 03 August 1998 terrorists launched a heavy atack on the Western forward defence line of Mankulam.

"Security Forces repulsed the attack causing heavy casualties to the LTTE. Fears fighting went on the early hours and during the fire fight 37 LTTE cadres had been killed and Security Forces has recovered 16 terrorists dead bodies along with 18 T56 weapons, 03 LMG weapons and 02 GPMG weapons.

"15 Security Force personnel were killed and 16 Security Force personnel were severely wounded. Clearing operations are in progress."

The LTTE, however had their own version. A press release issued from its "International Secretariat" in London on August 3 said:

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"LTTE freedom fighters today captured a kilometre long series of Sri Lankan Army bunkers and military complexes belonging to the Jaya Jayasikurui forces in Moonrumurippu south west of Mankulam in Vanni. The LTTE forces began the attack at 11.30 pm on Sunday and by 10 am on Monday the whole military complex had fallen and the captured area is still under LTTE control. More than 30 Sri Lanka soldiers have been killed and several injured while the rest fled. Large quantities of arms and ammunitions have been capture. Fourteen LTTE fighters died in the operation. Further details are awaited."

That was how three different versions of the same incident came about last week. Quite apart from everything else, it clearly illustrates what follows a news blackout under a total censorship. sored

Is this part of a plan to restrict the flow of information on "Operation Jayasikurui", particularly since an operation meant to end in just two months has dragged on for nearly 15 months? It is no secret that the renewed phase launched on May 28, this year, led to unprecedentedly high level of causalties and the declaration of a total censorship from June 5.

These questions gain added significance in the backdrop of the Government's decision to postpone Provincial Council elections until the completion of "Operation Jaya Sikurui", which in Gen. Ratwatte's own words, is at a "decisive phase."

He told Parliament early this week that "in view of the wholehearted commitment of the security forces to the conflict in the North and East, the resources available to the Government to stem disruptive and terrorist acts in the South are restricted...."

"No sooner the exigencies of the war effort abate, and the general security situation improves to an acceptable degree, the Government assures the people that the polls will be conducted in an environment of safety and security," he declared.

The claims appear to contradict Government's own declaration in the past months that 96 per cent of the separatist war is now over and a mere four per cent remains to be completed. But now Gen. Ratwatte declares that "the conduct of the polls and the prosecution of the war" cannot be achieved "with a guarantee of safety and security to the people and the leadership and candidates of political organisations, a choice will have to be made after a clear identification of priorities."

He adds: "A decision based on the identification of those priorities will have to be made as to whether the conduct of the poll, with its attendant demands on security and manpower can be justified when it may place at risk the advances gained - at such cost - in the battlefield. The withdrawal of large numbers of personnel in and around operational areas is essential for the conduct of the elections to protect, not only the public and political leadership but also to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process."

Not so long ago, they burnt the tea factory at Shannon Estate in Hatton. They opened fire at an Army patrol in Galge, near Kataragama, killing an Army sergeant. These were in areas where life has remained as normal as can be.

The outgoing controversial Police Chief, W.B. Rajaguru, has supported Gen. Ratwatte's arguments that 30,000 Policemen required for polls duty cannot be released.

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Surely there are senior Police officials tasked with the responsibility of planning all Police deployment and other activity.

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The Censor's fears

Even if past and future military operations are covered by the ongoing censorship, one 'operation' that is not covered is what one might call the murder of the Queen, or more appropriately, the English language.

Whether this was the case or not, Operational Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence, claimed in a 'special press release' on August 3, that "Fears fighting went on in the early hours and …"

This was a news release that reported an LTTE counter-attack on security forces defences west of Mankulam. See report on this page.

In our Situation Report sent for approval to the Army Censor yesterday, we noted "Amusing enough, this release spoke of 'fears fighting' went on ……. Presumably what was meant to be conveyed was 'fierce' fighting."

Equally amazing, the Army Censor deleted this reference, though it was in no way related to any provision governing the censorship. However, the reproduction of the special press release with the words 'fears fighting…' was allowed. It appears on this page.

The Sunday Times asked Army Censor's office yesterday why the deletion was made. An official replied: "This is a spelling mistake which could have been made by the typist."

Asked why the comment was deleted though it was not in any way related to the censorship, he replied: "Since you have elaborated on it, it could be bad for us. Hence it was deleted."

But what the official seems not to have realised is that their own 'special press release' had done them bad.

Fifth Column

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