Government bombards Tigers; the church's concerns
After yesterday's suicide attack in Colombo, the government attacked bases of the Tamil Tigers in Trincomalee. A local bishop: the city is paralyzed by the ceasefire but we do not fear civil war. A peace activist adds: the international community must remain by Sri Lanka's side and condemn violence from both sides. The victims are always innocent people.
Colombo (AsiaNews) Sri Lanka is facing an "emergency" but the risk of resumed civil war "does not seem realistic" for members of civil society. Today, Trincomalee, in the east of the country, is a "paralysed" city. Air raids by government forces, against the bases of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), press ahead. The rebels are held responsible for a suicide attack on the army general headquarters in Colombo yesterday, which killed eight people and injured 27, including the commander of Sri Lanka's armed forces, General Sarath Fonseka, likely target of the attack. So far, no one has officially claimed responsibility for the attack.
The bishop of Trincomalee and Batticaloa, Mgr Kingsley Swampillai, told AsiaNews: "The area hardest hit by the air raids is Muttur, a border zone controlled by the rebels. Shots can be heard but a curfew in force since yesterday does not allow us to go out. The city is at a standstill."
A few hours after the explosion in the capital, the government gave the green light to reprisals against Tiger bases in Trincomalee. The air raids continued today after a break overnight. At the moment, there is no official death toll of victims, but according to the internet site of the Tamil rebels, at least 12 civilians have been killed.
"If attacks continue, we will be obliged to take defensive armed action," the head of the LTTE peace secretariat, Puleedevan, said today. The government of Sri Lanka said the strikes near Trincomalee port were limited actions in response to attacks against its own forces.
Peace hopes
Yesterday's attack came as the Norwegian mediator sought to convince the Tamil rebels to resume peace talks started in February in Switzerland and indefinitely stalled. The Tigers are fighting for autonomy for the Tamil minority in the north and east. More than 60,000 people have been killed during 20 years of conflict. In 2002, a fragile cease-fire was signed. Since then, there have been no official military actions until yesterday.
President Mahinda Rajapakse said the country will not bow to bombs and offered dialogue as a solution to the ongoing violence. He invited the population to calm. Mgr Swampillai said the words of the head of State were a positive sign: "The government does not want to adopt the use of force as a means to attain peace: it tried for 20 years and failed; this is why I think the possibility of civil war is unrealistic."
Jehan Perera, director of communications for the National Peace Council, a Colombo-based NGO, added: "The president's statements have a twofold meaning: first, they serve to stem the danger of ethnic violence between Sinhalese and Tamils, who may decide to take the law into their own hands (as they did on 12 April in Trinco itself after a blast). But they also serve to gain consensus from the international community. Rajapakse can exploit the moment, because yesterday's attack was a very serious action."
However, Perera said, the international community must remain "by Sri Lanka's side and condemn violence perpetrated by both sides", that is, not only yesterday's attacks, but the government air raids too. "They are episodes that compromise reciprocal trust and without trust, the two sides cannot come to the negotiating table."
Mgr Swampillai said: "We are in an emergency situation, but we have faith. In the churches of my diocese, we pray every day so that talks may be resumed: the people want peace."
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15/06/2006
