Galle attack, BBC and national security– I

by Bandu de Silva
Former Ambassador

One cannot be pleased with all that BBC says about Sri Lanka. As I wrote recently, the problem here is that we are too open a society unlike our neighbouring lands where the BBC, or for that matter any foreign journalists, cannot enter some parts to report on what is happening there. It is not fair that the BBC and the Western media should exaggerate or come to instant conclusions as they did on the Air Force bombing of the LTTE-run training facility for school children forced to participate in war exercises just because this country is open and accessible to them including areas under terrorist control. Wasn’t even that report based on an alleged telephone call from an Australian illicit immigrant popularly called ‘Penny Amma’, who has re-entered the country pretending to be a tourist after her employment with an INGO terminated? Can such things happen in Australia, where many are held as illicit immigrants’ in camps outside Australia?

Can one split hairs over the BBC correspondent describing the city of Galle as a tourist-port city? How else could Galle be described? Galle is a World Heritage City, so declared by UNESCO. I even recall the day that Dr. Makagiansar, former UNESCO’s Assistant Director General of culture and Communications, who was in Sri Lanka to inaugurate the Jetavanarama restoration project at Anuradhapura visited Galle early in 1980 in my company and told me that he would like to support declaring Galle as a World Heritage City. The Sri Lankan government had no idea about the future of Galle. We were too preoccupied with the launch of the UNESCO sponsored Culture Triangle Project, which resulted from a Resolution I got through UNESCO at the 1978 General Conference sessions. Dr. makagiansar, an Indonesian by origin, was so impressed with the Dutch fortification and its historic significance and scenic beauty.

The BBC correspondent would have been fair, if she described Galle as a World Heritage City rather than a tourist port city. Did she deliberately shift the emphasis suppressing its ‘World Heritage city’ image which would have caused greater indignation of the world over? The historic significance of the old harbour is still being unearthed as the very recent discovery of the stone anchor of a 13th century Arab ship with the anchor’s woodwork still visible, shows. Alternatively, did she try to create an adverse international climate to affect the country’s tourism image right at the beginning of the tourist season by referring to the attempted attack by the LTTE on the Southern naval facility as an attack on the city of Galle? Somebody asked if some of the foreign journalists are in some one else’s pay? I shall not digress to discuss that though anything is possible as US investigations into LTTE arms purchase affair and bribing US officials to get LTTE de-listed as a terrorist outfit demonstrate!

As much as the BBC correspondent may have slipped up (too many such slips-up on her part like the identity of the place bombed by the Air Force near Mullaitivu) or deliberately changed emphasis to the "Heritage City" image of Galle, can the Tourism Ministry take the point to the absurd limit of finding fault with her? If Galle is not a "tourism-port-city" in journalistic jargon, what is it?

How can one hide the tourism significance of Galle with the "Heritage City" image there with its old Portuguese Fort, still lying hidden behind the Police station, the old Dutch ramparts, the churches and other Dutch buildings, the scenic harbour with ‘Rumassala’ hill around — what a pleasure for even us Sri Lankan to walk up there — the traditional lace industry, the jewellery craftsmen (the most reputed in the island) its old turtle-shell ware industry now killed by new laws, its traditional hackeries (hulang tirikkale), the museum, cricket and with the surrounding hinterland from Hikkaduwa to Tangalle where our principal beach resorts lie, the fruit and vegetable cultivation and the fishing industry, all dependent on tourism, just because terrorists tried to attack Galle harbour of the southern naval command there?

How can we build up Galle’s tourist potential? Can we kill that image now to salvage the damage caused by the BBC’s claimed distorted report? It is the BBC correspondent’s alleged attempt to influence foreign embassies by inquiring from them about the travel advisories for which, I think, she should be taken to task. That is unwanted space going well beyond journalistic conduct. Yes, there are stupid ones like the one who chucked a microphone at the nose of an Australian cricketer and asked about his family life when he was retiring to the dressing room furious about his dismissal!

Despite my view that the government is going to the extreme by trying to deprive Galle of its "tourist" status, the BBC correspondent’s mischievous report really calls for serious action. One should not allow a situation like what the Sinhala adage "Telena yakade dekkama acariya uda pena pena talanawa" (The blacksmith hammers at the more pliable iron jumping up), points to.

This is not to say that we must not face the problem squarely. As much as the BBC correspondent may deserve to be ticked off for her mischievous exaggerations and distortions which are becoming a regularity, doesn’t this show that our country has no contingency plans? Shouldn’t the idea be to strengthen security and give an assurance to tourists? Wasn’t Bali, one of the greatest tourist draws in the world attacked by Al Queda linked terrorists? Weren’t places of great tourist significance in Egypt attacked by Islamic fundamentalists? On that account, did these countries claim that they were not places of tourist significance? Hasn’t the British Security told BBC (latest) that Britain is the top target of Al Queda with its universities and the community running great risks? We cannot hide our problems under the palm.

LTTE Objective

There may be several objectives behind the LTTE attack in Galle but our pundits seem to have picked up only one of them, namely, that it was intended to cause a backlash in the South, meaning deep South (against the Tamils) unless one thought of a chain reaction. But there are no Tamils in the south except those of recent Indian origin working on the estates and a few who have moved there even after the July 1983 pogrom. Yes, these Tamils find it safer in the South than in the North and the East and as I found during a recent visit to the south, and are doing brisk business running eating houses, groceries in far flung places like Galle, (There is even an old Kittan House (Pawn Brokers) operating in Galle), Matara, Devinuvara and others, and jewellery shops even in small townships drawing the Middle East earned money of village women to Jaffna and Kalmunai from where these jewellery businessmen come. How is it possible then for these Tamils to feel safer here in the South than in the North and the East where they are subjected to taxes and extortions? Don’t they even feel safe from the reach of the Department of Inland Revenue here? Of course, this favourable situation of Tamils and other minorities in predominantly Sinhalese areas do not attract the attention of the BBC and other foreign media.

Is it not clear that the master plan of the LTTE is to regain control of the Jaffna Peninsula by targeting to cripple the navy at all possible points and the issue of causing backlash is only complementary? Yes, if the latter could be accomplished, that would serve the LTTE better. It is understood that after the attempted attack on the Galle Command of the Navy, there had been a few attacks on Tamil establishments in Galle but these had been immediately brought under control. The indignation of the people in the south over the tranquillity of their city being disturbed by LTTE attempts in understandable, though it cannot be condoned on any grounds. On the other side, the TNA can be seen even promoting a civil disobedience in the North and the East over the Supreme Court judgment!

The Navy Targeted

It is the Navy that has been a great obstacle to the LTTE. The Navy provides the supply line to the peninsula both men and war material as well as sustenance to the people. The Navy has also successfully interrupted movement of arms ships and other Sea Tiger activity. Once the Navy is crippled the surrender of the Jaffna peninsula is complete as the Air Force is incapable of replacing the Navy. It was with this intention that attacks were launched on the Trincomalee harbour and the ships carrying armed forces were targeted several times recently, and the build up in Muttur and Sampur were intended. So was the attack directed at the navy men (unarmed) close to Habarana. The Naval Base at Galle (Dakshina) two days later was the other target. There could be more targets. LTTE works according to a plan while the armed forces do not seem to have the intelligence to perceive it.

Lack of emphasis on VIP Security

When the Karandeniya Police adjoining my village accidentally came upon a lorry carrying a deadly haul of claymore mines and dangerous weapons it was argued that they were to target a VIP. The consignment was intended to be delivered to contacts in Diviture Estate nearby from where they could be transported through inland routes avoiding the main highways where security checks are conducted. Our intelligence sleuths never conceived that it could have been meant for any purpose other than targeting a VIP.

Karandeniya and Diviture are very close to the port of Galle and there are a number of un-policed inland routes to get from there to Galle. The problem is that our intelligence people seem to have become over obsessed with VIP security. VIP security is equated to national security of because of the "rewards" which go with it has gone to create an imbalanced security perception to the neglect of public security in general, security of our tourist infrastructure, and of our security forces in transit unarmed.

Look at what happened near Habarana where 100 unarmed Navy men who were killed and another 100 seriously injured and perhaps, immobilized for ever, in a single LTTE suicide truck attack. There was much done by the Navy to save the lives of 700 unarmed soldiers who were attacked by the LTTE on the high seas and to avert a second such attack in the sea, but security could not be provided to the Navy men travelling unarmed on land. What about security at our bus stands, railway stations, schools, Universities and tourist resort areas? In contrast, what one sees is the disproportionately heavily armed security following our VIP vehicles; and hear reports of a former President provided with as many as 50 armed (some bullet proof) vehicles with a large contingent of armed men following her even overseas. What a scandal! Shouldn’t the government open its eyes on this imbalance in our security strategies and correct them That is the way to assure that the public, the school children and tourists are secure at least psychologically.

No one grudges the security provided to the VIPs at a reasonable level — not at the absurd level provided to that retired President — even though some of whom are seen kicking into their own goal (Government’s) as the Pottuvil affair demonstrated; or are going round preaching against War. One may ask why these persons are being provided with security at high cost when unarmed security forces who sacrifice their lives in defence of the country’s sovereignty and the public, the school children and other are neglected. At least shouldn’t those within government ranks who go round preaching against War be asked to look after their own security when they go on those rounds!

Karandeniya Revisited

As regards the arms haul at Karandeniya in the south, the easiest explanation was to think that it was connected to VIP security with the annual pilgrimage of our leaders to Kataragama to seek the god’s favours. True. There is a point there. Then the Prime Minister visited a temple near Galle for a ceremony some days after the find but that was a part of a short term agends. But, people were trying to link the find of the lethal cargo to that visit.

Does any body even now suspect of a possible attack on the Galle (Naval Base included) from all sides? A mayhem as the LTTE is capable of? As a man from the area, who has traversed its length and breath, I can tell any one that from the thinly populated plantation area of Diviture (where the lethal cargo detected at Karandeniya was to be deposited) it is only a hop-step — and a jump to the Galle harbour area through un-policed rural village roads, such as through my village which links Diviture to Galle. Even during the JVP insurrections, the insurgents crossed the footpaths through vast cinnamon jungles in ten to fifteen minutes to get to the next village while the Police in their vehicles took several hours to reach them. I know some of these tracts there like the palm of my hand.

Today, the LTTE is at its door step at Diviture, a few miles inland from Galle besides "having forced their way" into the heavily guarded navy base and three boats rammed naval craft" (Daily Mirror of 21st October), an event which was played down by the Navy! This is the reason why people in the south are offended now. The tranquillity of their villages and life has been challenged by the LTTE. That was the cause for the recent uproar in Galle following the LTTE attempt on the Navy there.

Tourism

The other aspect is the timing. That coincided with the beginning of the tourist season in the South. Even if the targeted attack on "Dakshina" failed, it had a telling effect on tourism. This is why the Tourism Ministry is concerned, disturbed already, as it is, by the travel adversaries issued by a number of countries against travelling not only to the North and the East but also to other areas. Shouldn’t the Tourism Ministry itself have had its inputs on the security of tourist destinations rather than split hairs over what a foreign journalist claimed it said?

I think the Tourism Ministry is displaying sheer naivety over the Galle incident. The fuss over it being described as a "tourism port" is sheer nonsense. Such an approach cannot win back tourist to the island. Did Bali, where a tourist itself was attacked by terrorists killing and injuring tourists, or tourist spots in Egypt when attacked by Islamic fundamentalists disown these places as "non-tourist" significance?

It should have been recognized that the LTTE terrorists are capable of attacking soft targets as well as military installations in any part of the island now. They have collected enough intelligence round the island benefiting from the CFA which gave access to them to do political work. Who is answerable to these? The Sinhalese have a very apt saying for this: "Naya redda asse dagena kewo kewo kiya ke gahanawa". (placing the cobra under the dress and complaining that it has bitten). The whole country has to be put on the alert.

No Reason to Panic

This is no reason to panic as the BBC reporter is suggested to have created through her reporting. It does not mean losing hope. Do Americans live today with nightmares of terrorist attacks after September 11th disaster which they never dreamt of? That did not mean the US closed up shop and let the terrorists take over. Can for that matter, any tourist go safely in any place of the world today, whether it be in Bondai beach or Barrier Reef in Australia, Bali, Miami, Moombai, London or anywhere else without running the risk of terrorist attack; or, board an air craft without fear?

According to BBC’s own correspondent Gordon Corera, who quoted from Security sources, the situation in Britain is very grim with Al Queda being organized into cells like the IRA and hard evidence forthcoming of Britain having being made its "top target" with Universities and the community as targets. Such is the situation caused by international terrorism.

I remember the time when a famous American pianist came to me in Canberra with the Manager of ABC Television, (Terry Coluhn, who was my very close friend) to obtain a visa to visit Sri Lanka (Ceylon then) in mid 1960s. He told me all that he wanted was to spread his hammock somewhere around Koslanda and sleep in the open close to a waterfall as he had done several times. He claimed it the safest place in the whole world! How things have changed today?

As in the US (read President Bush’s September 11th Remembrance day speech), in Sri Lanka, the will of the nation to fight terrorism should be maintained through dedication and re-dedication. That cannot be done through holding Ant-War rallies as some of our own Ministers and leading politicians do, going about kicking into their own (government’s) goals. Nor should our authorities try to play down the danger as they did over the Galle incident. They should take a lesson from the British security and face the problem squarely as the former did through their very recent revelation to the BBC. Asking the people, including tourists to live on a false sense of security is the worst thing one can do.