SPUR (Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights for Sri Lanka Inc)
Reg: A003 0777 M
P.O. Box 4066, Mulgrave VIC 3170, Australia
Phone: (03) 9548 0276
E-Mail: djayasur@bigpond.net
Website: www.spur.asn.au

Tamil Tiger Attack on the Katunayaka Airport

SPUR condemns Tamil Tiger Terrorist's blatant violation of the Ceasefire Agreement and urges the International Community to unconditionally support the Sri Lankan Government's endeavours to erase the scourge of terrorism once and for all


The wounded air force personnel being treated at a military hospital (curtesy BBC News)

The Society for Peace Unity and Human Rights for Sri Lanka (SPUR) condemns the LTTE's attempt to destroy airplanes defending the Nation and which also help transporting food to civilians in the Jaffna peninsula and IDPs in the East of Sri Lanka. SPUR strongly believes that the LTTE executed this audacious attack as a measure of desperation to show its supporters (including the Colombo based NGO's and pro-LTTE fronts ) that it is still capable of inflicting damage on vital infrastructure and launching attacks on the people, at their will. SPUR believes that the LTTE attacked the Katunayaka airbase to:

1. Demonstrate to its supporters and its demoralised cardres that it is still capable of waging war on the democratically elected government of Sri Lanka
2. Cripple the SLAF fleet which also transports food to Jaffna and the IDP's to create a humanitarian crisis possibly legitimising international intervention in Sri Lanka under the pretext of avoiding a humanitarian crisis
3. Affect Sri Lanka's buoyant economic performance by attacking the tourism industry
4. Provide organisations subtly supporting the Tamil Tiger terrorists with ammunition to substantiate their false claim that the "LTTE is invincible now that they have a proven air wing" and hence give what ever they demand to get them for false negotiations.
5. Strengthen the hand of Federalists such as Minster Vitharana, portraying them to be "moderates" to deconstruct Sri Lanka on ethnic basis as a solution to the Sri Lanka's terrorist problem
6. Convey to the Government and especially the International community that the fight against the LTTE is an "un winnable war" and that the best option for the Government is to negotiate with the LTTE on their terms rather than on the Government's terms.
7. Create a psychosis of fear amongst the general populous propelling them to believe in an inflated air capability of the LTTE

We urge President Rajapaksa's Government not to be deceived by LTTE's humbug. Micro lights assembled in backyard workshops may be capable of dropping a few bombs from time to time. They hardly constitute a threat to the State. Hence SPUR urges the Government to:

1. Reinstate the ban on the LTTE with immediate effect and severely limit contact with non government actors including the Norwegians and international organisations who interfere in Sri Lanka's vital internal
affairs.
2. Take military action to nullify the so called air capacity of the LTTE including destroying runways ain Vanni and/or elsewhere
3. Co-opt with friendly Governments to utilise satellite based imagery to ascertain the type of aircraft (if any) or hang gliders with engines used by the Tigers to attack the air force base
4. Immediately launch an inquiry as to how these LTTE crafts encroach the Katunayaka air space, throw bombs and return to Vanni without being engaged by Sri Lanka's air force
5. APC to propose introducing safeguards to protect the unitary status of Sri Lanka similar to clauses provided in the Indian constitution to address genuine aspirations of all communities in Sri Lanka
6. If the members of the international community continues to discourage defeating the LTTE to seek and
forge meaningful, strong relationship with countries such as China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran etc

However, we urge the International community to review its stand vis-a vis the LTTE terrorists and to unconditionally support Sri Lanka's efforts to curb LTTE's terrorism including banning the LTTE in all member countries of the UN and implementing measures to stop the collection of funds by the LTTE and
their fronts .

We urge Ranil Wickremasinghe and his team to accept and acknowledge that following steps taken by them
helped the LTTE.

1. Creating a passive environment that enabled Tamil Tiger terrorists to smuggle in aircraft parts and destroy the intelligence operatives active in Sri Lanka
2. Signing a lopsided, unconstitutional Ceasefire Agreement with the LTTE terrorists that enabled them to develop air capabilities
3. Spreading innuendo that President Rajapaksa had a pre election agreement with the LTTE, when the
whole country should back the anti-LTTE forces to liberate the people from Prabhakaran's yoke.

We urge the national media to be responsible in the way that they report the attack on the airbase at Katunayaka taking special care to compile the reports on facts rather than hearsay. Of late, there has been the propensity for some newspapers to sensationalise snippets of information filling in the gaps with imaginative fiction to attract readership with wildly exaggerated headlines covertly supporting the LTTE and boosting their morale. Such irresponsible reporting would not be in the National interest.

SPUR will be seeking an immediate appointment with the Attorney General and the Foreign Minister of Australia and the leader of the Labour opposition to impress upon them the need to ban the LTTE in Australia stressing the benefits of shutting down the capability of the LTTE and its sympathisers to collect and extort funds in Australia to propagate global terror.

We urge the patriotic diaspora all around the world to take all possible action for an effective LTTE ban.

Finally, we urge Sri Lankan Envoys including the High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in Australia to actively engage working against the LTTE by pressuring respective Governments and supporting anti-LTTE organisations to secure LTTE's ban rather than spending a disproportionate amount of time and tax payers'
funds on matters of minor importance.

DR DASARATH JAYASURIYA
PRESIDENT
SPUR VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA