Ranil Wickramasingha and his party spokespersons are quite worried these days about the way in which Toppigala operation was carried out by the security forces. Wickramasinghe’s initial position is capturing Thoppigala is useless exercise as it is worthy only for collectors of fire-woods. As I have no knowledge in military strategy and I have no idea to get access to that sphere of knowledge, I do not wish to comment on that. Ranil Wickramasinghe and his associate Lakshman Kiriella, MP for Kandy, came up with another criticism about Thoppigala operation. They alleged that the security forces allow the LTTE leaders including Ramesh and its cadres to escape from Thoppigala with all military hardware that includes multi-barrel rocket launchers. Wickeramsinghe told the press that this order that the LTTE leaders and cadres should be allowed to escape through arranged route came from Colombo, allegedly from the political leadership of the Mahinda Rajapakse government. Unfortunately, I do not have an access to any material so that I can check the truth of this allegation. Well I am not that much interested in the truth at least in this matter.

Suppose, it is true!! What would be my reaction? I am quite happy.

Let me explain my position. I have been always quite a strong critic of the LTTE and its anti-democratic political behavior that include assassination of political dissidents, child recruitment and similar acts violating human rights. Ranil Wickramasinghe seems to think that the security forces should have killed all nearly 1500 LTTE members and destroyed their military hardware. However, that did not happen and the area surrounding Thoppigala was not adequately filled with dead bodies. Wickramasinghe may think about the operations by the security forces in the South in the dark days of the late 1980s and may be sad that it did not recur this time around Thoppigala. The same point that has made Wickramasingha and his UNP sad has made me happy. Strange, but that is true!

If the Government of Sri Lanka opened an exit route for the LTTE cadres who are leaving Thoppigala, it is a good negotiation move whether it was done as a part of a secret agreement between the LTTE and GoSL. The idea that when there is an opportunity, enemy should be totally wiped out may be correct in Wickramasinghe’s war strategy, but totally incorrect and would produce dangerous results if someone is trying to find a peaceful solution. One of the key elements in peaceful solution is to provide an exit route for your contender. It may be a risky exercise. But that risk is of great importence if someone is seeking peaceful solution to a deadly armed conflict. I do not claim, that the GoSL acted in this way because it has a strategy of peace that to be activated after consolidating its ‘victory’ in the Eastern Province. Negotiation cannot be commenced by completely destroying the self respect of the “other”. “Other” may be armed contender today, but may become negotiating partner tomorrow. If Mahinda Rajapakse government did offer this exit route to the LTTE as alleged by Wickramasinghe, then the GoSL should map out how it plans to proceed from this advantageous position. It can send feelers to the LTTE to see whether this dirty useless war can be stopped finding an amicable solution that satisfies the need and aspiration of all the communities.

[Editors note: For a related article, please read Rebuilding the East and Other Stories...]

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