Mavilaru - a watershed in humanitarian strategy

WATER: The precious water gushing again from the Maavil Aru sluice has vindicated the government carrying out a special military operation to provide the people with their birthright of nature's vital resource.

Scoffed at by so-called advocates of peace, who proved they are nothing but apologists for the LTTE and its terror, and scorned by the SLMM in most undiplomatic manner, the government kept its pledge to restore to the people the water that had been prevented from flowing their way by the LTTE.

The government launched the Mavilaru military operation as a humanitarian act, to enable civilian irrigation engineers to reopen the strategically important sluice gate.

If it erred in stirring expectations of an early success of the move, the fact that it kept on at the task undaunted by the criticism of southern politicians ready to use the new scorched earth policy of the LTTE for their own narrow political gain, showed the government had its ear much closer to the ground than its critics who were green with envy at possible success of the operation.

The success of the Mavilaru operation has again shown that the UPFA, led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa is much more in tune with the feelings and needs of the rural people who comprise the vast majority of our population, that those in the UNP and its NGO, corporate and media allies who remain strangers to the realities of Sri Lankan rural life.

It also demonstrated to the world the underlying principle that made the government take the option it did to open the sluice gate.

It is that of not being prepared to let the LTTE or any other body, whether local or foreign, dictate terms when it came to the essential humanitarian needs of the people throughout Sri Lanka, and that it was prepared to fight if necessary to ease humanitarian burdens placed on people of all ethnic groups.

A web of deceit

From the start of the crisis forced on the people dependent on the water from this sluice, the LTTE that stopped its flow gave many so-called reasons for blocking the water.

Initially its political spokesman in Trincomalee said the sluice was closed as a protest against the European Union listing the LTTE as an international terrorist organization.

When it was clear that this possible truth did not have the desired impact, it was said the Tamil people near the sluice had closed it as the government had allegedly reneged on a promise, by the pervious government, to build a water-storage and supply facility in the area.

When this too failed to rouse any sympathy for the LTTE, and in fact had the effect of the closure of the sluice gate being considered a disproportionate response to such a situation, much as the Israeli bombing of Lebanon is considered outrageously disproportionate to whatever the provocative acts by Hezbollah, the story changed again.

The next reason given for the LTTE's gross violation of humanitarian principles in depriving civilians of water was restrictions imposed by government on the transport of iron rods, cement and such materials to LTTE controlled areas, which was said to affect tsunami reconstruction work.

This was echoed by organizations such as the National Peace Council, which also mentioned the failure of government to build the water supply scheme near Maavil Aru.

When all this, as well as the LTTE's ruthless diversionary attacks at Muttur failed, its Trinco spokesman was again reported saying the sluice was closed because of the economic embargo imposed by government on LTTE held areas, which included a ban on the transport of infant milk food.

The LTTE was obviously trying very hard to pass the charge of being inhumane on to the government of President Rajapaksa, but with all its efforts not striking any chords of sympathy, except among its avowed apologists who have a habit of being chorus singers for the LTTE.

The upshot of this poorly spun out web of deceit came after the Mavilaru sluice was opened. It was the statement reported on pro-LTTE web sites that the sluice was opened as a humanitarian gesture by the people of the area.

It was indeed a strange arousal of humanitarian feelings among people, to wait for nearly three weeks seeing the crops of their neighbours ruined, and the struggle that they were facing with lack of water, as well as the bloodshed that was taking place on both sides, with the security forces wanting the sluice opened and the LTTE forces wanting to keep it shut.

In the event that was the only escape hatch available to the LTTE in the face of the determination of the government to have the sluice opened and relieve the people from the hardships they were facing through these weeks.

The extortion zone

Both at Mavilaru and Muttur, the LTTE has retreated under different pretexts, in the face of decisive military action by the government.

In Muttur, it once again demonstrated its determination to carry out ethnic cleansing, by driving out the Muslims to whom it is home, and at Mavilaru too it sought to use water as a weapon in a new exercise at ethnic cleansing of both Sinhalese and Muslims. They have failed in both attempts.

It is now the task of government to restore confidence to the Muslims of Muttur that they can return to their homes without fear, and also ensure that the management of irrigation waters at Mavilaru and other vulnerable places will not remain at the mercy of the LTTE.

The charge made by the LTTE that the Mavilaru sluice was closed because on an economic embargo imposed by the government, and particularly a ban on supply of infant milk foods to areas under LTTE control, needs further comment.

If one is to define these areas more accurately they are not "LTTE held areas" as so often said. They are the exclusive "extortion zone" of the LTTE, where it rakes in millions by way of so-called taxes and other illegal fees levied on all items sent to these areas by government.

The Government of Sri Lanka is unique in the world for supplying all the day-to-day necessities of the people, living in areas where they are under the sway of armed terrorists seeking to carve out a separate state from Sri Lankan territory.

The Government not only supplies all essential commodities, it also provides all administrative, educational, health and other facilities, paying the salaries of all public officers and carrying out construction of new hospitals and other facilities in these areas.

The LTTE, on the other hand, does not spend one cent from the money it gathers as extortion to provide any of the necessities of the people.

This money is used to pay its cadres, smuggle weapons, and carry out bomb attacks and pistol gang killings in all parts of the country. It is indeed strange for any spokespersons of this "extortion zone" to lay any claim to humanitarian considerations in the LTTE's work.