Chronology Of Ltte Terror - Part 62

From the Daily News Archives:

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When the euphoria of victory dies down, and together with it the media hype ceases, when the guns do not rattle and boom anymore and the sky, the land and the sea become calm and serene, when tranquillity reigns through it is natural to live in the present moment and forget the past. But one cannot live in the present without a past.

Nor can one envision the future discarding the experience of the preceding events. Hence the Daily News is serialising the Chronicle of LTTE Terror taken from our own archives which would remind our readers how it all began.

An awareness of the chronology of terror would help us prevent the recurrence of such terror and frustrate any attempts by misguided elements to repeat history to suit their evil designs. It was not simple terror. Nor was terror sporadic. It was all pre-planned, pre-determined, well-calculated terror. The victims were innocent people. Though it is too many innumerate we would like to recall the major episodes in the Chronology of Terror.

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Monday, January 26, 1998:

Bomb explosion in Kandy

From L.B. Wijayasiri in Kandy

EXTENSIVE damage has been caused to the Dalada Maligawa building, due to a huge explosion which took place at 6.10 a.m. yesterday opposite the main entrance to the Dalada Maligawa causing the death of eight persons and injuring about 25 others.

Among the bodies recovered were those of five LTTE terrorists who had come in a lorry carrying the explosives. Among the injured are police personnel and pilgrims who had come to make offerings at the Maligawa.

It is believed that the lorry carrying the explosives had come through King Street passing the main entrance to the President’s Pavilion and breaking down the iron railing (road block) opposite the Vishnu Devale and driven towards the Dalada Maligawa entrance where it had exploded.

Buildings within a radius of more than five kilometres in the city had been damaged while almost all glass panes were broken. The sound of the explosion was heard about six to seven miles off Kandy.

The roof of the octagon, the walakulu bemma, and other buildings of the Dalada Maligawa have been damaged and the retaining wall by the side of the Natha Devale and the Bo Tree have also been damaged.

Five bodies of the 10 persons killed in yesterday’s bomb explosion near the Dalada Maligawa were identified by relatives by evening yesterday.

They are H.B. Somawathie, H.B. Seelawathie, Sumanawathie, Gayan and Ishara from Eheliyagoda. The bodies of the three LTTE suicide bombers were removed to the Kandy Police Mortuary.

Meanwhile, Minister D.M. Jayaratne, Deputy Minister Lakshman Kiriella, Presidential Secretary K. Balapatabendi, Defence Secretary Chandananda de Silva and Army Commander Rohan Daluwatte yesterday visited the 23 injured bomb victims at the Kandy General Hospital.

At the site of the explosion (on the road) opposite the Maligawa entrance (Maha Vahalkada a chassis and some parts of the blasted vehicle, a T-56 gun, some grenades and parts have been found. Among the bodies found on the spot were of two terrorists clad in sarong and also a head of a body of a woman with long hair near the main entrance to the Maligawa.

On sighting the lorry coming towards the Maligawa, the Army sentries have fired at it but the terrorists had resisted and driven forward.

The Diyawadana Nilame Neranjan Wijeyeratne told the media that he heard the blast when he was at home and rushed to the Maligawa.

Agriculture and Lands Minister D.M. Jayaratne who rushed to the scene accompanied by MP Wilson Kuruppuarachchi condemned the attack and said this attack clearly showed that the LTTE terrorists were most barbaric and inhuman.

The entire world saw how the uncivilised activities of the terrorists, he said.

DIG Central Range A.A. Samarasinghe is directing investigations with SSP Kandy Nimal Mediwaka assisted by ASP Wickremasinghe and HQI Saliya Silva.

Meanwhile a press release issued by the Operational Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence said yesterday: “A powerful bomb exploded opposite the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy today at 6.10 a.m. A suicide squad of the LTTE had proceeded in a lorry along Raja Veediya and had fired at the road blocks. The lorry crashed through the gate and exploded in front of the Dalada Maligawa.

“The bodies of two terrorists and five others who were in the vicinity were recovered. Due to the explosion, the entrance and the roof of the Dalada Maligawa were damaged. However the inner chamber of the Dalada Maligawa is intact.

“Police and Security Forces have commenced investigations.”

Meanwhile Kumar Wettasinghe reporting from Kandy said:

“A crater eight feet deep and eight feet in diameter has been created opposite the Dalada Maligawa due to the explosion. Engine parts of the vehicle which carried the explosives could be seen inside the crater.” Residents have informed the Kandy police about a green-coloured Land Rover vehicle which had been seen leaving Kandy towards Ampitiya at about 6 a.m.

Industrial Development Minister C.V. Gooneratne visited the Dalada Maligawa and met Diyawadana Nilame Neranjan Wijeyaratne. He inspected the site of the blast and the Dalada Maligawa and had a conference at the office of the Diyawadana Nilame, along with Ministers Ratwatte and Jayaratne.

General Ratwatte directed the officials to take immediate steps to effect repairs to the damaged caused to the Dalada Maligawa by the blast and also to have adequate security measures at the Maligawa. He directed that if there were any objects of archaeological value, those be sent to the Archaeological Department.

General Ratwatte also directed the police and the Security Forces to take adequate measures to prevent any breach of peace in the city of Kandy following this incident.

There could be a few black sheep or saboteurs who could instigate some unwanted incidents, he told Police. Irrigation and Power Minister and Deputy Minister of Defence General Anuruddha Ratwatte issued the following statement on the incident.

“It’s very unfortunate that the incident like this has taken place at this very important juncture in the history of our country. It is pretty obvious that the LTTE is desperate. It is in desperation that they have resorted to an act of this nature.

They are at the end of terror in the North with the military operations, so they have reacted in this manner.

Obviously there have been some shortcomings here in the security network. We will go into this matter. The objective of this exercise by the Tigers is twofolds. One is to stop the independence celebrations. The second in attacking and damaging this most sacred place is to demoralise and divide our Sri Lankan nation. Under no circumstances will the planned celebrations be changed.

We will conduct the celebrations as planned.

Secondly I request all people in the country not to be demoralised and not to lose heart in situations like this. Let us together, without finding fault with each other immediately reconstruct the Maligawa. Everybody is invited to join us to rehabilitate this temple. There is damage only on the outside. The relic chamber and building is not damaged. This has been done to damage the prestige and break the self-confidence of the Sri Lankan nation and this should not be permitted.

Troops have recovered three bodies of terrorist and eight bodies of civilians. Twenty three injured civilians have been evacuated to the Kandy Hospital for treatment, a later official release said.

Troops also recovered three suicide jackets, two T56 weapons, one disposable RPG, two intercom radio sets and 10 rounds of 40mm ammunition from the scene of the incident, the release said.

An Information Department release said: “Investigations conducted so far reveal that the LTTE terrorists have made an attempt to disrupt the arrangements being made to celebrate the independence on February 4 in Kandy.

The Government wishes to state that the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Independence will be held in Kandy as scheduled on February 4.”

The attack on Sri Dalada Maligawa

Wijitha Nakkawita

The attack on Sri Dalada Maligawa the holiest shrine of the Sri Lankan Buddhists shocked the nation more than any other in the three decades the LTTE terrorists had come out in the open to attack civilians and important sites including places of worship.

In the mind of the terrorist group the hatred of the Buddhist clergy and some times the hatred of Hindu clergy and desecration of places of worship by killing people in the precincts of temples like the way Jaffna Mayor Alfred Duraiappah outside the Hindu Temple in Jaffna when he came out after worship showed clearly that the LTTE did not respect religion or members of the clergy.

Though the attack on the shrine did not kill a large number of people it caused extensive damage to the holy shrine and it took a long time and several million rupees to repair the damages to the invaluable sections of the building that had both a religious and archaeological value.

On October 16, 1997 LTTE suicide cadres hidden in a lorry bringing rice to the Galadari Hotel, Colombo exploded a bomb at the hotel car park in the morning. In that attack twelve people including a member of the Buddhist clergy were killed and another 115 people were injured. And some of the suicide cadres among them next moved on to the area of the entrance to the World Trade Centre close by to attack the centre but were killed by the army and police who were alert after the bomb was exploded.

The other suicide cadres four of them hovering around the Galadari found they could not escape the security forces and police closing in on them and ran across the road and while running shot at the Sambuddhaloka Viharaya Temple killing the Chief Incumbent Ven Vitharandeniye Chandrajothi Thera.

It was clear that they had by chance seen the monk when they were fleeing to escape the security forces and the police and killed him.

However the last hiding place the four terrorists sought was Lake House and they came into the building and crept up the ceiling but the Army commandos pursued them and shot dead two while the other two suicide cadres bit into their cyanide capsules and committed suicide.

Maligawa building not damaged says Diyawadana Nilame

The Diayawadana Nilame Neranjan Wijeyeratne issued the following statement on the Kandy bomb blast:

“Commenting on the bomb blast the Diyawadana Nilame of the Sri Dalada Maligawa Neranjan Wijeyeratne said that a grave tragedy occurred opposite Sri Dalada Maligawa this morning. A LTTE lorry spraying bullets broke through the road barrier on King Street near the entrance to President’s House in Kandy, proceeded along the street and exploded opposite the portals of the Sri Dalada Maligawa.

“The front of the portal, the old octagon and the rampart around the Dalada maligawa were damaged in the blast.

However, no damage was caused to the 400-year-old building which houses the Sacred Tooth Relic, except for a few cracks in the walls. No serious damage has been caused to the terrace, relic chamber, the elephant tusk doors and the casket too have not been harmed.

The traditional rites were performed as usual this morning. The intention of the LTTE has been to provoke the Sinhala community and create serious problems.

The people, as Buddhists, should not be shaken by this incident. They should form a firm determination to show the world that the Buddhists are united.

It is only if the people are shaken by the incident that the LTTE will be able to achieve their objectives. As Buddhists, Minister Anurudha Ratwatte, Minister D. M. Jayaratne and UNP MPs too have arrived on the scene.

MPs of the PA and UNP are now engaged in clearing the affected areas in the temple.

This is a sign of unity among the Buddhists in Sri Lanka.

On the instructions of the President, institutions such as the Urban Development Authority and the State Engineering Corporation have already launched the reconstruction work. Therefore, Buddhists should help the authorities to complete the reconstruction work as soon as possible and reopen the temple for veneration.

The people should act calmly, collectively and assist the authorities to carry out the reconstruction work.

No damage has been caused to the building which houses the sacred tooth relic or to the lower terrace.

The building of the Dalada Maligawa has not suffered the slightest damage. This confirms the power of the Sacred Tooth Relic.

The damage caused by the terrorists will lead in their own destruction.

From the sacred precincts of the Sri Dalada Maligawa, he calls upon Buddhists to be calm and unite to show the strength of Buddhists in the island by uniting to reconstruct the temple and thereby, destroy the power of the terrorists.”

Tomorrow - Bomb blast at Maradana junction

Yesterday - Terrorist attack in the Fort

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