Terrorism’s defeat unprecedented world achievement

Dharma SRI ABEYRATNE in Galle

The defeat of terrorism is an unprecedented world achievement. Other countries can learn many lessons from the Sri Lanka experience, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said. Delivering the inaugural address at the Galle Dialogue Maritime Conference in Galle yesterday, the Defence Secretary said one of the reasons to organise this conference was to provide a forum to exchange information.

Strengthening maritime security is an urgent need for greater international cooperation, Defence Secretary Rajapaksa said.

The conference’s theme was ‘Charting the Course for Sustainable Maritime Security Cooperation’.

Sri Lanka with a maritime heritage occupies a key strategic geographical position in the Indian ocean. Sri Lanka Navy contributed its maximum to defeat the LTTE to bring eternal peace to the country.

The Navy countered all forms of threats posed out at sea successfully.

Therefore Sri Lanka Navy has been marked as an innovative and robust force, especially in irregular warfare at sea. Sri Lanka standing proudly today willing to share the experience gathered of countering maritime terrorism and lessons learnt with the rest of the world.

He said the importance of this achievement cannot be overstated. It has not only created space for an economic resurgence within Sri Lanka, but also strengthened security and stability in the region.

“The LTTE, which caused enormous suffering to this country for three decades, was no ordinary terrorist group. It had a well-organized international network that provided both funding and logistical support to its domestic outfit. It also had a network of operatives within Sri Lanka that had infiltrated every part of the country. It had a ruthless ground force, a fledgling air force, and a sophisticated naval wing. The LTTE not only controlled a large area of land but, crucially, up to two thirds of Sri Lanka’s coastline,” the Defence Secretary pointed out.

He said the LTTE controlled coastline was a grave threat to this country. Their ability to attack our naval vessels, as well as attack targets on the mainland using the sea, was a significant security challenge. The arms, ammunition and equipment it procured and smuggled in through international waters posed an even greater problem. Over the years, the LTTE managed to bring in thousands of items of heavy weaponry. They also managed to smuggle in sophisticated equipment, including aircraft, communication systems, missiles and torpedoes with which they greatly enhanced their offensive capabilities.

The LTTE had a large network of activists around the world that raised funds to support their separatist ambitions. By engaging in various criminal activities, including extortion, smuggling, and various kinds of fraud, as well as by tapping sympathizers in the Diaspora, this network generated a constant flow of funds. These funds were used to procure arms, ammunition and equipment from various sources. These items were stored at large warehouses in strategic locations abroad and when needed were transported to Sri Lanka through international waters.

Through this financial and logistical chain, the LTTE brought weapons into the country by large ships, the Defence Secretary added.

However, Sri Lanka Navy was able to destroy 10 vessels, often by going over a thousand miles into the deep sea. Destruction of these ships was a key factor in crippling LTTE.

“We must realize that although the LTTE has been militarily defeated in Sri Lanka, its international network remains largely intact. In May this year, a vessel named the MV SUN SEA was reported to be off Thailand waters. The MV SUN SEA is a general cargo ship believed to be carrying more than 200 immigrants including a considerable number of LTTE cadres and is heading towards Canadian waters. This voyage is part of LTTE activists human smuggling operation that began after the military defeat of the LTTE in Sri Lanka. Charging anything between US$15,000 to US$40,000 per immigrant, this human smuggling operation poses a significant threat, because it allows trained terrorist cadres to enter other nations while disguised as civilians or refugees,” he added.

It is vitally important that all maritime nations realize the threats they face from the sea. Transnational crimes, human smuggling, piracy, drug trafficking, terrorism or the smuggling of supplies for terrorism, have space to take place because of the lack of adequate domination of the sea.

The Defence Secretary stressed there are legal difficulties relating to the ability of a country to intervene with regard to such threats in international waters. There should be a legal framework and adequate multilateral commitment to combat transnational crimes.

The Defence Secretary said conferences such as this will encourage further cooperation at an operational level.

“If all act together to oppose the shared threats we face, we will be able to stand firm and uphold our security. If we do not cooperate with one another, and are forced to continue to act in isolation, we will all be at risk,” he noted.

Navy Commander Vice Admiral Tisara Samarasinghe and Senior Research Fellow for South Asia Professor James Clad also addressed the gathering. International and local Security Forces Heads, foreign dignitaries and many other intellectuals were also present.