Analysis: Dangerous Escalation in Sri Lanka

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TNS Corner
Analysis: Dangerous Escalation in Sri Lanka

Oct 2, 2008, 19:50

By Paul Emmanuel – TNS

COLOMBO – “With the bombing of the Tamil Tigers peace secretariat and its political head quarters, any last hope of making peace with the current regime completely dashed,” Said a Tamil Lawmaker in the Capital Colombo.

The Rajapaksa Government in its current space of the war on Wednesday started bombing the Tamil Tiger Civil administration infrastructures in the rebel held Vanni. On Wednesday evening, Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets attacked the Secretariat of Tamileelam Civil Administration, located in Paarathipuram south of Ki'linochchi. The officials’ attached to the civil administration, coordinates the administration in rebel controlled areas in almost all civil activities.

On Thursday, the Sri Lanka Air Force attacked the Head Office of the Political Section of the Tamil Tigers and their Peace Secretariat, both located close to each other at the heart of the Ki'linochchi town. The Peace Secretariat is point of contact with the Rebels for many in the INGOs and the International community.

Government Force

To promote peace through dialogue in Sri Lanka, the international community help both sides to establish Peace Secretariats and also help the Muslim community to establish one in its own later and funded them.

Many in the diplomatic community in the Capital Colombo consider the latest bombing as a dangerous escalation of War. A prominent peace activist in Colombo in a condition of anonymity claimed the latest bombing as war crimes. Bombing clearly identified civil administrative structures escalate the war into dangerous level, he further warns.

Many in the diplomatic community in the Capital, strongly believe that the Tamil Tigers are refraining themselves from any major bombing mission in the south, rather than prevented to do so as claimed by the government.

UN on the Move

With the latest bombing the gloves are off, the government allow the war to get dirtier now, they warn. They also expressed serious concern on the future of the war as government forces also started using chemical warfare on the war front. They said civilians are going to face the brunt of this unnecessary war on both sides.

One Tamil Lawmaker claimed that the Government is hell bent prevent any food assistance to the internally displaced in Vanni. The news of finding war materials on the Lorries bound to Vanni are a government poly to do that, he further claims. “The Tamil Tigers may transport war materials to government held areas, but not from government held areas to their area. The claims are pure jokes,” he further said.

Some in INGO community now stationed in the border town of Vavuniya also echoed the same view as of his on the government claims of War materials found on the conveys to Vanni.

Rebel Airforce

A peace activist in the Capital Colombo also lambasted some in the international community as well for current dangerous escalating trend. He says when they raise issues with some embassies and High commissions, the issues reach the Government of Sri Lanka first before its reach their respective capitals. Some in the diplomatic community are more loyal to the government here than their own government, he further said. One foreign mission he singled out the most is the Indian High Commission in Colombo.

As the world wrestle to survive the Credit Crunch crisis its face day in and day out, Sri Lanka moving in a direction of Dangerous escalation of Violence. The Government plans to allocate a staggering 177.1 billion rupees (USD 1.66 billion) next year for its war with Tamil Tigers, according to the appropriation bill published by the finance ministry.

Even though the Government projected the Tamil Tigers as a spent force, in reality the rebel outfit is still commanding a strong force to make a huge dent on the government war effort. As the war escalating into uncharted waters, the coming days and weeks will define the future of this Island nation, as the International community become the mere spectators of this brutal conflict.