10.8.2008

"The most treacherous part of the terror tactics is the use of various bogus rights groups to bring pressure on the government to relax counter terror measures. The aim of such groups is to protect the under cover terror agents until they go for the next massacre."

Terrorism is indeed the greatest peril to the modern human civilization. In a way, it is quite unthinkable how terrorism like a festering wound spreads deeper and deeper in the human society despite the all claims of technological advances, knowledge creation, globalisation and etc that are being made world over. It seems like the wound of terrorism cum extremism suppurate faster and faster, as those so called human rights- activists, champions, worriers, experts, advocates, etc issue more and more warnings, express concerns, and make all other ranting campaigns against nations fighting against terrorism. Sri Lanka is the best place where one can gain knowledge on how the terrorism operates beyond overt aggression; how more subtler forms operations carried out under the veil of most sacrosanct ideals of democracy.

Defence intelligence officials of Sri Lanka have recently unravel full details of an LTTE suicide cadre who had took his life along with lives of 19 people and wounded over 100 others in a bomb blast. According to the officials, this was the first time in the history of Sri Lanka's war on terror, the officials could trace the full details of an LTTE suicide bomber. Interestingly, the investigations conducted by the intelligence sleuths came in line with the investigations carried out by a separate department that probes into the alleged "abductions" and "disappearances" of persons. Now, the two investigations have almost come into a common end throwing new light to the recent spate of alleged "abductions", "disappearances", and "white van incidents", that are being used by Anti Sir Lankan forces to tarnish the country's good image.

Defence.lk team has got the opportunity to file story on the recent development of the case -" Lotus Road Bomb Blast" which is being investigated by a special team of defence officials. The following has been complied balancing requirement in educating the public and maintaining the operational security of the ongoing intelligence operations.

On 16 May, 2008, just 2 days before the Buddhists' most venerated Vesak Poya day, an LTTE suicide bomber carried out a bloodbath in front of the Buddhist temple down the Lotus road, in the heart of the Colombo city. The suicide bomber rammed a motorcycle at a bus carrying police personnel of the riot squad in broad daylight killing 8 policemen, 9 policewomen and wounding over 100 civilians. The riot squad happened to be at the location as the opposition had organized a violent rally against the holding of provincial council election in the Eastern Province.

Initially the bomber was identified as Ibrahim Lebbe Mubarak , a Muslim national and a resident of Kinniya , Trincomalee. Police found a national identity card bearing number 820244796v and a driving licence numbered A 007571438 under the said name, which is typically a Muslim one. Since, no Muslim national was involved in suicide terrorism in Sri Lanka so far, police correctly realized possibility that the above documents might be false. Public assistance was sought to identify the terrorists with his photo published in the media. Meanwhile, a police commenced investigations on the number plate of the bomber's motorbike bearing number MZ 3875 and on the authenticity of the ID and the Driving license found among the remains of the terrorist.

Without much effort police found that the ID, the diving licence as well as the name were false. The owner of the motorbike was identified as Jeyrathan a resident of Pathnambar, Trincomalee. A bloody drama was beginning to unfold.

As the intelligence cycle went on, it was revealed that a lodge owner at Wellawatte( "Sooriyan Rest", No: 18 Station Road- Wellawatte), Colombo had given accommodation to the terrorist. Like many other terrorists who had carried out genocides against Sri Lankan citizens previously, this one too had enjoyed a stay about a month at the said lodge planning for his kill. Also, it was found the lodge owner had registered the terrorist with the different Identity card number but with the same photo. However, the lodge owner had purposely with held the information he had about the terrorist until the police finally put him behind bars.

Later, police uncovered the true name of the terrorist as Velayudan Sudharshan alias Sudan, a resident at No 749, Pokuruni, Thambalagamuwa, Trincomalee. Police took two females who were residing at the said address at time of this disclosure. The suspects were subsequently identified as Velayudan Rasalechchami and Velayudan Nirojanee, the mother and the sister of Sudan respectively.

The most unfortunate part of the story began to unfold when it was found that the LTTE had been using the mother of the same person that it had turned into a suicide bomber to gain propaganda mileage.

Police of Thambalgamuwa was conducting investigation of a disappearance of a Tamil youth having the same name of Sudan who had gone on missing since 21 April 2008. It was very same Mr. Rasalechchami who had lodged the complaint at the police on 22 April that her son who had gone Colombo to prepare a passport had not returned . The alleged "disappearance" was already used for the propaganda work of the bogus civil monitoring committees and media stations sympathising with the LTTE terrorists as to show that Sri Lankan security forces are engaged in human rights violations.

When the police showed the photo of the suicide cadre , both Rasalechchamee and Nriojanee identified him as their lost relative. What shocked the police was that the mother's behaviour. Unknowingly, that intelligence sleuths had gathered all the details of her son who had reduced to a suicide loser by the LTTE , she had chosen to lie about her sons life in the LTTE for a reason best known to her.

According to Rasalechchami, Sudan had gone to India in May 2007 as the war broke out in the East. Then he had retuned to the Island on 19 April 2008. However, the mother said that Sudan after returning the country had first gone Jeythan's place and returned home only on 20 April with Jeyathan's motorbike. Also, she revealed that Sudan had a long-standing relationship with Jeyathan. On 21 April 2008, Sudan had left home with the motorbike and on the very next day Rasalechchami had lodged a complaint at police station Thambalagamuwa that her son had been disappeared.

However, according to the defence intelligence findings, Sudan was a child soldier who had been conscripted to the outfit at the age of 16 in the year 2001. He was born in 1985 at the government hospital Kinniya, Trincomalee and studied up to grade 10 at the Koviladi Tamil School. He had lost his father during early childhood and it is apparent that LTTE had given financial assistance to his mother and sister following his agreement to commit suicide for the outfit. Like thousands of other Tamil youth born in the Eastern Province, before it being liberated by the security forces, Sudan seemed to have given up his life for the Wanni terror chief for the promise of better economic conditions for his two family members.

After joining the LTTE he had been brainwashed to a suicide bomber at Thirivaiaru suicide bomber training centre in Kilinochchi under an LTTE leader called Sooriyan Master. Later, Sudan had been participated in terror activities in Sampur, Gomarankadawala, Kumburupiddi and Peraru areas until 2007.

According to the intelligence reports Sudan had been previously arrested at a roadblock in the Gomarankadawala area whilst riding on the same motorbike, he later used for the attack with another person. This was during April 2007 when the terrorists were massacring innocent villagers in the Gomarankadawala area. Later, the police had released him, as they could not find substantial evidence against him.

Later, in mid 2007, Sudan had been called back to Wanni to undergo further training as a suicide bomber. There he had undergone a special training on carrying out suicide attacks using motorbikes at a suicide bomber training facility at Puthukuduyiruppu . According to the reports the suicide bomber who had assassinated Lieutenant General Parmi Kulatunga in 2007 had also undergone training with Sudan. Following his training, Sudan had stayed in Wanni until his return to Trincomalee in April 2008.

After having stayed in Colombo as an "innocent temporary lodger" for about one month, Sudan carried out the carnage he had been trained for on 16 May 2008. During his stay in Colombo, he had acted as a Muslim national and also prepared all the necessary documents required for his cover. Further, bogus rights groups and media institutions run with terror blood cash used Sudan's "disappearance" to mount international pressure on the government to further relax counter terror measures adapted by the law enforcement authorities.

The lesson in this story for all peace-loving citizens in this country is nothing other than to realize the realty over fantasy. Unlike a soldier in a uniform, a terrorist has all the liberty to act as an innocent civilian and to plan secretly for the next civilian massacre while enjoying all the protection from the law itself. Thus, the greatest challenge in countering terrorism is to identify the terrorists. They have all the ability to camouflage themselves in the civil society and to get cover from the same civil liberties and laws to avoid them being cracked down.

The most treacherous part of the terror tactics is the use of various bogus rights groups to bring pressure on the government to relax counter terror measures. The aim of such groups is to protect the under cover terror agents until they go for the next massacre. The key players of such bogus groups are usually not the members of terrorist outfit but those lured by money to do the dirty work for the terrorists. Therefore, the reality that all must understand is that the terrorism goes far beyond the open aggression. The survival of terrorism lies mainly on the umbrella organizations that protect terrorists than the real military might of the terror outfits. We hope Sudan's story would be a good eye opener for all who want to see Sri Lanka a peaceful country.