Five Years in to the Jihad War in Sri Lanka

[netlife007]

Five Years in to the Jihad War in Sri Lanka

Conventional wisdom has it that there is no smoke without a fire. It is truer in modern defence which focuses on deterrence and prevention. However, distinguishing between a series of isolated one off events and a phased manifestation of a planned terror war is very difficult. Governments always want its people, investors and other economic and political stakeholders to feel safe. They also want local and international concerned parties to see the rulers in charge of the situation. They cloud the ability to clearly identify an impending war. Ultimately a war is not fought by a government or its armed forces alone. All wars are fought by the people. People and their representatives must be constantly vigilant.

 

[netlife007]

A dating controversy

Little did the general public from 1975 to 1983 June know that the Elam War had started. They carried on their affairs as normal despite sporadic killing of Tamils, Tamil politicians, Sinhala policemen, bank robberies, ethnic cleansing of Sinhalese in August 1977, weapons movements, Tamil racist politicians vowing to create a Tamil exclusive nation in the island and limited news reports. The Elam War started on July 26, 1975 with the killing of Jaffna Mayor Alfred Duraiappah. Among the suspects were the LTTE supremo and the son of a very prominent Tamil political party leader. Both were released and the rest is history.

The Elam War could not have been so devastating had the then government kept an open eye on the gathering storm, taken swift action to nip it in the bud using force as necessary and used counter insurgency (COIN) operations. However, therein is the problem. Having faced the 1971 insurrection with a nasty end, the then government was reluctant to show to the populace that there was another war. The new government of 1977 was also reluctant to let the people know that there was a problem; a huge one. Inaction and scant action led to a rapidly increasing violent spree by Tamil groups. By July 1983 the war had started. The war was exactly 8 years old on 25th July 1983. It is factually incorrect to say the war started after the July 1983 riot which itself was the response to an act of war by Tamils.

This controversy of start dates has been created by Tamil sections to deflect the responsibility of starting the war.

Who fired the first shot is the question to ask that can put the controversy to rest. The first shot was fired on July 26, 1975 that killed Jaffna Mayor Alfred Duraiappah.

It is no secret today Muslim extremists and terrorists have indicated their desire to use violence against the nation. But the important question to ask is has the Jihad War started already?

 

[netlife007]

Duraiappah event in Jihad War on 24 July 2009 in Beruwala

Going by the textbook definition, the Jihad War is already 5 years old today. It started in July 2009 with the brutal killing of 2 Muslims inside a Beruwala mosque by extremist Muslims. This is the Duraiappah event in the Jihad War. It marked the most striking event that separates a mere one-off event from a well planned Islamic terror attack. It happened soon after the war victory in May 2009 that it missed most observers as the beginning of another war.

Since then Islamic violence has been on the rise and widespread. Along with the rise of violence, the ideological extremism has been rising steadily. South Eastern University has been a hotbed of Islamic extremist ideology grouping much like the Jaffna University in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Direct brainwashing by Middle Eastern funded universities, scholarships and propaganda media have seen an astronomical rise lately. Social media including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are very heavily used by all Islamic terror groups in the world and Sri Lankan Jihad groups are no exception. Beruwala FM, Kathankudy FM, New Moon FM, etc. are clandestine Jihad radio transmissions that are difficult to supress in the long run.

Militancy and ideological extremism are accompanied by the economics and politics of terror. Rise in world petroleum prices and oil trading volumes made Middle Eastern nations that promote extreme forms of Islam very rich. These riches are channelled around the world through Jihadist cells. Closely knitted are Islamic political groups. SLMC was created in the vicinities of Saddam Hussein Town and Gadhafi Town in Eastern Sri Lanka in the mid 1980s. They are standing symbols of Middle Eastern funding of Islamic extremism in the island. However, after 2009 the number of extremist Islamic political parties has multiplied. Now there are 3 of them. The new 2 Muslim parties are All Ceylon Muslim Congress (ACMC) and Muslim Tamil National alliance (MTNA). MTNA leader was arrested over alleged terror links last year.

The fifth and final ingredient for a successful terror operation is international links. Local Jihadi terrorists have already established international links with states (mostly Middle Eastern governments) and non-state actors. As the LTTE was initially financed by Indian agencies, Sri Lankan Jihad is financed by certain Middle Eastern agencies. A spate of arrests of Sri Lankan Jihadists in India, Malaysia and Pakistan proves well established terror links already in place. The arrest of Maldivian and Indonesian terrorists in Sri Lanka further demonstrates their close links.

 

[netlife007]

Events in Aluthgama explained

Events in Aluthgama cannot be looked at in isolation. They are well planned milestones in the global Jihad network. Aluthgama is situated next to Beruwala in the south western coast of Sri Lanka overlooking the Arabian Sea. It was the steady march of Islamic terrorism born in Beruwala in 2009 that is now spreading to its surrounds. June 2014 event was the culmination of a long series of events Jihadists have used to evict non-Muslims out of the area. Incumbent chief monk of the Buddhist temple which was attacked by Muslims explains how Muslims used to dump chopped cow heads and legs into the temple; how they block his movements; how young monks are regularly humiliated and how he was assaulted. Repeated pleas to the police and authorities failed to address this issue which boiled over.

Three Muslim violent mobsters were gunned down by the counter terrorism STF unit which dissipated tension. However, similar acts of ‘testing the limits of tolerance’ are carried out by Muslim groups around the country.

 

[netlife007]

If Burma and Thailand are also conquered along with Sri Lanka, the North Africa to Asia Islamic corridor will link up almost all Muslim majority countries and 90% of world Muslim population.

Unable to take on India, Muslim groups eye on Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand to make this bridge. Burma, Thailand and Sri Lanka must combine their efforts to face this common enemy.

The island nation’s west coast overlooking the Arabian Sea is particularly of interest to them. This is the only avenue for clandestine weapons movements into the island. Already there is a comprehensive Al Qaeda linked Islamic pirate network active in the Arabian Sea smuggling weapons. Their land bases are directly linked to more than a hundred Islamic armed groups with a never ending supply of weapons. World powers have recognized the threat by Islamic pirate groups and patrol these waters regularly. However, Sri Lanka must keep a close watch of illegal shipping activity linking west coast Muslim communities with Middle Eastern and North African groups. Muslim population in Sri Lanka’s west coast has increased astronomically over the past few decades. This is a boon to Islamic extremist groups to operate within. Withdrawal of US and other troops from Afghanistan and its growing narcotics trade are other huge enablers of Islamic terror in the region. Operating from Sri Lanka, Islamic terror groups have a twin advantage. They can attack and expand their influence locally on one hand while on the other they can disrupt world trade passing close to the island. A Bali style terror attack targeting westerners and Indians cannot be ruled out. The possibility of using Sri Lanka as a platform to launch attacks on India and western interests is a serious threat. The tighter India gets with hardline BJP in power Islamic groups will focus their attention on the softest target in the region – Sri Lanka.

 

[netlife007]

Action needed and constraints

Sri Lanka faces a few constraints to fight off Islamic terror. Local and global divisions hamper attempts to defeat terror. Unconventional COIN capabilities are needed to overcome them. Constant monitoring of telephone, email, website visitation and social media usage of Muslims should be introduced as soon as possible. Elimination of Muslim extremists swiftly without stopping at arrests can deter them and prevent them from operating from within prisons. Attractions for Muslims in Sri Lanka should be taken out of the equation. These include restrictions on mosques, a total ban on foreign Islamic preachers, restriction of extremist websites, a total ban on the use of loudspeakers for prayers, close monitoring of Islamic charities and businesses, deport all Muslim migrants and managing demographic changes for the betterment of the country. These restrictions will take the glamour out of the country as a potential Islamic den.

Threats by OIC countries have no bearing on Sri Lanka as three UNHRC resolutions show. Losing their support has no impact at all. They have played the role of the scavenger by pretending to help save Sri Lanka from the hegemonic west but in reality pushing their own racist agenda. It is no secret OIC countries are in deep calamity which sees no end in the foreseeable future.

The entire region is plagued with Islamic terror – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Afghanistan, Kashmir regions, Burma, Thailand, Iran, Western parts of China, Somalia, Indonesia, etc. It is insane and naïve to think Sri Lanka will remain the only exception. The truth is Sri Lanka is no exception.

 

[මරුසිරා]

බම්ප්

 

[GuneBhai]

bhump

 

[asylum]

bump.

 

[sarika406]

very good post and a good research

 

[netlife007]

<.><.>

 

[DJvodka]

While I almost agree with your points, I feel a very important aspect is left out. The birth of the LTTE, Beruwala incident 2009 and now the Alutgama clash. What is it that all three major incidents have in common? Is not it the lack of action or inaction by the respective governments in the very first place? Had the perpetrators of the Aluthgama incident brought to justice, the subsequent horrific events wouldn't have occurred. Most of the time people get carried away by the results, but how many of them really look in to the actual root cause. The root cause is the unneeded political influence for racial segregation, that pave the way to these ethnic conflicts. This separation technique is used effectively by extremist parties like SLMC and TNA to get more people to vote for them. Looks like as a nation we seem to have learned nothing from the past and that's why the history keep repeating it self.

 

[1118lakmalkumara]

 

[dayt0na]

Good Post!!

 

[wall-e]

They will wait until they get strong enough to threat SL Army.....

 

[aruna47]

They will wait until they get strong enough to threat SL Army.....

හුගාක් අමාරුවෙයි ලංකාවේ නම්.

 

[netlife007]

While I almost agree with your points, I feel a very important aspect is left out. The birth of the LTTE, Beruwala incident 2009 and now the Alutgama clash. What is it that all three major incidents have in common? Is not it the lack of action or inaction by the respective governments in the very first place? Had the perpetrators of the Aluthgama incident brought to justice, the subsequent horrific events wouldn't have occurred. Most of the time people get carried away by the results, but how many of them really look in to the actual root cause. The root cause is the unneeded political influence for racial segregation, that pave the way to these ethnic conflicts. This separation technique is used effectively by extremist parties like SLMC and TNA to get more people to vote for them. Looks like as a nation we seem to have learned nothing from the past and that's why the history keep repeating it self.

I agree with you.
But who is the government.......?
Almost all the MPs in the parliament are thugs and they have their own criminal records..............Prominent ones are Sirisena Coory, Gamini Lokuge, Mervin Silva etc (but this excludes people Like Lakshman Kadirgamar.)
In SL, people like Lakshman Kadirgamr can not win and election and need to be appointed...............this the sad situation in SL.


.

 

[DJvodka]

I agree with you.
But who is the government.......?
Almost all the MPs in the parliament are thugs and they have their own criminal records..............Prominent ones are Sirisena Coory, Gamini Lokuge, Mervin Silva etc (but this excludes people Like Lakshman Kadirgamar.)
In SL, people like Lakshman Kadirgamr can not win and election and need to be appointed...............this the sad situation in SL.


.

The general public is the one to blame for selecting such people to the house. But let me remind you that if the political system in the country enforces regulations that would restrict people with such bad track records from entering to politics and maintain a least educational qualification requirement such as a degree, would definitely make a change. But that seems to be a far fetched expectation if not impossible to implement with the current governance.

 

[netlife007]

The general public is the one to blame for selecting such people to the house. But let me remind you that if the political system in the country enforces regulations that would restrict people with such bad track records from entering to politics and maintain a least educational qualification requirement such as a degree, would definitely make a change. But that seems to be a far fetched expectation if not impossible to implement with the current governance.

There is no way we can change this.
People who have the authority to change this are the thugs in the parliament and they will not do anything to jeopardize their re-election to house....

.

 

[DJvodka]

There is no way we can change this.
People who have the authority to change this are the thugs in the parliament and they will not do anything to jeopardize their re-election to house....

.

Exactly