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TAMIL EELAM STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM
Both India and Pakistan Trained us to Fight LTTE -
says Brigadier Udaya Nanayakara, Sri Lanka Army Spokesman
Muzamil Jaleel in
Indian Express
29 April 2009
"..We have been procuring equipment from China as well. We
wanted equipment and would pay later, China agreed. It was mostly ammunition
and we have already paid for it.... ...the Americans too helped with the
training. But they have trained very few, and only officers. Majority of our
men are trained by India and Pakistan."
[see also
LTTE Spokesman Yogi, Pulikalinkuralukku Valangkiya Nerkanal from Tamil
Eelam , 24 April 2009 - "The war carried out by Sri Lanka was with the
cooperation of the United States, Great Britain, Norway and Japan amongst
others and in particular with India's support, blessings and military
training. It was a war carried out by Sri Lanka jointly with these big
powers... "
more ]
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Behind the success of the Sri Lankan army�s operations against the Tamil Tigers
� troops searching for LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran today breached two
rebel defence fortifications in the no-fire zone � is an interesting little
detail of Indo-Pak cooperation against terror. Separately but consistently, the
two countries have trained and equipped the Lankan army to prepare and fight its
only enemy, the LTTE.
The Sri Lankan army says the reason for its success is
that �we didn�t reduce the momentum�, planned the entire
operation in advance and employed innovative
counter-insurgency tactics to confront the Tigers.
�I got training in both India and Pakistan. Both have been
helping us a lot,� said Brigadier Udaya Nanayakara, now the
military spokesman. �We send our officers regularly to India
and Pakistan for specialised training. I did four courses in
India and three in Pakistan. The last time, I trained in
Secunderabad�. He said Lankan forces have been procuring the
latest technology from both countries. �We know they are
rivals but we have nothing to do with that. We have
benefited from both India and Pakistan,� he said.
So how does Sri Lanka remain neutral in the rivalry of the
armies of India and Pakistan, especially when it trains and
works closely with both? �We don�t talk about it. Both are
our friends,� Nanayakara said.
Former Army chief General L Balagalle put this military
cooperation in perspective. �For me, 80 per cent of my
advanced training happened in India. I have been trained in
Pakistan as well. There are vacancies for our officers and
men in both countries. We generally send company
commander-level officers for training,� he said.
Balagalle said during his tenure, India had problems
providing equipment to Sri Lanka and that was when Pakistan
stepped in. �India was not keen to provide certain equipment
because of policy, so Pakistan helped. We have been
procuring equipment from China as well. We wanted equipment
and would pay later, China agreed. It was mostly ammunition
and we have already paid for it.�
According to Balagalle, the Americans too helped with the
training. �But they have trained very few, and only
officers. Majority of our men are trained by India and
Pakistan. We sent our officers and men to India for special
training in jungle warfare and counter-insurgency.�
Nanayakara said India assisted by sharing intelligence
during the current operation. �India also helped by carrying
out naval operations in the area. There were naval exercises
too that helped. Here in Sri Lanka, we have had insurgency
and terrorism. We had an insurgency in 1971, there is
terrorism and it is similar to that in other countries,
especially in our neighbourhood.�
He said they, however, indigenised the military response to
terrorism. �For example, India and Pakistan have changing
weather conditions, there are different terrains as well.
Our situation is different. Even the LTTE�s tactics have
been different from other groups.�
According to Nanayakara, superior training and availability
of equipment played an essential role in the success of the
operations against the Tigers. �The first reason is the
political will and the military leadership. We also got new
equipment. From artillery detection equipment to radar
detection equipment to BMP-type tanks, we had everything we
needed. This time, we had no problem. From helmets to boots,
there was no dearth of the basics.�
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