‘A state within the state’ of a paramilitary leader and the government minister Douglas Devananda

(Written authoritatively without publishing the name due to fear of being persecuted by Douglas Devananda’s paramilitary group and the Sri Lankan state intelligence services)

(July 14, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Following the defeat of the Tamil Tigers in May 2009, the LTTE branded Tamil quisling group under the pseudo political party name Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP), headed by the government minister Douglas Devananda is stretching its wings violently and clandestinely to stranglehold the Tamil people in the north.

Douglas Devannanda’s political party is heavily embroiled in violence to exercise its control over the Tamil politics and livelihood in Sri Lanka. What is manifesting is that Douglas Devananda’s paramilitary rule is progressively throttling the people and the government too is subtly oxygenating this group to help keep the northern Tamils under its absolute check, balance and violent dictates.

It is well known that Douglas Devananda is the man who first introduced the white van abduction culture in Sri Lanka. This has now become a well established practice of the state and the government remains exposed of legitimizing this culture through its intelligence, military, underworld and paramilitary groups activities. Many people have lost their lives (mainly Tamils) to the extra-judicial white van abductions and the heavily politicized and incompetent police service in Sri Lanka too has contributed towards the establishment of the white van culture as inherent part of the rule in Sri Lanka.

Despite the outright military defeat of the LTTE, the paramilitary groups associated with the government are allowed to carry arms. When analysing the violence post LTTE defeat, it is clear the widespread cruelties are carried out by paramilitary groups and Douglas Devananda has a major stake in this.

Douglas Devananda’s activities stretch beyond his ministerial duties. One wonders whether he ever performs his ministerial duties in Colombo or is abusing his position as Minister to expand his violent and selfish paramilitary activities in Jaffna.

Over obsessed Devananda’s paramilitary group is embroiled in clandestine socio-economic-violent activities in the north and the government engineered fear psychosis in the island is helping him to nurture his clandestine rule without any worry or even retribution from the state. He is trying to establish himself as the ‘His Masters Voice’ in the absence of the LTTE.

In the post LTTE era, the world is carefully scanning the violence in Sri Lanka and the government’s extended arms like Douglas Devananda’s paramilitary group. According to information, this has led to Douglas becoming a persona non grata in some EU countries including Britain. His latest visit to India exposed that he is a wanted man on murder charges in that country. Whether he will be able to visit India again without any special diplomatic arrangements will be an interesting development to watch in the future.

Government Minister Douglas Devananda’s hands are equally and heavily soaked in blood like the LTTE. In the recent parliamentary debate, the slain former Minister Maheswaran’s wife pointed her finger directly at Douglas Devananda for the murder of her husband ‘Everyone knows who shot Maheswaran’, declared Mrs. Wijayakala Maheswaran (MP) in parliament. She made this statement during a heated debate which took place at the second reading of the Budget. “Do not be afraid if you are not at fault. Please be silent. Wait for a while. You are the person who shot Maheswaran. You should prove it. Do not speak. If you are not at fault, do not be afraid’.

Wijeyekala’s fiery revelation rattled Douglas Devananda, and for the first time he went out of the way to respond to the charges by demanding the Speaker to shut the mouth of Mrs Wijayakala Maheswaran in the parliament. He further went on to apportion the blame on the LTTE for the murder in the progressively failing state police and judicial machineries that are deliberately avoiding provision of justice due to heavy political interference in their affairs. LTTE guinea pigs are languishing in the prisons to become the roosters to save Douglas Devananda if pressure further builds up against him.

The writer of this soul searching article is not publishing his name due to fear of reprisals in the hands of Douglas Devananda’s murderous mission in Sri Lanka and India. I have on many occasions revealed the privileged information about Maheswaran’s murder by his group in my writings, but these did not concern him and only when Mrs Maheswaran revealed the facts in the parliament he became very jittery.

Douglas Devananda’s empire with his clandestine resources is stretching in faster progression for the past few years under Mahinda’s presidency. His crave for money and his interest in the hegemonic control of the Tamil people is creating another dangerous circumstance for the minorities in the post independence era. Even the President hates to respond to Douglas’s request for appointments as the paramilitary leader and the Minister only has one known agenda of pleading for large sums of money from the President for his clandestine activities.

During my recent visit to Jaffna, I was able to see and hear from the people firsthand about the emerging violent and clandestine rule of Douglas Devananda. I viewed a mirror image of a LTTE rule emerging with the backing of the government. A dangerous situation is developing for the already brutalized people and to this date none of the Sri Lankan or international media has focused on the disparaging development with these paramilitary groups in particular Douglas’s EPDP.

My soul searching mission to Jaffna only revealed part of the problems experienced by the silently suffering people there. Unfortunately, I could not visit the lair of the EPDP leader Douglas Devananda. But my findings authoritatively confirmed he is managing his affairs with the heavy presence of the gun wielding paramilitary men.

When I met the relatives of the owners of the Sridhar Theatre in Stanley Road, that Douglas Devananda is forcefully occupying and running his clandestine paramilitary office without payment of rent, they angrily said that the government is not doing anything to oust him from the place. One person rightly stated the contradiction of the president. He said ‘President is boasting about development of the north. When we want the theatre for development, the government is disregarding our appeal for the vacation of Douglas and his men’.

Douglas Devananda’s extended authority post LTTE

Anyone purchasing sand for construction in Jaffna is put through a hectic process. Douglas has devised his own three stages of taxation on the sale of sand.

Donations have to be paid to the 'Maheswary Trust' of the EPDP, as a preliminary to obtaining a permit to mine sand. Maheswary Trust is being created by Douglas following the assassination of his personal/private secretary Miss Maheswary Velayutham by the LTTE two years ago. Without the unspecified donation, permit will not be given.

One has to progress through the Government office (Kachcheri) in Jaffna with the donation for the ‘Maheswary Trust’ and there in addition bribes have to be paid to the Kachcheri staff to get the permit.

Douglas’s men have established 'Kappang' (bribe) points in the roads. ‘Kappang’ has to be paid to gangs of EPDP cadres at various road points, while transporting the sand.

Taxing and bribing process is copycat of LTTE rule and what intrigues is, it is carried out like a legitimate practice of the state.

Douglas has the full backing of state military forces in Jaffna to carryout his clandestine money laundering activities. The Sri Lankan Navy has facilitated him a dock in a demarcated area in the Karainager navy jetty for him to exclusively handle his clandestine cargoes brought in by his men from Tamil Nadu and the other parts of Sri Lanka.

An important TNA personality is leading a land grab movement in Jaffna with the backing of Douglas Devananda, involving his supporters and the Kachcheri staff. False land deeds are being produced with the help of Kachcheri staff.

The entire operation of government services (kachcheri), and other government undertakings- in Jaffna are riddled with corruption, high handedness and lethargy due to interference of Douglas’a paramilitary group and its associates.

In one instance the electricity board in Jaffna had demanded 'old documents including receipts' to reconnect electricity to a house that was reconstructed after being ' damaged and extensively looted' during years of war. The occupants had been killed during the war. A sum of almost Rs. 70,000/=had to be paid to get the connection, after the re-building contractor traced the old files at the Chunnakam office. The electricity board staffs were very unhelpful and insensitive and were mainly interested in taking bribes. This example illustrates the problems the poor and powerless are facing in Jaffna, particularly at the hands of Tamil public servants who are being controlled by the sidekicks of the government like the EPDP.

The EPDP is using a mix of overt and subtle violence, along with well publicized efforts at presenting a 'Decent and humane face', to present itself as a force in Jaffna. The EPDP has become a government within government in Jaffna and is perceived as a curse by most people.

The EPDP is also engaged in extensive influence peddling, bribery and commission collection in Jaffna. The EPDP interferes with everything in Jaffna and prevents anyone who does not go along with it, from proceeding further.

The Jaffna university is also coming in for heavy criticism from some enlightened quarters. It has become a haven for a mediocre, self-seeking and non-progressive faculty. The faculty is incapable of improving standards at the Jaffna University. They care more about their own positions and EPDP’s encroachment into its functioning is felt and being resisted by LTTE sympathisers.

Douglas’s clandestine dealings involve dealing in wide ranging goods and services including monopoly on cement import and heavy control on luxury bus service between Colombo and Jaffna. His enterprises and trusts are out of the scope of the Sri Lankan laws resulting in the Inland Revenue maintaining a distance over his business activities.

Whomever I met is Jaffna were very critical of Douglas Devanada and his paramilitary group. They say Douglas’s men have carried out murders, abductions and tortures. They say the young women are vulnerable to Douglas’s men. Some asserted the comment of Mrs Wijayaka Mahendran’s MP’s charge in the parliament the Douglas’s men are having multi-sexual relationship with women under duress.

It appears the existing institutions in Jaffna are unable to meet the needs of the people due to heavy political and paramilitary interference. In fact, they are a horrible burden on the people. Even the good intentions of the government are being subverted by parties such as the EPDP, TNA and the Tamil public servants.

Tamils continue to be the curse of the Tamils yet.