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LTTE does not understand the language of peace -Devananda
By Frances Bulathsinghala
Hindu Affairs Minister and EPDP leader Douglas Devananda who narrowly escaped an assassination attempt on Wednesday, said his communication with Karuna began in 2002 soon after the UNF signed the MOU with the LTTE in February and he would continue to support Karuna as long as he did not revert to war.
"I have encouraged him to enter into the democratic process. I will do this even if the LTTE leader wants to come into the political framework," Mr. Devananda told The Sunday Times in an interview. He said on the request of Karuna he had drawn up an application to register his political party, with the Elections Commissioner.
Commenting on the peace process he said he believed India should take over as the stronger component of the Norwegian facilitated peace process as it knew about the Sri Lankan issue better than any other country.
Asserting that his views differed with that of the Alliance government, with regard to the LTTE he added he would phase out of the political scene if the LTTE established a permanent peace with the government, and entered a democratic framework.
Following are excerpts of the interview:
Why do you say that your stand and that of the government and the President differ when it comes to the LTTE?
The government has acknowledged the LTTE as the sole representatives of the Tamils. I will never accept that.

How do you respond to allegations that you have given protection to Karuna?
I have never given him protection but I admit I was willing to help him because he wanted to build up a political party.

You say you are committed to the peace process. Does this mean that you accept the LTTE's main condition for the peace process -- the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) proposals for a separate north east administration ?
The ISGA is a blueprint for a separate state. The full acceptance of the ISGA is a demand that no government can agree to but I will stand by the government in its attempt to seek a peaceful solution with the LTTE.

Could you explain the 'bigger role' you expect India to play in the peace process?
India should be the key facilitators. They are familiar with the Sri Lankan Tamil issue more than any other country.

The Congress could be influenced by pro LTTE parties in the ruling UPA such as Gopalasamy (Vaiko) (MDMK) and Karunanidhi (DMK) whom the Tamil National Alliance is already trying to woo. Given this setup do you think the Congress is likely to continue its anti-LTTE stand?
The Congress will never forget that Rajiv Ghandi was assassinated by the LTTE.

Do you have any comments on the LTTE denying any hand in Wednesday's suicide attack?
This denial is just the start of an LTTE strategy of denying attacks.

Given the present scenario of the LTTE recommencing its suicide missions and the recent killings in the East do you believe that the LTTE could be trusted with continuing a lasting peace ?
No.They do not understand the language of peace.

Accomplice was once an EPDP informant
Sathyaleela Selvakumar (29), the accomplice of Wednesday's suicide bomber had been heavily involved in the EPDP polls campaign for the April general elections, Mr. Devananda said.

He said she was known to the EPDP as a pre school teacher and had later won his confidence to be an informant on the LTTE. According to Mr. Devananda the woman had taken the suicide bomber earlier this year to the EPDP Jaffna office on the pretext of needing social assistance.

Meanwhile Mr. Devananda regrets that it was a lapse on his part that he could not warn the Kollupitiya police that they suspected the woman whom his security personnel had taken to the police station to be a suicide bomber.

"It was a mistake on my part. When my security officers alerted me that the woman had prevented them from checking her, I immediately suspected her to be a suicide bomber. But I was not in a frame of mind to caution the police. If I had done this, the four deaths could have been prevented," Mr. Devananda said.

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