 |
|||||||
| |
|||||||
| LTTE policy shift after EU ban?
It was afternoon on Monday September 26 when a senior British Government official reached out to his telephone. He rang Anton Balasingham, chief peace negotiator of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at his home in a London suburb to give him the bad news. The European Union has agreed that with immediate effect, delegations from the LTTE will no longer be received by any of the EU member states until further notice. That decision was formally announced later in an official statement the British Government, which holds the presidency of the EU, issued. Although the statement did not make specific mention, the senior official told Mr. Balasingham something highly damning. He said the LTTE could not get away with the murder of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. This hitherto unknown rap on the LTTE clearly meant that the Government of Prime Minister Tony Blair, like all other member nations of the EU, accepted that it was the Tiger guerrillas who conspired and killed the late Mr. Kadirgamar. They went a step further by telling the guerrillas that their repeated denials to the contrary were not acceptable. Mr. Balasingham said he knew that the EU action was in the offing. Perhaps he felt the LTTE had gone too far this time. He dialled a satellite phone located in the Wanni to pass the news to the LTTE leadership. The EU travel ban, a diplomatic source in Colombo said, would also mean officials of diplomatic missions of the union based in Colombo will not undertake visits to Kilinochchi. Besides other behind-the-scenes moves, the diplomatic initiatives of the Government appear to have paid dividends. It was President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga who wrote to Heads of Government of the European Union about the events leading to Mr. Kadirgamar's assassination and urged strong action. The Foreign Ministry had also made available a dossier containing evidence pointing to the involvement of the LTTE in the Kadirgamar killing. This had been unearthed during investigations that are still continuing. In addition intelligence accounts that confirm a string of ceasefire violations were provided. Sri Lankan diplomats in the EU counties were asked to lobby hard on behalf of their murdered Minister. Though the statement declared that the EU "is actively considering" the formal listing of the LTTE as a terrorist organisation, some of the measures virtually amount to a ban. Besides the travel ban, this includes a call to EU members, where necessary, to take additional national measures. This is to check and curb illegal or undesirable activities (including issues of funding and propaganda), related organisations and known individuals. There is also a call to halt recruitment and retention of child soldiers, demonstrate their commitment to the peace process and willingness to change. The EU, a supranational organisation of 25 countries across the European continent encompasses Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and UK. Canary Islands (Spain), Azores and Madeira (Portugal) and French Guyana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Reunion (France) are sometimes listed separately even though they are legally a part of Spain, Portugal and France. A formal LTTE response to the EU move emerged from its Political Wing leader S.P. Thamilselvan. He claimed the ban has "ruined the trust Tamil people had in the European Union, and has caused irreparable damage to prospects for peace". His remarks came in an interview posted on the Tamilnet website. Answers to a few questions give an insight into LTTE thinking: Tamilnet: What is your reaction to EU Declaration that LTTE delegations will no longer be received in any of the EU member countries, until further notice? Thamilselvan: The Declaration is based on unsubstantiated charges by the Sri Lanka Government. It is lopsided and issued without taking into consideration the opinion and the just arguments of the Tamils, an equal party to the peace process. The declaration has caused irreparable damage to prospects for peace and has ruined the trust the Tamil people had on the international community. The announcement effectively blocks the opportunity and facilities available to representatives of the Tamil people to present their case directly to the members of the European Union and has denied international community access to truth. For more than fifty years after British leaving the island, Tamil people have been subjected to oppressive policies by the successive Governments of Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka Government did not abandon its policy even after the Ceasefire Agreement. Rights violations with the use of Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), restriction on transport, agricultural activities and fishing, and economic restrictions have continued to impact the daily lives of Tamil people despite the CFA. Continued occupation of houses and public buildings by security forces has caused immense hardships to daily lives of our people. Sri Lanka Government continues to violate key provisions of the Ceasefire Agreement. Colombo is also waging a shadow war by engaging paramilitaries in violation of the CFA. The European Union, instead of pressuring the political leaders of the South to negotiate in good faith, has chosen to penalise the Liberation Tigers, disregarding the feelings of our people. As an equal partner seriously committed to a peaceful negotiation, we are concerned that this will impact the future progress of the peace process. Also
Colombo's views and stand on the peace process will harden as it
will interpret the EU's declaration as providing tacit support to
its policies. The declaration deprives us not only of a neutral venue, but also denies the Tamil side a respectable and symmetric position at the talks. It also denies an opportunity for us to meet the Tamils in Diaspora to exchange views and get their support. The EU declaration is likely to cause Tamil people to lose faith in the peace process. Tamilnet: Do you view the latest development as tilting the "diplomatic balance of power," towards one party to the CFA? Thamilselvan: This declaration has not affected the diplomatic balance of power alone. It has attempted to damage the image of the Tamils as well. It deprives us of the opportunity to participate in the talks as equal partners and with dignity. Furthermore, I am afraid; it will create barriers to peace moves as well. The immediate impact of Mr. Thamilselvan's answers is on the impending Government -LTTE talks to discuss the working of the Ceasefire Agreement. The search for a venue for such a meeting has ended in a deadlock. The LTTE wants it held in the Norwegian capital of Oslo whilst the Government is strongly in favour of Colombo. A proposal by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) to hold it at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), a venue which the LTTE delegations use on their travel abroad, has been rejected by them. Mr.
Thamilselvan says the EU ban not only deprives them "of a neutral
venue" but also what he calls "a respectable and symmetric
position" at such talks. Does this mean an end to the proposed
talks on the CFA? In any event such talks are not likely till after
the November 17 presidential elections. A clear picture of the LTTE
position will emerge only after Norway's Special Envoy on the subject,
former SLMM Head, retired Major General Trond Furuhovde arrives
in Sri Lanka in the coming weeks. Further concerns over this arose after Friday's LTTE-backed Pongu Thamil or Tamil Resurgence rally at the Jaffna University grounds at Tinnelvely in Jaffna. The LTTE claimed nearly 200,000 took part in the rally but intelligence sources said the turn out was much less than expected. According to these sources, there were around a 100,000 as against an estimated crowd of 300,000 expected. All parliamentarians of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) took part in the event. Jaffna Government Agent K. Ganesh was invited to light the Pongu Thamil torch. Also taking part were P. Chandrasekaram (UPF) and Mano Ganeshan, UNP parliamentarian and representative of the Western Province People's Front. Technological advances in communications enabled the live telecast of the event to Canada and Europe by passing state controls that existed earlier. There is a message in this for the Government's propagandists who call for censorship at times of crisis particulary when the publicity generated is bad for them. Significantly one of the resolutions adopted at the event was to condemn what was called the "unilateral decision" of the EU to impose a travel ban. The highlights of this resolution said: "As far as the Tamils living in Sri Lanka are concerned, we do not wish the so-called peace efforts being dragged on as said by the European Union. We wish a change to take place, and for it, we are attempting to attain a just and peaceful settlement with self determination. "Therefore we request the European Union to understand the situation in order to avoid a war environment and lift the ban on the LTTE to travel through its member countries. Therefore we demand by the proclamation that the occupying Sinhala forces must vacate our land and seas with immediate effect. We proclaim that an environment must be created to enable us to decide our destiny and, our people are continuing to rise as a force to procure the goal of a sacred and higher life of freedom. At the same time while making this proclamation, we seek the recognition by the international community of our basic rights and life of freedom with peace on the basis of our traditional homeland, our nationhood and self rule and struggle for sovereignty." The traditional oil lamp at the event was lit by student leader Ms Velupillai Letchumi, mother of a slain guerrilla cadre and Ms Vijitha Dayaparan, whose husband, a guerrilla died in action. Yet, high profile LTTE members avoided the stage to give the rally an entirely civilian flavour and the appearance that the resolutions were all adopted by the public. In this regard, speakers at the rally criticised the manifesto of Ranil Wickremesinghe and Mahinda Rajapakse's agreements with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU). The preamble paragraphs to "The Proclamation of Tamil National Uprising" claim that "mayhem in Southern Sri Lanka today is wrought by Sinhala Buddhist chauvinism. This has completely shut the door to a democratic settlement of the Tamil speaking population." It notes: "We have ascertained yet again, that the Sri Lankan rulers will not initiate any just solutions for the Tamil speaking people. We believe that the international community too would have realized this fact from the activities during the period of the ceasefire agreement. For such apparent reasons we are forced by Sinhala Buddhist chauvinists to take definitive decisions. "Therefore, we demand through this proclamation that the occupying Sinhala forces must vacate our land and sea with immediate effect. We proclaim that an environment must be created to enable us to decide our destiny and our people and are continuing to rise as a force to procure the goal of a sacred and higher life of freedom." In this backdrop, one does not need supernatural powers to predict what LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran will say during his "Maveerar (Great Heroes) Day" address on November 27 - ten days after Sri Lanka elects her fifth executive president. This is why he has, during the three and half years of ceasefire, built a stronger military machine, constructed an airstrip, acquired aircraft, continues to smuggle in military hardware and also continues to establish civilian militias in the North and East. That is after having successfully established an "administrative structure, police, law courts, tax collection machinery" and other infrastructure required for a separate state. The latest civilian militia or a Civil Volunteer Force was set up in the Trincomalee district last month. A batch of 120 civilians, trained to handle weapons, evacuate casualties and help in battle field activity had a passing out parade at the Ganeshapuram Central College grounds in guerrilla controlled Mutur east area. It was only on September 21 the guerrillas staged a Hartal in Government-held Trincomalee town bringing life to a standstill - a fact that demonstrated that their writ ran in the "controlled" areas. The presidential campaign will get into full swing after Friday's nominations. One of the key issues, no doubt, is the peace process and related issues. One main contender is offering devolution of power under a federal system within a united Sri Lanka. Another wants a unitary Sri Lanka with powers devolved to Provincial Councils. The former warns there would be war. That is if their solution to the issue is not heeded by the voters and they endorse their rival candidate. The latter insists their aim is not to plunge the country into war but to highlight the fact that all existing efforts at peace had failed. If one is to go by recent developments, the claims by both sides seem to matter very little. Mr Prabhakaran seems to have made up his mind. He will tell them what he is going to do. That in all certainty is not to accept what either side is offering. In return, he will make his own offer from a greater position of strength. That is the strength he would have found difficult to acquire without the help and support of the southern political leaders during three and a half years of ceasefire. SLAF
helicopter crash-lands The Sri Lanka Air Force purchased a fleet of Mi -24s at varying prices. The average cost was estimated at around US dollars 1.6 million or Rs 160 million. Air Force officials said they were conducting an inquiry to ascertain how the engine trouble developed. Initial reports speak of a fuel pump problem. |
|||||||
Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
Ltd. All rights reserved. |
|||||||
