The Tamil National Alliance has accused President Mahinda Rajapaksa of being "hell bent" on finding a military solution to the 'Tamil problem' and charged that the so-called welfare camps in Vavuniya and Mannar districts are more like military concentration camps. TNA frontliner Suresh Premachandran, a parliamentarian from the Jaffna district, in an interview with The Sunday Times insisted that until and unless the "grievances and aspirations of the Tamil people" were addressed, the LTTE would go on with its battle. Excerpts:
Tens of thousands of Sri Lankan Tamils living in Europe and elsewhere are staging demonstrations in an apparent bid to pressurize the West and bring about a ceasefire in Sri Lanka. But we see no such protests from Tamils living in Sri Lanka. Why are they not protesting?
They are simply scared to come out. During the peace process, the LTTE was allowed to carry out political activities in government-controlled Tamil areas. But when the war resumed, those who were supporting the LTTE's political wing were singled out and killed by paramilitary forces. Some disappeared without any trace. Even TNA activists were killed. Three TNA MPs were killed. So how do you expect the people to come out and protest? Even I being a parliamentarian am scared to speak out. People are killed but hardly anyone is brought to justice for these killings. There is a culture of impunity. Under these circumstances, we don't want to mobilize the people and get them killed. Besides, there is democracy in Sri Lanka only for parties such as the NFF and the JHU. They can stage demonstrations. Others have to suffer in silence.
What is your party doing to alleviate the suffering of the Tamil people caught in the no-fire zone and in camps for the displaced people?
The TNA is a political party which represents the Tamil people of the north and the east in parliament. We have 22 MPs. All along, we have been telling the government and the international community that negotiations are the only way to solve the problem. But the government says war is the way. Perhaps, the ruling party clings on to war for its political survival. Some government politicians say they are winning against the Tamils. They hail the president as Dutugemunu II, showing little regard for the Tamils’ feelings. They show little concern for the innocent civilians dying in the war zone. They pay no heed to the international community's call for ceasefire and negotiations.
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| Suresh Premachandran: Govt. shows little interest in a political solution |
It appears that the government is not interested in a political solution. What happened to the All-Party Representative Committee (APRC) talks? The TNA welcomed the proposals put forward by the APRC's experts committee. We thought it was a good working paper - a good beginning. But the President put that in the waste paper basket. He is not keen on a political solution based on devolution of power. What sort of devolution do the provinces now enjoy?
The powers given to the provinces are being taken back. For instance, agriculture, highways and transport have already become the exclusive domain of the central government though they are devolved subjects. India and the international community want the 13th Amendment, under which power is devolved, expanded. They want the government to come up with a proposal which is 13 plus plus, but the government is moving towards 13 minus minus.
We feel a radical change is necessary to meet the aspirations of the Tamil people. At the moment, security is their main problem. Apart from that, they are also worried about their land. They feel colonization is taking place in Tamil and Muslim areas.
The security forces have virtually defeated the LTTE. How do you see the future from here on?
There is a Tamil question in Sri Lanka. The TNA believes in political means to find a solution. But the LTTE thought in military terms to solve the Tamil question. The war in the north appears to be coming to an end. But it has not ended in the East where some kind of guerrilla war is going on. The government is calling on the LTTE to surrender. But I don't think that the Tigers would do that unless a just solution to the Tamil problem is agreed upon through negotiations. As long as the Tamils' grievances and aspirations are not addressed, the LTTE will survive. We, as elected members of the Tamil people, will continue to take the issue before every forum here and abroad until we find a just solution to our problem.
You say you are the elected members of the Tamil people. Did you visit the camps where more than 180,000 war displaced people are being sheltered?
The people who elected us are in camps. One month ago, we wanted to go to Vavuniya and visit the people in the camps. We were stopped at Medawachhchiya. The security officers there told us we could not proceed unless we had Defence Ministry clearance. We tried our best to get this clearance but failed. On another occasion, our party leader R. Sambanthan wanted to go to Trincomalee, his electorate and meet the wounded people being brought there by the ICRC. Again permission was not given. There is no reason for the authorities to stop us from meeting the people who elected us. We think they don't want the truth to be known. But we know what is happening in these camps. These are not welfare camps. These are concentration camps with little freedom of movement or expression. People cannot go out of the camp to buy medicine or attend the funeral of their kith and kin.
There is a language barrier as well. Officials who are in charge of the camps do not understand Tamil and as a result the grievances of these people fall on deaf ears. Besides, the Tamil-speaking Government Agents of Vavuniya, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi have been sidelined and Sinhala Government Agents from other areas have been brought there to look into administration-related work. Why is this? It looks like the government does not trust Tamils or does not want the real picture to be known. We understand there is a major food crisis in the no-fire zone. In camps, there is a scarcity of water either to drink or bathe. Even to cook their own meals, they cannot go out and find firewood. Why should they suffer when all what the authorities have to do is to resettle the Tamil people in their own land? They know to look after themselves because they are resourceful middle class people and have lived without any government support for several decades.
Why did the TNA boycott last week's meeting convened by President Rajapaksa to discuss the Tamil people's problem with Tamil political parties?
Our boycott should be understood in the proper context. There was a meeting the Tamil parties had with civil society members to find some relief for the people suffering in the north. In terms of a decision reached at this meeting, we sought permission from the President to visit the camps. But the President's office instead sent invitations to only Tamil party leaders such as Mr. Sambanthan, Mr. Anandasangaree and Minister Douglas Devananda.
The civil society members did not get the invitation. We found that there was something fishy. We felt the President was trying to use the TNA's participation at the meeting to score brownie points with the international community and the foreign dignitaries he was meeting. We don't want to be used by the President for his propaganda purposes. We decided to boycott the meeting. Besides, we have met several times in the past, but to no avail, because he is 'hell bent' on pursuing a military solution to the ethnic conflict.
If we feel that his intentions are good, meaning he is ready to discuss a ceasefire and a political solution, we will definitely meet him. After all, he is our President. Besides, what is the use of these meetings, if the outcome does not promise relief to the suffering Tamil people? |
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