Tamil National Alliance-LTTE separatist manifestos – 2001, 2004, 2010 and now 2013
Posted on September 12th, 2013
Shenali D Waduge
Separatism and TNA go hand in hand. Its election manifestos of 2001, 2004, 2010 and now 2013 see no major difference. There is no major difference in the fact that Tamils have kept on voting for the TNA despite its allegiance to the LTTE. What must be also reiterated is that though their numbers are hardly representative of the entire Tamil population, given the nature of the election voting system minority political parties will continue to find themselves seated in parliament dividing the country or dividing the people. In 2001 TNA obtained just 3.89% of total votes, in 2004 TNA obtained 6.84% while in 2010 TNA obtained only 2.9% – so is TNA representative of the Tamil people? Why have Governments not changed the voting system to stop political bribery and used the 6th amendment against the TNA to save the nation from peril but to also save the Tamils from being brainwashed into thinking Sri Lanka can be divided?
The Tamil political manifestos have all aimed to divide Sri Lanka. TULF’s 1977 manifesto titled ƒ¢¢”š¬’One Question:Freedom or Servitude?’ follows Chelvanayagam’s statement of 1975 ƒ¢¢”š¬’I wish to announce to my people and to the country that I consider the verdict at this election as a mandate that the Tamil Eelam Nation should exercise the sovereignty already vested in the Tamil people and become free’. The 1977 election manifesto call was ƒ¢¢”š¬’Vote for the Tamil United Liberation Front; for the emancipation of the Tamil Nation; for the freedom of Tamil Eelam’ and Tamils did vote. TULF refused to take the oath of allegiance under the 6th amendment that prohibited separation of Sri Lanka and forfeited their Parliamentary seats. Why have successive Governments not asked all parliamentarians to take this same oath?
Tamil POLITICIANS have been claiming since 1970s that they want to have FREEDOM from Sinhala domination but both Tamils and Tamil politicians are living with the Sinhalese. That does not do any good to their arguments of oppression and discrimination given that they are living amongst the Sinhalese by choice.
The TNA manifesto of 2001 comprised the political parties of TULF, ACTC, TELO and EPRLF.
It addressed the ƒ¢¢”š¬’Tamil national question’ and opposed the ƒ¢¢”š¬’state aided Sinhala colonization of the Tamil Homeland’ which they claimed was depriving them of ƒ¢¢”š¬’vital resources in the areas of their ƒ¢¢”š¬’historical habitation’. TNA may like to next explain what they are doing living in Colombo as well as explain if ƒ¢¢”š¬’state-aided colonization’ of Tamils are taking place outside of the Tamil homeland too as we would be keen to know why more Tamils by choice live outside of ƒ¢¢”š¬’Tamil homeland’ enjoying vital resources of these other areas?
When Tamils have every right to ask that they not be considered that they all support the LTTE, why is it that Tamils have stopped short from demanding that political parties of the TNA stop placing them in uncomfortable situations. When TNA in their manifesto writes ƒ¢¢”š¬’it was inevitable, that the armed struggle gained in strength and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam came to occupy a paramount position, and play a pivotal role in the struggle of the Tamil nationality to with their rights’ it is not the Sinhalese that compartmentalized the Tamils with the LTTE but the TNA political parties. Tamils need to ask TNA to rectify this if the assumption is wrong.
TNA in 2001 concluded that for any meaningful solution to the ƒ¢¢”š¬’TAMIL NATIONAL QUESTION’ had to be based on 4 principles highlighted at the 13th July 1985 Thimpu Talks in Bhutan:
1.ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ To recognize Tamils of Sri Lanka as a distinct nationality
2.ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ To recognize the identified Tamil Homeland and guarantee its territorial integrity
3.ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ To recognize the inalienable right of self-determination of the Tamil nation.
4.ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ To recognize the right to full citizenship and other fundamental democratic rights of all Tamils who look upon the island as their country.
In 2001 the TNA comprised of the TULF, ACTC, TELO, EPRLF. Their 2001 manifesto put their aims and objectives as
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Immediate lifting of economic embargo in parts of northeast province
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Withdrawal of residential and travel restrictions of Tamil nationals
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Immediate cessation of war currently waged in northeast
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Immediate commencement of negotiations with LTTE and third party.
In 2013, TNA calls for independent investigations to war crimes by both the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE. Has the TNA forgotten that in its 2001 manifesto it claimed ƒ¢¢”š¬’We have also consistently asserted that any attempt to draw a distinction between the LTTE and the Tamil people was meaningless’ƒ¢¢”š¬‚¦ ƒ¢¢”š¬’unless meaningful negotiations are held with the LTTE no just solution can be found to the Tamil national question and that such negotiations should be held immediately ONLY with the LTTE’ ƒ¢¢”š¬- while TNA also held the view that ƒ¢¢”š¬’no parallel negotiations should take place with any other Tamil political formation’.
The TULF, ACTC, TELO, EPRLF in 2001 demanded that the GOSL ƒ¢¢”š¬’lift the proscription imposed on the LTTE’ and moreover that such ƒ¢¢”š¬’proscription does not constitute an impediment to the free and full participation of the LTTE at such negotiations on behalf of the Tamil nationality’.
Reference to ƒ¢¢”š¬’Tamil-speaking people of the Northeast’ was repeated since 2001 and should come as no surprise when referred in 2013. If we are talking about ƒ¢¢”š¬’Tamil speaking voters’ in time to come it may also include Sinhalese too for all school children are now learning Tamil as a compulsory subject.
In 2001 ƒ¢¢”š¬- TNA comprised ACTC, EPRLF, TELO and TULF. It secured 348,164 votes which was 3.89% of the Tamil votes polled but secured 15 seats in Parliament. This again shows the hype behind TNA and that it lacks votes but because of the PR system it ends up getting seats in Parliament.
The TNA manifesto of 2004 comprised the political parties of TULF, ACTC, TELO and EPRLF.
The 2004 manifesto also spoke of establishing independent Tamil Eelam based on inalienable right to self-determination. The manifesto also spoke about ƒ¢¢”š¬’genocidal attacks on the Tamil people’ though why the Tamil people continue to live with the Sinhalese despite ƒ¢¢”š¬’genocidal’ attacks remains unanswered. TNA also says ƒ¢¢”š¬’in order to safeguard the life and liberty of the Tamil race and to establish its birthright for self-determination, the Tamil Nation having being pushed to the unavoidable state of armed conflict, as the only way, the war not only broadened but advanced under the generalship of the Tiger’s leader Hon.Pirapaharan’ (while Tamil alliance politicians for fear of LTTE lived with the Sinhalese in Colombo and cared not a penny for the life or liberty of Tamils in LTTE areas!)
TNA put forward 10 resolutions in its 2004 manifesto
1.ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ Political solution to the Tamil national problem based on Tamil Homeland and Tamils right to self-determination
2.ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ TNA position on Muslims because they speak Tamil mother tongue TNA wishes that any solution to Tamil national problem should address the cultural, economic and security concerns of the Muslims ƒ¢¢”š¬- thus ISGA proposals related to Muslims. (what about the Muslims the Tamils chased or the Muslims massacred in Kattankudy)
3.ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ Sinhala Nation should accept the ISGA ƒ¢¢”š¬’excellent’ proposals by LTTE to rebuild the Tamil country
4.ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ The high security zones and army camps should be removed
5.ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ The armed forces ƒ¢¢”š¬’interdiction and oppression’ must be lifted and allow Tamils to move freely in their ƒ¢¢”š¬’homeland’
6.ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ International community should directly assist humanitarian needs and improve economic life of the Tamil nation.
7.ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ Political prisoners to be released
8.ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ International judicial inquiry on the fate of the disappeared by the armed forces and police in ƒ¢¢”š¬’our homeland’.
9.ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ Provisions of ceasefire agreement to be completed fulfilled
10.ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ THIS IS THE BEST LINE OF THE MANIFESTO! – ƒ¢¢”š¬’The LTTE has for the past two years put up with the violent, surly behaviour of the armed forces without impairing the conditions for peace and observing the ceasefire and acting steadfastly and firmly towards the path of peace’. Hence the international community should remove restrictions on LTTE because it is the ƒ¢¢”š¬’authentic sole representative of the Tamil people’ ƒ¢¢”š¬- was there not close to 10,000 LTTE ceasefire violations? Can Tamils understand why it is the TNA that has put all Tamils into the LTTE killing basket?
That’s not all that the TNA said about the LTTE. TNA goes on to say that it is ƒ¢¢”š¬’accepting LTTE’s leadership as the national leadership of the Tamil Eelam Tamils and the Liberation Tigers as the sole and authentic representatives of the Tamil people’ ƒ¢¢”š¬- do we really need to ask Tamils why they would not come forward to deny this claim made by the TNA?
How many Tamils agree or do not agree when TNA says ƒ¢¢”š¬’let us devote our full cooperation for the ideals of the Liberation Tigers struggle with honesty and steadfastness’ƒ¢¢”š¬‚¦ƒ¢¢”š¬’let us work side by side with the LTTE’.
The manifestos was not written by TNA under duress. Surely, it is now time that Tamils realized TNA and LTTE are one and the same and continuing to vote for them will only make them be identified with the LTTE as well and they can’t blame anyone for it.
At the 2004 Parliamentary General Election the TNA secured 633,654 votes ƒ¢¢”š¬- 6.84% and obtained 22 seats in Parliament.
TNA 2010 Parliamentary Election Manifesto
In the 2010 election manifesto the TNA spoke about the Tamil Nation in the island of ƒ¢¢”š¬’Ceylon’ claiming that Tamils ran a Tamil kingdom. While not referred to in 2001, the 2010 Manifesto called for a ƒ¢¢”š¬’Federal Constitution’ and made reference to the Banda-Chelva Pact. Yet, if Sinhala Only was the issue, we cannot understand how the grievance about Sinhala Only could suddenly end up with Bandaranaike naively agreeing to sign a federal solution pact? What has Sinhala Language use got to do with federalism? Moreover Tamil language was never used in administration in either pre-independence or even after because all legislatures were from elite English educated families (Sinhala or Tamil) so why would anyone want to grieve over Tamil language ƒ¢¢”š¬- if so then the Sinhalese should have also been grieving because Sinhala language was given step motherly treatment since arrival of the colonials. Not many like to accept, but it appeared that Bandaranaike was taken for a jolly ride by the imported Christian Chelvanayagam and his federal package.
The 2010 TNA manifesto again refers to ƒ¢¢”š¬’traditional homeland’ ƒ¢¢”š¬’right to self-determination’ ƒ¢¢”š¬’ restore the lost sovereignty’ and ƒ¢¢”š¬’state-sponsored colonization’ to change the ƒ¢¢”š¬’demographic pattern of the north and the east’ ƒ¢¢”š¬- what would the TNA say about the demographic pattern changing in the South with more than half of the Tamils now living amongst the Sinhalese?
TNA refers to the 1987 Indo-Lanka Accord that had merged the north and east provinces into 1 province and introduced the provincial council system. It claimed the nature of the State was to remain ƒ¢¢”š¬’unitary’ and that provisions of the 13th amendment enabled the Centre to re-take powers of the provinces. Thus, in 2010 the TNA called for the ƒ¢¢”š¬’abandoning of the unitary model’ and to bring in ƒ¢¢”š¬’shared sovereignty’ on the basis of the GOSL placing proposals for constitutional reforms in 1995 recognizing Sri Lanka as a ƒ¢¢”š¬’plural society’ within a ƒ¢¢”š¬’united and sovereign republic’ with the draft constitution in January 1996 describing the nature of the Sri Lankan State as ƒ¢¢”š¬’an indissoluble Union of Regions’. This is what happens when a penchant to dabble in English eloquence gets the better of national integrity. GL Peiris then working for President Chandrika needs to explain his role in denying the civilizational ethos of Sri Lanka to turn Sri Lanka into a settler nation imbibing secular multicultural norms by dropping Sri Lanka’s civilizational past and its rights. Is this Government being taken up the garden path to commit the same hara kiri for the ground realities appear so.ƒ”š‚
GLPieris had given TNA the opportunity to use ƒ¢¢”š¬’an indissoluble Union of Regions’ as basis for argument.
In its 2010 Manifesto, the TNA refers to the LTTE it as the ƒ¢¢”š¬’sole military outfit that fought for a separate homeland for the Tamils’ as well as the 2002 Cease Fire Agreement based on a set of principles known as the ƒ¢¢”š¬’Oslo Communique’ which again referred to ƒ¢¢”š¬’internal self-determination in areas of historical habitation of the Tamil-speaking Peoples, based on a federal structure within a united Sri Lanka’.
Completing ignoring LTTE atrocities committed over 3 decades that included assassinations of over 250 Tamil people of standing and excluding scores of other Tamils including own combatants, the TNA simply refers to 1million fleeing the country, half a million displaced, 150,000 killed and an estimated 30,000 civilians killed during the last stages. TNA living in Colombo also goes to say that the 300,000 Tamil people were in ƒ¢¢”š¬’internal detention camps’ but speaks nothing about the money spent by the Government to feed these 300,000 3 meals a day, take care of health requirements, provide other facilities that not a cent of TNA money was given to take care of their own people.
In 2010, TNA refers to ƒ¢¢”š¬’our lands and out people exploited’ ƒ¢¢”š¬- it appears the TNA does not wish the North to develop for their manifesto says that these ƒ¢¢”š¬’rapid moves taking place under the guise of industrial, tourist and other development are for the express purpose of colonizing the Tamil areas with others’ does that mean the TNA does not want to have the North develop? Are they not enjoying a comfortable drive from Colombo to the North for campaigning because of the roads built? Have the TNA also forgotten that areas of Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi did not even have electricity because LTTE and TNA denied these people light.
Thus the 2010 TNA manifesto promised that
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Tamil people be recognized as a distinct nationality and having inhabited the island of Sri Lanka TOGETHER with the Sinhalese people
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Contiguous preponderantly Tamil speaking northern and eastern provinces is the historical habitation of the Tamil speaking people
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Tamil people are entitled to the right of self-determination
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Power sharing to be established in a unit of merged northern and eastern provinces based on a federal structure in a manner acceptable to the Tamil speaking Muslim people.
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Devolution of powers over land, law and order, socioeconomic development including health, education, resources and fiscal powers.
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Direct foreign investment in the north and east
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Avenues for tertiary education
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ De-militarization ƒ¢¢”š¬- removal of armed forces, military apparatuses and high security zones from northern and eastern provinces
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Tamil people who have been displaced in the north and east due to conflict to be resettled in original places, houses provided, livelihood restores and dignity respected
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Compensation for the loss of lives, to those maimed and those suffered from losses due to military campaign
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Persons detained without charges to be released and others to be given general amnesty as a show of national reconciliation
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Tamils who fled the country to be permitted to return and a conducive environment be created for their return
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Comprehensive program for resettlement of Tamil people, their rehabilitation and development in north and east including creation of employment for youth will be undertaken by Tamil Diaspora and International Community
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ No displaced persons and relief to be granted to IDPs to meet cost of living.
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Need to establish a special commission to uplift the socially and economically disadvantage sections of OUR society to create livelihoods and dignity to them as equal citizens.
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ TNA to take steps to raise standard of living of fishing communities, give them access to modern technologies and atmosphere in which they can freely engage in their vocation.
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ TNA to raise salaries of government servants and private sector as well as living standards
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ TNA to give equal status to women. Women, elders and children affected by war to be given special attention to secure livelihoods
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ TNA to secure employment opportunities to unemployed graduates and others.
Surprisingly enough in 2010 manifesto the TNA does speak about a commission of inquiry to inquire into ƒ¢¢”š¬’grave violations of human rights’ but only refers to violations of the Sri Lankan Government accusing it of violating the Indo-Lanka Accord and de-merging the north-east. TNA claims it would resort to ƒ¢¢”š¬’peaceful, non-violent, Satyagraha campaign of civil disobedience on the Gandhian model’– that is really something to laugh about given S. Premachandran calling for Tamils to take up arms if problems are not solved. TNA also referred to ƒ¢¢”š¬’Tamil-Muslim’ unity and their ƒ¢¢”š¬’constructive working together’ ƒ”š‚ signalling a pact with the Muslim Congress ƒ¢¢”š¬- its leader having formerly dined with Prabakaran.
In 2010 TNA consisted of ITAK, EPRLF and TELO and obtained only 233,190 votes that was just 2.9% of the total votes. Anandasangaree who contested separately secured only 9223 votes which was just 0.11% of the total votes. However, the proportional representation system has guaranteed 14 seats for the TNA for just 2.9% votes of Tamil people!
TNA 2013 Northern Provincial Council Election Manifesto
There was absolutely nothing to be surprised about the TNA 2013 manifesto. It could not have been any different to its previous separatist manifestos nor the open allegiance it showed to the LTTE. The mandate that the TNA boasts about is just 2.9% of the total votes. The TNA continues with its soppy fictitious tales and addresses areas under the following titles:
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Military onslaught and its aftermath ƒ¢¢”š¬- Allegation that resettlement of displaced is yet to be completed
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Our stand on a political solution ƒ¢¢”š¬-
oƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ Tamils to be regarded as distinct People who had inhabited Sri Lanka TOGETHER with the Sinhalese people,
oƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ contiguous preponderantly Tamil Speaking Northern Eastern provinces to be historical habitation of the Tamil Speaking People (Oluvil Declaration by Muslims calls for Muslim autonomy in the East)
oƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ Tamil people entitled to right to seld-determination
oƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ Power sharing arrangement in a MERGED Northern and Eastern province based on Federal Structure that is acceptable to both Tamils and Muslims (a deal with TNA and Muslim Congress)
oƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ Devolution of power based on SHARED SOVEREIGNTY over Land, Law and Order, Socio-Economic development including health, education, resources and FISCAL powers.
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Matters of Immediate Concern for the Tamil people ƒ¢¢”š¬-
oƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ Enforce recommendations by Panel of Experts appointed by UN Secretary General
oƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚ Resolutions of UN Human Rights Council in 2012 and 2013
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ De-militarization ƒ¢¢”š¬- removal of armed forces, military apparatuses, high security zones/restricted zones from North and East provinces
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Resettlement of Tamil people to their original places with houses and livelihood restored
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Independent international investigation to the violations of international human rights/humanitarian laws by GOSL and LTTE and compensation for victims (first time TNA is calling for investigating LTTE)
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Releasing detainees and general amnesty to political prisoners
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Missing persons finalized and compensation to next of kin
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Tamils fleeing the country to return and conducive atmosphere created for their return
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Development program for North and East with employment opportunities for youth supported by GOLS, Tamil Diaspora and International Community.
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Internally displaced persons ƒ¢¢”š¬- TNA will help IDPs return to their homes / places of habitual residence (a mission which the armed forces has completed)
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Muslims ƒ¢¢”š¬- TNA claims Muslims were ƒ¢¢”š¬’displaced’ in 1990 and not ƒ¢¢”š¬’evicted’ by the LTTE. TNA promises to allow these Muslims to return to their areas and resume livelihoods. (TNA omits reference to Sinhalese also evicted and returning Sinhalese to their former areas in the North)
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ War widows ƒ¢¢”š¬- TNA promises to create livelihood programs for over 50,000 widows again ignoring that programs are already in place.
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Post-war land issues ƒ¢¢”š¬- TNA demands removal of high security/restricted zones/restrictions on fishing. (TNA does not refer to incursions by Indian fishermen denying livelihood to Sri Lankan Tamils)
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Law and Order ƒ¢¢”š¬- TNA claims people are live in fear and insecurity and proposes police under Northern Provincial council(UN OCHA survey negates this claim). (TNA accused a military personnel of rape but it has emerged that the Tamil lady raped was by a Tamil man in the village and the victim identified the person nullifying the accusation completely Many of the other crimes taking place including domestic violence and child rape are by Tamils upon Tamils and proven through statistics).
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Job creation ƒ¢¢”š¬- TNA promises to tackle unemployment. (TNA-LTTE tackled this by recruiting children and youth as LTTE combatants. Since 2009 the State and armed forces have already engaged youth in employment and former cadres to pursue education or vocational training leading to jobs)
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Development with national and international assistance ƒ¢¢”š¬- TNA again echoes ISGA/PTOMs proposals for direct links with international community bypassing the GOSL.
ƒ”š‚§ƒ”š‚ Role of International Community ƒ¢¢”š¬- TNA is subtly putting the idea to exert pressure on the GOSL to permit direct interface with the international community and TNA Northern Council and future Muslim Eastern Council.
Most of the other details replicate former manifestos but leave out the links to LTTE and drops calls to Tamils to regard LTTE as sole representative of the Tamils ƒ¢¢”š¬- advice courtesy of state-privileges and education enjoyed former judge Wigneswaran.
In saying ƒ¢¢”š¬’sovereignty lies with the People and not with the State’ TNA is attempting to use the election result as a platform to argue that victory for TNA equates to mean the establishment of a Tamil Eelam Nation for which the State does not require to hold an island-wide referendum ƒ¢¢”š¬- getting 2% votes hardly qualifies or merits such argument. When TNA next says ƒ¢¢”š¬’Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka is flawed’ it is now diluting India’s role and influence upon the TNA for it has not aligned to bigger fish which is why TNA is courting the Muslim Congress vis a vis the Tamil Speaking factor.
If the TNA is arguing on the basis of ƒ¢¢”š¬’Will’ of the Tamil people being ƒ¢¢”š¬’inalienable’ the fact that it has hardly 3% of total Tamil votes strengthened by the fact that the Tamils themselves have chosen to colonize themselves outside of their supposed ƒ¢¢”š¬’historical Tamil homeland’ areas speaks volumes and should tell TNA to take their eelam somewhere else! Voting for TNA and voting to create a Tamil Eelaam appears to be two totally different elements and do not compliment the other. Tamils now need to seriously wonder whether they are likely to again become guinea pigs to allow a handful of politicians to brandish some ideology so they can sit in power and this is a question that Muslims should also be asking themselves before they too fall into the same trap.
September 12th, 2013 at 2:09 pm
Good that Shenali has had a look at the voting numbers.
Please look at from 1947 and see how Tamils ALWAYS voted for Tamil RACISTS.
“In 2001 TNA obtained just 3.89% of total votes, in 2004 TNA obtained 6.84% while in 2010 TNA obtained only 2.9% – so is TNA representative of the Tamil people?”
2004 figures are DISTORTED because Tigers stuffed ballot boxes.
But on average TNA getting 3% to 5% is reasonable. Average 3.5%.
Total SL Tamil population = 11%
SL Tamilians living in districts where TNA contests = 60%
Voters turnout in these areas = 50%
Voters turnout in other areas = 75%
Total = 11% x 60% x 30%/75% = 4.4%
TNA votes percentage = 3.5%/4.4% = 79%
TNA IS representative of Tamil people in the north UNFORTUNATELY.
It is not just TNA. Tamils ALWAYS voted for the MOST RACIST party.
e.g. 1977 TULF!!!!
Due to 1983 and war millions of Tamilians LEFT SL. That is why TNA is getting only 3% of national vote. Otherwise they would get 6.5% as in 1977. Without war Jaffna, Vanni, Batti population will AGAIN INCREASE and TNA vote percentage will again increase in time to come.
September 12th, 2013 at 2:18 pm
Go to google.
Type – Table 12. Party Performance in General Elections, 1947-77
You will get election results in percentages since 1947.
The LOWEST Tamil racists won was in 1947 – 4.4%
Tamil racists = TC + FP
1952 – 4.7%
1956 – 5.7%
1960 March – 6.9%
1960 July – 8.7%
(WTF from March to July these bugs have increased by a massive 1.8%!!!)
1965 – 7.8%
1970 – 7.2%
1977 – 6.5%
Reduction from 1960 t 1977 was because by then Tamils started to come to Colombo in drones. Tamil racist parties did not contest in Colombo. So far. But now they can.
September 12th, 2013 at 4:29 pm
Simple Translation of TNA stand is: “We will take whatever you fools give us NOW, and CONTINUE to fight for a separate Sovereign Eelam LATER”!
This stand … spelled out in BLACK & WHITE in the TNA manifesto to attract Separatist Support to the TNA while it poses pro-forma as law-abiding party accepting the Unitary Status of Sri Lanka to gain legal status in the PC Elections …. is NOTHING SHORT OF OUTRIGHT DUPLICITY and A PUBLIC DECLARATION OF TREASON.
It should be treated as such, and the TNA candidacy in the PC Elections should be REJECTED as that of a TREASONOUS PARTY that has given every intention of VIOLATING the Constitution of Sri Lanka.
No Legal Political Organization of Sri Lanka standing for Elections should be allowed to AGREE TO ABIDE BY THE CONSTITUTION in one document and then make DECLARATIONS TO THE CONTRARY in another legal document … its ELECTION MANIFESTO! That is tantamount to not only MISLEADING THE VOTING PUBLIC as to the POLICIES IT WILL PURSUE ONCE IT IS ELECTED, but also VIOLATES the CONSITUTION, the Supreme Law of Land.
In issuing this MANIFESTO, the TNA has given INCONTROVERTIBLE EVIDENCE OF TREACHERY. The GOSL should USE it NOW to the Fullest Extent of the Law to punish these TRAITORS!
The TNA Leaders should now be ARRESTED, PROSECUTED, CONVICTED and PUNISHED for TREASON against the Nation.
Failure to HOLD ACCOUNTABLE the TNA Leaders for TREASON, will ENCOURAGE the TNA, and ALL OTHER POTENTIAL HIDDEN TRAITORS to VIOLATE the Laws of Land with IMPUNITY, with NO FEAR OF RETRIBUTION!
…………………..
NPC polls: ‘Seventh Schedule negates core of TNA manifesto’
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Island.lk
September 10, 2013
The TNA’s controversial manifesto calling for self-governance in a re-merged North-Eastern Province was just propaganda meant to draw voters as all those contesting the first Northern PC polls, on the TNA ticket, had furnished a letter each to the Elections Secretariat reiterating their commitment to the unitary status of the country in accordance with the ‘Seventh Schedule’ of the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution, Election Department sources said.
The then President J. R. Jayewardene introduced the Sixth Amendment on August 8, 1983 in the wake of the outbreak of Eelam War I.
Elections Department officials said that the ‘Seventh Schedule’ was applicable to all elections, including the presidential.
Each contestant had to reaffirm that he/she will uphold and defend the Constitution and won’t directly or indirectly, in or outside Sri Lanka, support, espouse, promote, finance, encourage or advocate the establishment of a separate state within the territory of Sri Lanka.
Responding to a query by The Island, sources pointed out that the TNA had, like any other political party in the fray, furnished letters guaranteeing their allegiance to the Constitution. Against that background, the much publicised TNA’s manifesto became irrelevant. Those who had voiced grave concern over the TNA manifesto had conveniently forgotten that whatever MP R. Sampanthan’s party propagated, it too, was committed to unitary status.
The TNA’s commitment to the Sixth Amendment had made the manifesto irrelevant, sources said.
The Elections Secretariat recently rejected nominations of seven candidates of an Independent group, contesting from the Kilinochchi District, on the basis that the document bearing the ‘Seventh Schedule of the Constitution had not been properly signed by one candidate who had lost his index finger due to the war.
Three disabled war victims and four others who had their nominations to contest the Northern Provincial Council polls rejected, have complained to the Court of Appeal that the aforesaid rejection by the Returning Officer for Kilinochchi was mala fide and arbitrary.
The petitioners are K. Dharmalingam and six others from Kilinochchi District.
Additional Elections Commissioner U. Amaradasa told The Island that whatever the circumstances, all candidates would have to fulfil the obligations in accordance with the ‘Seventh Schedule.’
Calling for the re-merger of the Eastern Province with the Northern Province, the TNA declared that the devolution of power should be on the basis of shared sovereignty, necessarily over land, law and order, socio-economic development including health and education, resources and fiscal powers
The TNA said: “To achieve the above including self-reliance it is imperative that we need self-government. We have set out a two-stage constitutional process to secure this. Whilst we do our utmost to play a positive role in promoting self-government for the Tamil-speaking people in the North-East, we will carry on with our political negotiations for meaningful sharing of powers of governance. We cannot emphasise more the immediate necessity for a democratically elected body with legislative, executive and fiscal powers — to take over those functions of governance rightly belonging to us.”
Responding to a query by The Island, Elections Chief Mahinda Deshapriya said that all political parties including the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) had to accept the ‘Seventh Schedule.’ Although the Northerners would be voting at provincial council polls for the first time on September 21, the ‘Seventh Schedule’ had applied to all elections for over two decades, Deshapriya said.
September 12th, 2013 at 4:38 pm
What does “GOSL will not Accept TNA PC Election Manifesto” MEAN?
Only “REGRET” … My God such PUSSILANIMITY in the face of TREASON against the Nation.
Will the GOSL going to declare 1. TNA Candidacy in the Election NULL & VOID, 2. ARREST, PROSECUTE, CONVICT and PUNISH the TNA Leaders for TREASON?, and 3. PROSCRIBE the TNA (and the ITAK, and the constitutent parties of the ITAK) as an Organization allowed to engage in POLITICS in Sri Lanka?
Or is this ALL SMOKE and NO FIRE to fool the voters of Sri Lanka AGAIN?
The GOSL should ACT NOW and ACT DECISIVELY to PUNISH TRAITORS and ERADICATE TREASON!
…………………….
Sri Lankan government not to accept the Tamil party election manifesto
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Sept 12, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government says it cannot accept the election manifesto of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) for the Northern Provincial Council.
Cabinet Spokesperson, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told a news conference that the government regrets the contents of the TNA election manifesto.
He said that the government could not accept the manifesto as it contravenes the Constitution of the country.
In its election manifesto, the TNA, once considered as a proxy for the terrorist group LTTE during the war, has called for establishing power sharing arrangements in a unit of a merged Northern and Eastern Provinces based on a Federal structure.
According to Rambukwella, there are attempts by some groups to initiate legal action against the TNA manifesto to get a restraining order against it before the Northern Provincial Council election this month.
Sri Lanka Lawyers’ Guild said they will file a case in the Supreme Court against the TNA’s election manifesto as it was against the Constitution of the country since the proclamation of self-rule in the manifesto is a violation of the Sri Lanka Constitution.
The TNA says the manifesto emphasizes the political aspirations of the Tamils, while upholding the integrity of the country.
TNA parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran said the party’s election manifesto while being prepared to uphold the right of self-determination of the Tamils would also preserve the integrity of the country.
September 12th, 2013 at 4:57 pm
Sri Lanka’s path to peace
By Greg Sheridan, Foreign Editor
The Australian
September 13, 2013
GOTABAYA Rajapaksa and Selvarasa Pathmanathan used to be the deadliest of enemies. Now they have the same message.
I meet the two within a period of 24 hours in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s largest city.
Pathmanathan, or KP as he’s widely known, was for several months in 2009 the supreme leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, for many years the world’s most ruthless and bloody terrorist group. For a long time before that he was effectively No 2 to the Tigers’ leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran. When Prabhakaran was killed in May 2009, Pathmanathan took over the LTTE leadership until he was arrested in September of that year.
You may not know much about the Tamil Tigers. They were the most supremely deadly and effective terrorist group to emerge at any time in the second half of the 20th century. They pioneered two terrorist innovations — suicide bombings, later copied by al-Qa’ida, and child soldiers and child terrorists.
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One of their signature gestures was the cyanide capsule each cadre was given to facilitate suicide in the event of capture.
The long Tamil Tiger war against the Sri Lankan government ran from 1983 to 2009 and resulted in perhaps 70,000 dead. In the course of this bitter conflict some members of the Sri Lankan army certainly committed human rights abuses. But there is no overall moral equivalence between the government of Sri Lanka and the Tigers.
The Tigers were ultimately defeated by a military campaign designed and run by Rajapaksa, secretary of Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence. A brilliant career soldier, he had migrated to the US after retiring from the army but came back to help his brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, become President. From 2005 to 2009, Gota, as he is popularly known, oversaw the military campaign that finally crushed the Tigers.
But in one of those remarkable quirks of history, Pathmanathan tells me it was Gota who ensured he was treated properly in captivity and rehabilitated him so that he can now play a role in the reconciliation process under way between the minority Tamil and majority Sinhalese communities.
The Sinhalese-Tamil division is the central fault line of Sri Lankan history. They follow different religions — the Sinhalese are Buddhists, the Tamils are Hindus. They speak different languages. They are ethnically different.
The situation is complicated by the presence of 50 million Tamils next door in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Some Tamils would like a separate nation in northern and eastern Sri Lanka, although most Tamils live in Colombo and the south, and don’t support separatism. The majority Sinhalese and the Sri Lankan state will never allow partition. So it’s best if they work out a way to get along.
Meeting Pathmanathan is quite a business. It takes many days of arranging, lots of phone calls and lobbying of friends and acquaintances. A tall, straight-looking man, cool enough, he strolls into the lobby of a big Colombo hotel. The government provides him with a couple of bodyguards and I have been asked to arrange somewhere discreet for our interview. Lacking a better alternative, I take him up to a small coffee lounge on the hotel’s 18th floor.
The lounge has two rooms and we choose the less densely populated one, but I notice that quite soon people have recognised him and we are left alone. The bodyguards wait outside. The hotel staff serve coffee and scurry away.
Pathmanathan’s English is not bad, but over a long discussion I find it gets less good when I ask him about personal matters, or about some of the Tigers’ more controversial tactics.
Where did the idea for suicide bombing, which the Tigers used to devastating effect, come from?
“It was Prabhakaran’s own idea,” he says. “We used it first in the 1980s. Actually, I remember early in the 80s some people sat with us and we talked of the Japanese in World War II and the kamikaze bombers. Somehow that came from Prabhakaran’s mind. Also, in Tamil Nadu there was the tradition that people sometimes set themselves on fire (in protest).”
Pathmanathan was in charge of procuring military supplies for the Tigers and for years lived in India, then Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, with periods in Singapore and Europe.
“The state government of Tamil Nadu used to give us direct support for a period in the 80s,” he says. Before Rajiv Gandhi came to power, the national Indian government also gave the Tigers some support, he says.
“When that stopped we raised money in Europe and North America. We raised some in Australia, but Europe and Canada were the main source of funds.”
At one time Western intelligence believed the Tigers raised $200 million to $300m a year from the million-strong Tamil diaspora, and from a variety of illegal businesses. They used this money to buy heavy conventional weapons, artillery and heavy-duty guns, and even to buy ships. For many years the Tigers controlled a substantial swath of territory in the country’s east and north; they had a small but formidable navy and even a small air force.
No other terrorist group has ever reached that degree of sophistication and Pathmanathan was its central organiser. For a time he was wanted not only by the Sri Lankan government but by the Indian authorities, who believed he played a role in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, as well as by Interpol, MI6 and the CIA.
“Prabhakaran made the decision to kill Rajiv Gandhi,” Pathmanathan says. After India sent a peacekeeping force into Sri Lanka, the Tamil Tigers and the Indian army became enemies.
“Prabhakaran thought the Indians had tried to kill him, so he thought he’d kill Gandhi first.”
Certainly the death of Gandhi, killed by a female suicide bomber, was a turning point, both in showing the world what the Tigers were really like and in turning India into an implacable enemy of the LTTE.
Pathmanathan now admits much that the Tigers did was wrong, but he also lists a series of injustices and provocations that he believes the Tamil community suffered, such as a language policy that favoured Sinhalese. But he recites this list reluctantly. He wants his fellow Tamils to stop thinking always about the past, because that kind of thinking only leads to more bloodshed.
When I ask him directly about Prabhakaran, he responds, but with some reluctance: “Prabhakaran was a very charismatic leader. When I met him he was a genuine, friendly character. He was always willing to die for the Tamil cause. From the first day when I met him, in 1974, to the last day when he died, in 2009, he never changed from his philosophy, his determination.
“But also he was never flexible, never willing to change to accommodate the changed world.
“He should have been more flexible. It was wrong for him to kill his own people. Prabhakaran became more like a dictator as the years went by.”
There are two themes on which Pathmanathan and Defence Secretary Rajapaksa are strikingly in tune: the key role the Americans played in the final defeat of the Tigers, and the role they would both now like the Tamil diaspora to play for Sri Lanka.
Pathmanathan believes the transformed international environment after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks led directly to the Tigers’ defeat.
But let’s have Rajapaksa take up that part of the story. Gota is a national hero in Sri Lanka and his office, next to the President’s compound in central Colombo, is crisply military. He is sharp and precise and very businesslike.
One of the greatest problems the Sri Lankan military had, he tells me, was that the Tigers would bring in heavy-duty weaponry on big ships that would loiter outside Sri Lanka’s waters while flotillas of small craft would go out and collect the weapons from them.
“Most of their weapons they bought on the open market,” Rajapaksa says. “Many of their artillery pieces were North Korean in origin. They even had anti-aircraft missiles. “Their artillery and mortar was often enough to match the Sri Lankan army, or even more than the Sri Lankan army had. Their artillery caused a lot of our casualties.”
One turning point in the war came when the Sri Lankan navy was able to sink these Tiger supply ships: “Between 2006 and 2008 we destroyed 12 of these floating armouries.” What made this possible? “The Americans were very, very helpful. Most of the locations of these ships were given to us by the Americans,” Rajapaksa says.
American satellite technology located the ships and enabled the Sri Lankans to hit them. Before that, the Americans had been somewhat ambivalent about the Sri Lankan struggle. They never remotely justified or approved of the Tigers, but nor would they supply weapons to the Sri Lankan forces. Yet throughout the conflict, Sri Lanka got most of its military hardware from Israel and Pakistan, two military allies of the US that would probably have been susceptible to American entreaties not to supply arms.
Pathmanathan believes the transformation of American and international thinking generally after 9/11 meant the Tigers’ path of armed conflict was no longer a viable long-term strategy.
“We couldn’t oppose the whole world,” he says. “But Prabhakaran was opposed to peace negotiations. He used peace negotiations only as time out to rebuild his army.” Pathmanathan says he constantly urged a negotiated settlement on Prabhakaran, but to no avail.
The other issue on which Rajapaksa and Pathmanathan present an odd unity ticket is the role they would like the Tamil diaspora to play in Sri Lanka. Pathmanathan wants the diaspora groups to drop all ideas of separatism, to stop trying to stir up trouble, and instead come back and spend time in Sri Lanka, and above all invest and build there.
Pathmanathan is now involved in running orphanages and vocational training centres.
Rajapaksa makes the same point. He thinks there is a danger of the Tamil diaspora promoting extremism within Sri Lanka: “The diaspora should understand that they live in countries distant from Sri Lanka. Mostly they live in developed countries and enjoy all the facilities of developed countries. But some of them want the poor people of Sri Lanka in this difficult environment to take up arms to further their (the diaspora’s) ideology. They don’t send their own children, who go to university in developed countries, who enter the professions. But they will talk of the fight for a Tamil homeland — who is doing the fighting?
“The diaspora can raise money and make propaganda, but who will suffer from their efforts?”
Pathmanathan makes a similar case: the situation in Sri Lanka today, especially in the Tamil areas, is infinitely better than it was during the Tigers’ war. Who would want to go back to the killing and the suffering? What his people want now, Pathmanathan says, are jobs and development.
Rajapaksa understands the challenge of reconciliation: “This is not an easy task, especially for the people of the north. More than 55 per cent of Tamils live outside the north and the east and have no issues of reconciliation.
“They mingle with other communities all the time.
“But people in the north were so long isolated from the rest of the community and brainwashed into separatist attitudes. Although we have built a lot of infrastructure in the north, reconciliation won’t take place fully overnight.
“It will take time and the concentrated efforts of all the major parties involved.
“The majority community also has to extend its hand to show that we can live as one nation.”
Later this month, provincial council elections will take place in the Tamil north. They may be a positive political development, or conceivably an occasion of difficult polarisation.
But if Rajapaksa and Pathmanathan can come together on the need for reconciliation and development, and given the booming economy all across Sri Lanka, there is surely a lot to be hopeful about.
September 12th, 2013 at 5:00 pm
“The Sri Lankan government says it cannot accept the election manifesto of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) for the Northern Provincial Council.”
TOO BAD. Tamil people accept it!! PUSSY-LANIMITY at best!!
That is what matters in the north.
Why?
Because this damn foolish govt. resettled 300,000 Tamils in 2 years but FAILED to resettle 150,000 Muslims for 24 years and 100,000 Sinhalese for 36 years displaced by Tamils.
For the record, their properties were STOLEN by Tamils who own them now!!
But if the govt. thinks Tamils will be GRATEFUL FOR
1. resettleing them in record time.
2. not “colonizing” (this is what Tamils call it) the north with Sinhalese and Muslims.
3. allowing Tamils to keep the land they looted from Sinhalese and Muslims.
be my guest!! They will NEVER EVER be grateful to such a FOOLISH govt.
If you feed a cobra with food, milk, etc. I can predict that it will bite your arsse!
I don’t have to be a PROPHET to say it. Anyone with a working brain can see that.
I LOVE to see Basil’s POKER face after WASTING BILLIONS on Tamils and LOSING the election big time on 22 September.
September 12th, 2013 at 5:09 pm
“But if Rajapaksa and Pathmanathan can come together on the need for reconciliation and development, and given the booming economy all across Sri Lanka, there is surely a lot to be hopeful about.”
RUBBISH!
KP was captured like a wild animal, brought to SL and TOLD WHERE HE STANDS! IF or WHEN he goes against SL, he will be handed over to INTERPOL or Endia where he will be killed.
That FEAR keeps him under our control.
September 12th, 2013 at 5:24 pm
Go to google.
Type – “Table 12. Party Performance in General Elections, 1947-77”
You will get election results in percentages since 1947.
The LOWEST Tamil racists won was in 1947 – 4.4%
Tamil racists = TC + FP
1952 – 4.7%
1956 – 5.7%
1960 March – 6.9%
1960 July – 8.7%
(WTF from March to July these bugs have increased by a massive 1.8%!!!)
1965 – 7.8%
1970 – 7.2%
1977 – 6.5%
Reduction from 1960 to 1977 was because by then Tamils started to come to Colombo in drones. Tamil racist parties did not contest in Colombo. So far. But now they can.
Actually they did.
GONASON and Maheswaran are also LTTE who contested from UNP. They won 2 seats in 2001, 2004, 2010 elections.
That has to be ADDED to TNA to calcualte the TOTAL LTTE VOTE percentage.
2 seats out of 175 seats to be contested = 1.14%
So the TOTAL LTTE votes percentage in
2001 – 5%
2004 – 8%
2010 – 4%
September 12th, 2013 at 5:29 pm
According to “Ceylon Today” it is reported that the government will remove the wording for a separate state from the Manifesto of the Tamil National Alliance since it is “unconstitutional”. This begs the question what about those who are still in power in that party who hold that belief? Shouldn’t the present candidates of the Tamil National Alliance be treated as traitors and arrested for the treasonous act of promoting the LITE’s message right in Colombo? shouldn’t they face a criminal charge and a jail sentence if that is the punishment for traitors.
If it demands the capital punishment then take each one into a room and put a bullet into their heads. That is how Russia would do it. That is how China would do it. Those nations are powerful because one of their strengths is that they have zero tolerance for traitors.
The politicians of the Tamil National Alliance should receive the severest punishment so that other wannabe LITE politicians would think twice. Then allow the people to elect a new set of politicians who place the integrity of Sri Lanka foremost in their new manifesto.
Anything short of a severe fatal punishment would only encourage other Tamils to form similar political parties with wording that would fit the Constitution but still hold within its text the notion of a separate state.
September 12th, 2013 at 9:49 pm
Lorenzo you show your knowledge as you have seen the world for much longer time than many of us here. Why don’t you contest for the presidency next time. see if you can get any votes.
September 13th, 2013 at 3:57 am
Please look at this news item :
* Sri Lankan government not to accept the Tamil party election manifesto
Thu, Sep 12, 2013, 08:11 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Sept 12, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government says it cannot accept the election manifesto of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) for the Northern Provincial Council.
Cabinet Spokesperson, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told a news conference that the government regrets the contents of the TNA election manifesto.
He said that the government could not accept the manifesto as it contravenes the Constitution of the country.
In its election manifesto, the TNA, once considered as a proxy for the terrorist group LTTE during the war, has called for establishing power sharing arrangements in a unit of a merged Northern and Eastern Provinces based on a Federal structure.
According to Rambukwella, there are attempts by some groups to initiate legal action against the TNA manifesto to get a restraining order against it before the Northern Provincial Council election this month.
Sri Lanka Lawyers’ Guild said they will file a case in the Supreme Court against the TNA’s election manifesto as it was against the Constitution of the country since the proclamation of self-rule in the manifesto is a violation of the Sri Lanka Constitution.
The TNA says the manifesto emphasizes the political aspirations of the Tamils, while upholding the integrity of the country.
TNA parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran said the party’s election manifesto while being prepared to uphold the right of self-determination of the Tamils would also preserve the integrity of the country”.
In this instance, we have to look at the INTENT of the party concerned, the TNA. Is the INTENT to safeguard & nurture the Tamil people ? NO. The INTENT is SEPARATISM. The INTENT of the TNA actually endangers the Tamil people by creating mistrust and disharmony.
When something smells like skunk (Urulawa), looks like skunk and acts like skunk, we certainly have to assume it IS Skunk !
September 13th, 2013 at 1:17 pm
Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright in Open Daylightin TNA’s PC Election Propaganda for C.V. Wigneswaran!
………………….
Four arrested in Sri Lanka for distributing a newspaper with Prabhakaran’s photo in Jaffna
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Sept 13, Colombo: Sri Lanka Police have arrested four people in the Northern Province city of Jaffna under suspicion of promoting subversion while distributing a newspaper with a photo of the slain Tamil Tiger terrorist leader.
The individuals were arrested at Kodikamam in Jaffna as they were distributing newspaper carrying a photo of late leader of rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) Velupillai Prabhakaran.
Police say that the newspaper carried a title “How Prabhakaran became a great hero.” The newspaper also carried a photo of the Tamil National Alliance Chief Minister candidate C. Vigneswaran.
Political sources say that the arrested persons were canvassing for the Tamil National Alliance Provincial Council election campaign.
The newspaper named Veedu meant the electoral symbol of Tamil National Alliance.
September 15th, 2013 at 9:28 pm
With the TNA now openly promoting the LTTE agenda and to implement this agenda the LTTE believes they have to first get rid of Tamils who oppose them, I would be most surprised if the Tamils vote the TNA to power and dig their own graves. However, if the TNA fail to grab power, they will say the elections were rigged, just like what Sarath Fonseka said at the last presidential elections.
September 15th, 2013 at 10:37 pm
Sooriarachi,
“1. With the TNA now openly promoting the LTTE agenda and to implement this agenda the LTTE believes they have to first get rid of Tamils who oppose them,
2. I would be most surprised if the Tamils vote the TNA to power and dig their own graves.”
Your statement #1 is CORRECT. But statement #2 is WRONG.
LTTE/TNA will ONLY get rid of Tamils who oppose Tamil Elam. MOST Tamils DON’T oppose Tamil Elam!
About 40% of Tamils SUPPORT Tamil Elam/LTTE/TNA
About 40% of Tamils don’t mind Tamil Elam/LTTE/TNA
About 15% of Tamils OPPOSE LTTE/TNA but support Tamil Elam
About 5% of Tamils OPPOSE Tamil Elam (and LTTE/TNA too.)