.
 .

 .
 .
.
 

MEDIA RELEASE December 26, 2005

Tamil Tiger Terrorists Wage an Undeclared War in Sri Lanka

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) made a pretence of seeking a peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict following the strong anti-terrorist climate prevailing after September 11, 2001. They have by their actions clearly demonstrated that they have no interest in peace even though they committed themselves to a Ceasefire Accord in February 2002. They have violated the CFA on innumerable occasions with no regard to the voices of the major powers in the international community who function as co-chairs of the Sri Lanka Peace Process.

In the spate of recent attacks, it has been observed that the LTTE resorts to cowardly means of intimidating civilians to form a human shield for them to unleash their deadly weapons on security check points, military installations and routine peacekeeping patrols, in order to invite retaliation by the security forces which would result in civilian casualties. The security forces have shown utmost restraint despite these provocative acts and loss of several members of their units, to prevent a serious breakdown of the CFA. The LTTE and the Tamil civilians who are compelled to confront the security forces should be warned that there are limits to patience, and that they risk retaliatory fire which could lead to a hostile atmosphere and a fresh war which they most likely would not wish to face.

In the last three weeks of December 2005, the LTTE has carried out 31 separate attacks using claymore mines, rocket propelled grenades, small arms fire and even machetes to attack members of the Sri Lankan Security Forces and ordinary civilians in the north and east of the island. Summary of the resulting deaths, injuries and abductions are given below:

A Sri Lanka Airforce Helicopter proceeding to ferry Italy’s Deputy Foreign Minister visiting tsunami victims in the east was struck by gunfire, but safely landed without a serious mishap.

The total violations on the part of the Tamil Tiger Terrorists based on the reports of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission made up of Scandinavian personnel and UNICEF would exceed 7,000 during the past 3 years and 10 months that the CFA has been in place, whilst the violations on the part of the government side number roughly 150 which are mainly alleged incidents of harassment of persons at security check points. The LTTE’s violations cover every conceivable aspect including the killing of over 450 political dissidents, the shocking assassination of the much respected foreign minister, the late

Hon. Lakshman Kadirgamar, abduction and forcible conscription of over 3,500 children, assaults, intimidation, extortion. and denial of civic rights such as the right to vote and free movement. There is even reports of torture of persons in dungeon prisons in the un-cleared areas of the Vanni.

The international media has recently reported the large scale extortion of funds from members of the Tamil Diaspora including in Canada for what they term the final phase of the war to establish their mono-ethnic separate Tamil state of “Eelam” encompassing the north and east of Sri Lanka, extending up to 1/3rd of the land and 2/3rd of the coastline and territorial waters, for resident Tamils numbering less than 5 percent of the island’s population.

A major part of the blame for the present situation lies with the partiality of Norwegian peace facilitator that put in place a lopsided MOU and CFA with the power hungry UNF government, which allowed the LTTE access to all areas permitting them to move their suicide bombers, assassins and armed cadres into every region, whilst debarring others from entry into the un-cleared areas held by the LTTE. Furthermore, they have provided large sums of money and gifted high powered communications equipment to the LTTE. The SLMM too has been ineffective in investigating violations and bringing pressure on the offending Tamil Tiger Terrorists, with some instances of the monitors tipping off the LTTE in respect of measures to apprehend illegal arms shipments from being smuggled in. We have also had the comical conclusions on the part of the SLMM blaming unknown third parties for offences emanating from the LTTE, including the case of the sinking of the Chinese cargo vessel operating off Sri Lanka’s east coast.

Key members of the international community such as the EU and Canada have also contributed to the lack of progress towards a negotiated peace in Sri Lanka, as they have turned a blind eye to fundraising by the LTTE front organizations within their jurisdictions. They have even permitted the pro-LTTE groups to operate radio and television stations for propaganda purposes including the glorification of terrorism, for the sake of Tamil votes which these fronts offer to deliver to the party in power to prop up their electoral strength, in contravention of their obligations in terms of the ‘ UN resolution on the suppression of financing of terrorism’.

( Contd./3)

- 3 -

The international community may have been fooled by the LTTE’s declaration in Oslo in 2002 to explore a negotiated peace based on a federal structure within a united Sri Lanka. The LTTE’s chief negotiator, Anton Balasingham has subsequently stated that they were not serious about a federal solution. They refused to renounce violence and terrorism, and have used the peace process to buy time to establish a parallel administration in the un-cleared areas of the Vanni presently controlled by them. They have also continued to build up their fighting forces through child conscription and abductions, smuggle in weapons to pursue the very same goal of an ethnically based separate state. They kept away from the Tokyo peace talks in June 2003 which would have required them to commit themselves to a human rights code, and avoided further talks thereafter. They have now indicated their willingness to discuss changes to the CFA at a European location, obviously to flout the EU travel ban, and not with any genuine desire to work out a peaceful resolution.

The LTTE’s most brutal and vicious past where they ruthlessly massacred other Tamil groups and their continuing to kill political dissidents to adorn the self declared title of ‘sole representative of the Tamil community’, appears to have created other virulent and determined splinter groups that are challenging the LTTE’s fascist dictatorship. The Christmas day murder of the pro-LTTE parliamentarian, Joseph Pararajasingham of the TNA inside a church in Batticaloa could well be the act of such a group.

If the international community stays the present course in not applying their anti-terrorism laws uniformly, and continues to exempt the LTTE from such laws without any legitimate grounds, it is time that Sri Lanka ignored these foreign powers that are playing dangerous games, and took all necessary measures to safeguard her sovereignty and territorial integrity which must be defended at all costs. Sri Lanka should proceed to build up her defensive capabilities and act before the LTTE launches its threatened destructive plans. There is no need to wait for the LTTE to come to their senses for the purpose of discussing a peace accord, as that day would never dawn. Sri Lanka should take steps to dismantle the merger of the northern and eastern provinces which lacks constitutional or legal justification, and commence discussions with all parties that are within the democratic fold to work out an acceptable solution which should be implemented with or without the terrorist LTTE participating in that decision making process.

Yours very truly,

Mahinda Gunasekera

Honorary President

BACK TO LATEST NEWS

DISCLAIMER

Copyright © 1997-2004 www.lankaweb.Com Newspapers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Reproduction In Whole Or In Part Without Express Permission is Prohibited.