Tamil civilians ready to revolt against LTTE - Anandasangaree

Courtesy: Daily News

COLOMBO: The most crucial problem the country facing today is the liberation of the Tamil people from the LTTE's atrocious rule, in the districts of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu and in parts of the districts of Mannar and Vavuniya, TULF leader V. Anandasangaree said yesterday.

"The LTTE's atrocities have now reached a climax and the people, unable to bear them any more are longing for a change. If no action is taken immediately Mr. Prabhakaran will soon pave the way for the total annihilation of the Tamil race. I have very reliable information that people want a smooth transfer of power from the LTTE to the Government," Anandasangaree said.

He said: "Now with a demand from the LTTE for one person from each household they are prepared to defy the LTTE and revolt against them. They are also prepared to welcome and give all co-operation for a friendly army that will give an undertaking to give protection for their lives and properties inspite of any provocation that they may have to face, while engaged in the process of liberating them."

"The world does not know that there is a group of people, under the dictatorial rule of the LTTE, all Tamils, living in areas under their full control, without rights, facilities and with no guts to protest. There is none to receive the protest and to rush to their rescue.

They are at the mercy of the LTTE. My solitary voice is echoing and re-echoing the grievances of these unfortunate people, with hardly anyone responding to my call. These people are undergoing this agony not for one or two years but easily for quarter of a century, with no hopes of any relief.

Till the ceasefire agreement was signed these people were hoping that they will soon be able to lead a peaceful and normal life like others, but the CFA dashed all their hopes and contrary to their expectations the CFA only legitimised the LTTE's grip on them.

Undeterred by humiliations and the threat to my life, I go forward to fulfil my sacred mission of liberating the people who had been subjected to immense hardships, deprived of all their rights and living like slaves for more than 24 years.

The 22 Members of Parliament fraudulently elected by the LTTE with the people's vote, not to represent them in Parliament but only to act as proxies of the LTTE.

As one elected at the last free and fair Parliamentary Election held for the North and East in December, 2001 and coming first out of the nine members elected from the Jaffna Electoral District, the duty is now cast on me to speak on behalf of the Tamil people of Sri Lanka although I am no more a Member of Parliament.

Prabhakaran and his clique are very fond of accusing the Sinhala Community as a whole, of adopting a policy of genocide of the Tamils. I do not agree with them.

There are a few upheavals here and there once in a way, sometimes in the battle front and at times as retaliatory measures, following some gruesome killing which cannot in any way be described as genocide.

Such incidents had been very strongly condemned by leaders of all communities irrespective of who did it. No one, except the LTTE leaders, condone acts of terror in Sri Lanka.

The LTTE after a bitter defeat at Vakarai is determined to recapture Jaffna at any cost and are harassing the people for their support.

1. Every household had been ordered to give at least one member to be recruited to their fighting cadre.

2. Those who got married after August 2006 should join their fighters. Those who married before August and those from Mahaveer families are exempted.

3. No one is allowed to take foreign calls except through their telephone booths at which calls can be booked in the morning and connection is given after verification in the evening. Calls are limited to five minutes.

4. Anyone found calling somebody on the Mobile is taken into custody and detained indefinitely.

5. Now they recruit only those who have reached 18 years. Those under 18 are not allowed to go out of the area under their control.

6. People do not celebrate Festivals like New year, Deepavali etc.

7. They abduct youths married even before August if they are from the Government held areas of Mannar, Vavuniya or Jaffna.

8. All A/L 1st year students have been taken away for training, the only exception are the members of Mahaveer families.

9. School going children are kept locked up in their homes by their parents who do not allow them even to go to hospital.

10. People do not go out for work and wait at home keeping guard over their children.

The LTTE had abducted more than ten thousand youths for recruitment to their fighting cadre in Kilinochchi and a similar number in Mullaitivu also.

In addition to this, youths abducted from Government controlled areas like Mannar, Vavuniya and Jaffna are also recruited as fighters. It is now clear that the LTTE also have a hand in the abductions that take place in White Vans in Jaffna.

All abductions during the day-time are undoubtedly by the LTTE. No one else will dare to abduct during day time.

The training period for the LTTE cadre varies between 2 and 4 weeks before they are sent to the battlefront. Those who resist training or refuse to co-operate are assaulted badly and if by chance anyone dies he is hung by the neck to give the impression that he had committed suicide.

The latest tactics of the LTTE is to wait till dark and after the inmates go to bed they force open the house and take whoever they want to join the fighting cadre.

In certain cases when the parents plead with them for the release of their children, they are released on conditions that they will be brought and surrendered at their office at a future date.

Out of fear some parents keep their promise and the children so surrendered are declared as if they had joined voluntarily. Parents who resist arrest are severely beaten and the children are taken away inspite of the curse showered on them by the angry and heart-broken parents.

I take full responsibility for all what I have said here. The people who had been living in areas under the control of the LTTE had sacrificed enough and it should be noted that all their sacrifices, tolerance and sufferings were all borne by them for the sake of their children.

The time has come for the Tamil Media and the TNA Members of Parliament to tell the LTTE to stop fighting, release all children abducted or recruited to their fighting cadre and to come to the negotiating table, after discarding claymore and landmine attacks targeting the Forces which causes more deaths and injury among innocent civilians including small children.

The LTTE should be told in clear words that this is the last call. Both the Tamil Media and the TNA Parliamentarians should come out openly to save the Tamils from total annihilation. Let there be no hide and seek in this matter about which the people are very much concerned.

As for the Government my sincere advice is to come out with a reasonable proposal to solve the ethnic problem without any further delay. I reiterate that any solution within a Unitary State will never meet the aspirations of the minorities. Undue delay will prove detrimental to the cause."