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| Sunday, 13 February 2005 |
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'We intend to maintain a 300 metre buffer zone' - Soosai
In the aftermath of the tsunami catastrophe, Sunday Observer Staffer Rohan Mathes who toured the Wanni LTTE strongholds of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu, interviews Sea Tiger leader Soosai at a heavily guarded refurbished building in the coast of Mullaitivu. Excerpts of the interview. Q. What course of action have you taken in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster in Mullaitivu, and what do you intend to do in the re-building process? A: In the first phase, we had to provide immediate relief and attended to basic necessities like food, clothing and shelter. The latter was provided in schools, churches and temples. The schools however have to be vacated. So in the second phase, we began relocating about 1850 displaced families in temporary shelters like camps, from February 4, and expect to complete this process by February 15. Q:. What are your plans in re-locating the displaced families? A: To protect the people of Mullaitivu from similar disasters in the future, we intend to maintain a buffer zone of at least 300 metres, and not 200 metres, for the North and East, especially for Mullaithivu. The people have agreed to this voluntarily. The fishing community too has agreed despite the distance from the sea. Q: How do you intend to get the required land for this envisaged re-settlement project? A: The lands outside the 300 metre buffer zone inland, are predominantly owned by private individuals and therefore we anticipate the government's assistance in acquiring this land via the Mullaithivu GA. Q: What are your other plans for the re-construction process? A: As you will see from this map (explaining with the aid of a large map), the road from Kokkutuduvai to Chundikulam, has been completely washed away by the tsunami. All the fisheries harbours have been destroyed. Therefore we propose to construct a bund from Valayamadam to Silavatura to protect the fishermen and their boats and gear, like in Negombo. A German NGO, German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) has offered assistance to fund the project, and we expect government approval for it via the Mullaithivu GA. Although the Fisheries Ministry has drawn up a plan to rehabilitate 12 fisheries harbours in the country, as stated in the media, we are sorry to say that none of the selected, are from our area. So we expect to pressurise the government via the media, to approve the GTZ assisted project, for which we don't need a cent from the government. We only need their approval. Q: Are you happy with the response and assistance extended to your relief efforts, by the government? A: No we are not satisfied with the assistance provided by the government to-date. To clear the debris, we need heavy machinery. We have requested the same from Minister Rishard Badurdeen even at a fee, but the response has been very poor to-date. We have also requested heavy machinery for KKS from Area Commander Sunil Tennekoon, but there had been little response from him too. You can see for yourself the heavy vehicles available on site now. We saw in the newspapers that government officials have issued diesel at Rs. 12 a litre to the fishermen in certain places in the South to facilitate their livelihoods. However, this facility has not been given to our fishermen here. Why this indifference? Q: How does the LTTE expect to co- ordinate with the government in their post-tsunami re-building efforts of the North East? A: We expect to co-operate fully with the government in the re-building efforts. We have not imposed any conditions on the government. The government nevertheless, continues to say that we are a hindrance to the relief work. I don't know what they mean by this 'hindrance'. The government also says that we are having high security zones which they cannot enter into. This is not true. If it was so, how did you all come in? Q: Will government officials be granted permission to get into your territory and work together with the LTTE? A: At present, the Peace Secretariats of the Government and the LTTE are discussing how to reach a consensus to work together without pre conditions. Although there have been no major contravention of the Ceasefire agreement for the last two and a half years, our people have not received anything substantial or achieved much during this time. If you go on an inspection tour to the relief centres, you will see for yourself that nothing much has been provided by the government to the relief camps, not even electricity. The GA too has not been vested with the required powers to act in such a crisis situation. Q: Does the LTTE propose to control and manage the foreign funds for the relief work by themselves, or is it via the government? A: We propose that the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), a government approved NGO, affiliated to us, take over the relief functions and perform their tasks systematically. We also propose the formation of a separate committee for the North and East, comprising representatives from the LTTE and the government. As all Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim people in the North and East have been struck by the tsunami, the committee should comprise representatives from all these communities. Q: How should the balance of power within this proposed committee be, in the decision making process? A: There should be a 'task force' to represent all communities equitably. Q: During UN Secretary General Koffi Annan's tour of Sri Lanka, the LTTE alleged that Annan was deprived of visiting the North and East by the government. Do you still hold that view? A: Yes. Assume that both of us were enemies and had a fight. Eventually, there was a funeral where all of us were struck by the same tragedy and had to get together. In these circumstances, if an outsider visited us, it is our duty and obligation to take the visitor to both parties concerned. It is the government which had the authority and the responsibility to do this. Nonetheless, that did not happen. Q: Do you see the presence of US Marines and Indian navy, as a potential threat to the LTTE? A: No. As long as they are here for humanitarian purposes, we don't see them as a threat. We are not on a war footing now. It is the Sri Lankan government, that is engulfed in this, as we have heard that Army Commander Shantha Kottegoda has been to Iran recently, to purchase weapons. You can see for yourself, what we are doing now. Q: Is there any truth to media reports that the LTTE had recruited some 43 odd child soldiers after the tsunami? A: Don't believe in false and distorted media reports. Actually, we have discharged and sent home some children whom we had recruited during the pre-tsunami period, to enable them to look after their loved-ones and families affected by the tsunami. Q: What are the prospects of the tsunami re-construction process operating simultaneously and in parallel with the peace process? A: How can we expect the peace talks to resume, when the government and the LTTE have failed to reach a consensus in the coordination of tsunami relief work yet? But if you look at Ache state in Indonesia, you will see that the Indonesian government and the Rebels have reached a working agreement in the re-building process. Unfortunately, this has not happened here. Q: Why doesn't the LTTE reject their present 'homeland' concept which is confined to the North and East of the country only, and accept the whole of Sri Lanka as their homeland? A: Successive governments have been continuously depriving the Tamil people of their rights and aspirations to the extent where we lost all faith in the government. Even at the very resumption of the peace talks, the government sunk two of our vessels. So how could we trust the government? We were thrown into this situation, to take this course of action. Q: Don't you think that by insisting on the ISGA itself, you are asking something beyond what a responsible government could possibly give? A: Why do you say that? We are not asking too much. We are only asking that we should be governed by ourselves. You can be governed by yourselves. Then, all of us could live together without any hostilities in one country. That is it. |
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