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| Sunday, 16 October 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Human rights made a mockery by Ranga Jayasuriya To LTTE political commissar S.P. Thamilselvan's credit, it is undisputable, that he, with his childlike smile is the smartest in public relations among the LTTE hierarchy. But, his verbal assurance of his movement's commitment to human rights holds no validity if the LTTE continues with a killing spree of its political opponents with scant regard to its commitment to the Ceasefire Agreement. When Former Amnesty International chief Ian Martin met LTTE political commissar on Friday, the latter however had one bad news for Martin, i.e. the Tigers are not yet ready to sign a joint human rights declaration with the government. The former AI chief later told reporters that Thamilselvan accepted that a rights declaration would be important, but indicated that "it should follow political discussions". When Martin met Peace Secretariat Chief Jayantha Dhanapala, the latter expressed the government's commitment to sign a joint rights declaration with the Tigers. Deferred the declaration The issue of a joint rights declaration was first time raised at the Hakone peace talks, where the two parties to negotiations agreed to seek the expertise of the former AI chief in improving human right situation in the North-East. Since then, the LTTE has deferred the declaration and given the deadlock in peace talks, it is unlikely that a rights declaration would become a reality anytime soon. Martin also visited the LTTE run Law College and met the chief of Tamil Eelam Judiciary Pararajasingham and LTTE police chief Nadeshan. Only hours after Martin briefed reporters on his meeting with Thamilselvan, LTTE gunmen riding a motorbike shot dead a policeman in Nelliady. Another constable was injured and admitted to the Palaly Military Hospital. The former SLMM chief, Gen. Trond Furuhovde, also accompanied Martin to Kilinochchi. Gen. Furuhovde was sent to the island by the Norwegian peace facilitators after the government and the LTTE failed to agree on a common venue. Gen Furuhovde has called on the Tigers to " explore all avenues, options to break the ice," referring to the stalemate in peace negotiations and the dispute over a common venue for a direct meeting to review the Ceasefire Agreement. Gen. Furuhovde met Government, LTTE and Security forces to consult them on the better implementation of the truce agreement. Albeit LTTE political commissar's niceties with visiting foreign VVIPs, his movement's commitment to the truce agreement is yet to be seen in action. Given the pace the LTTE's pistol men are gunning down rival political activists, it is obvious that such an undertaking to respect human rights will not be put in to action anytime soon. LTTE pistol men allegedly shot dead Jaffna Central Principal K. Rajadorai on Wednesday in front of the Weerasingham Hall. Rajadorai, who developed school facilities through funding made possible by the EPDP leader Douglas Devananda had earlier been threatened by the "Sangiliyan Force", a shadow LTTE front, with death unless he cooperates with the Tigers. The deceased principal was a fierce critic of child conscription and mobilisation of school children for LTTE orchestrated protest campaigns. He protested against the use of school children for the Pongu Tamil Celebrations last month. This murder which took place during the visit of Gen. Furuhovde and Mr Martin is indicative of the hollowness of the LTTE's repeated commitment to the Ceasefire Agreement. Killing of Rajadorai, however seems to be a tit-for tat for the murder of Kopay Christian College Principal N. Sivakadadcham (54) who was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at his house in front of his wife and children. Killings of principals Even though, both the government and the security forces pointed the finger at the Tigers for the killing of Sivakadadcham, who is an organiser of Pongu Tamil Celebrations, the LTTE has accused the military intelligence operatives and the EPDP of the murder. The LTTE has posthumously honoured Sivakadadcham with the title of "Tamil National Patriot". "We strongly condemn the murder of Mr Nadaraja Sivakadadcham, principal of Kopay Christian College and president of Kopay Region Resurgence Consortium by Intelligence operatives of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and traitors from Eelam People Democratic Party (EPDP)," LTTE said in a statement which paid tribute to Sivakadadcham. Sivakadadcham was a supporter of the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) and one of his nephews, a member of the EPRLF was gunned down by the Tigers last month in Vavuniya. Two murders of Rajadorai and Sivakadadcham saw school children taking to the streets, burning tyres and blocking roads on Thursday. School principals have decided to close schools till October 19 protesting to the killings. Indeed, it was Jaffna University Students Council, that first ordered the closure of the schools in protest over the killings. Jaffna University Students Council's affiliation with the LTTE is known and also understandable. Whoever be the perpetrators, the two killings have sent shock waves in the Jaffna public. The past few weeks saw a rise in killings, mainly of civilians in the Jaffna peninsula. This indicates an increasing activity of undercover LTTE operatives and pistol men in the government controlled area. The situation has been aggravated after the LTTE political offices in the peninsula were closed along with those in other parts of the North-East. Jaffna LTTE political leader Ilamparithy now functions from LTTE held Pallai. Meanwhile, LTTE gunmen on Thursday night killed a soldier on duty in a sentry point in Santhively, 20 Km from Batticaloa. Private M.Dilanga Dissanayake was killed, when gunmen fired at him after lobbing a grenade. The attack, though not a new incident could also be a tit-for-tat for the attack on an LTTE convoy by the Karuna loyalists.Early last week, a group of Karuna loyalists, estimated to be 30 men ambushed an LTTE convoy in the LTTE controlled Vavunathiv where the Eastern LTTE military chief Bhanu was travelling. Bhanu and Batticaloa LTTE intelligence chief Keerthi were said to be on their way back from a ceremony to commemorate the first female LTTE cadre, Malathy, when they were attacked by Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG) and small arms fire. Reports said at least four LTTE cadres were killed in the incident. However casualty figures could not be verified. The Air Force, later, airlifted an injured LTTE cadre to Colombo and provided him and a male nurse with escort to a private hospital after the LTTE requested for air transport. The identity of the cadre is not revealed, but the nature of the request suggests that he is a senior LTTE cadre and could be the Batticaloa intelligence chief, Keerthi. |
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