Prabhakaran is an animal - Devananda

EPDP leader and Minister Douglas Devananda emphasised that European Union (EU) countries should prove the LTTE proscription is a real ban without a nominal proscription because the LTTE will try their best to operate in different forms.

In an interview with Sunday Observer staffer Jayantha Sri Nissanka, Devananda noted that earlier too, the United Kingdom and America banned the LTTE but still they were raising funds and engaged in other activities. Therefore, the EU countries should prove it is a real ban.

Excerpts of the interview are as follows.

Q: The European Union banned the LTTE. Will that reduce LTTE atrocities?

A: Violence will certainly reduce if the LTTE leadership respects humanity. Otherwise violence will continue. Prabhakaran is a man who has no regard for humanity. He is like an animal. If you hide the cane you can't control an animal. It will try to attack you. He is like that. Last Thursday he killed two of my supporters. I welcome the EU ban but this proscription should have been imposed long ago. Then we could have seen some results today. However, the proscription should not be limited to words. It must be practically implemented.

Q: You are the best person to read the mind of Prabhakaran. Do you think he will change his attitude and seek a negotiated settlement under international pressure?

A: Not at all. There were so many pressures on the LTTE. But they did not bother.They even killed Rajiv Gandhi. LTTE even fought the IPKF. His real problem is that he cannot survive in a democratic process. He does not like peace but he wants a piece of land to rule as a dictator.

That is why we can't trust him. He deceived many leaders. If I tell you an example, one day former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, when she was just elected to office, told me that if Nelson Mandela and Yasser Arafat can embrace democracy, why can't Prabhakaran embrace democracy.

Then I told her, `Madam you can't compare Prabhakaran with Mandela or Arafat. You must compare him with Hitler, Pol Pot or Idi Amin'. She did not believe what I said. Finally what happened, she narrowly escaped an LTTE suicide bomber but, lost one eye.

Q: The Co- chairs have warned that the LTTE will be isolated if they don't give up violence. Do you think that the EU ban is a severe blow to the LTTE fund rising and all other operations in EU countries?

A: Earlier too, the United Kingdom and America also banned the LTTE but still they are raising funds and are engaged in other activities in different forms. Therefore, the EU countries should prove, it is a real proscription than a nominal ban. The LTTE will try their best to operate in different forms.

Q: All these measures have been imposed to get the LTTE to the negotiating table. Do you think it will succeed?

A: In every circus there is a man with a whip to lead the circus. He is called the Ring Master. If the International Community plays a Ring Master role, then only we can get the LTTE to the negotiating table. Otherwise, there is no hope that the LTTE will come to the negotiating table.

Q: Do you think that the International Community will play such a role?

A: Otherwise, there is little hope for peace in Sri Lanka.

Q: The LTTE says it is ready to talk with every new Government towards a negotiated settlement. But they later find fault with the Government and boycott talks. Is it a tactical move?

A: It is a tactical move. That is why I told you that Prabhakaran cannot survive politically or physically in a democratic set up. For a tactical purpose he comes and goes from the peace table. According to Prabhakaran, Rajiv Gandhi, R. Premadasa, Chandrika Bandaranaike and Mahinda Rajapakse are wrong.

Until Prabhakaran is alive he will not come for any amicable settlement, if you analyze history. Before the last Presidential election he thought that if Ranil Wickremesinghe wins, he will introduce a federal solution and will bring international pressure to implement it. If Rajapakse comes he will take a hard line approach because of the influence of JHU and JVP.

After Mahinda Rajapakse became the President, he is more into peace than anybody. Then Prabhakaran's strategy failed. That is why he started attacking the troops. His strategy was to provoke forces expecting soldiers to harass innocent Tamils in order to win the Tamil community and international support.

Few isolated incidents took place. But all other incidents were controlled by the President. Therefore, Prabhakarn's strategy continued to fail. But I must tell you that he succeeded in Trincomalee.

The LTTE killed 13 people last week to provoke Sinhalese. He wants to send more Tamils to India to get Karunanidhi's sympathy. Because of my presence, Prabhakaran could not do much. I am also one of the pioneers in armed struggles. The LTTE cannot claim that they are the only representative of Tamils. Because, I also represent the Tamil community. That is why they are out to kill me. Since they can't kill me they are killing my supporters to clip my wings.

Q: If he does not like peace, why does every Government that comes to power want talks with the LTTE?

A: That is the problem. I was advocating a solution in three stages for a long time. When any Government introduces a solution, the southern political parties oppose it. But there is one mechanism, the southern consensus agreed i.e. the Provincial Council system. But at the beginning SLFP and JVP opposed and took to streets in 1987. Now everyone agreed and their members are in Provincial Councils.

Southern consensus is there. At the same time, Tamils also understand that it as a good start. The best thing is to give life to the North and East Provincial Council and appoint a political leadership for an interim period. Similar arrangements we find in Ireland and Scottish portfolios in UK. In the second stage we must strengthen Provincial Councils within our Constitutional frame work.

We can amend the Constitution even without a two third majority under the clause 154 G (2) with a simple majority. Then give more powers within the Constitutional framework to convince the Tamil community. How many Governments talked to the LTTE? But finally no solution was reached. People in the North and East got nothing.

Therefore, this is the best option. Stage by stage we can solve the problem. Then people will get confident and at the same time convince the Sinhalese community that how much we could devolve power. In the third stage, we can discuss the lution whether the LTTE like it or not.

Q: What assurance can you give that the LTTE will enter the final stage?

A: When the Parliamentary election was announced in 1994, the LTTE said they can't trust democracy and their problems could not be solved under such a mechanism. They demanded Tamils to boycott the election. They warned that if anyone contests, they will be treated as traitors and killed.

They did it. But ten years later the EPDP showed progress. The LTTE came to Parliament rigging the election. Their members contested even at Local Government level. Let the International community pressurise the LTTE but the Government should introduce a solution. Gradually, the LTTE will be forced to enter the democratic process.

Q: How can we have elections for the North and East Provincial Council with the LTTE violence?

A: That is why we need an interim administration to appoint political leaders. Because if we hold any election, the LTTE will rig it. When I was Minister of Rehabilitation in 2001, thousands of people came to see me daily to have their problems solved. That is why they formed the TNA later. Unfortunately, that Government collapsed. If I had continued, the situation would have been different today. I can do it well. That is why they are out for my blood.

Q: You and TULF leader V. Anandasangaree advocate that the Government should introduce a solution ignoring the LTTE. But can we find a lasting solution ignoring the LTTE because they control the majority areas in the North and East by the gun?

A: The reality is that the LTTE will not enter the democratic process. But we have to create a situation for them to come. Without a solution it will not work.

Q: What is the final solution to the North and East problem? Is it a federal system or some thing else?

A: Let the country decide it after implementing the two stages of my proposal. After convincing Sinhala and Tamil communities, we can decide what the best solution is for the North and East.