Hostility to CFA gathers momentum

by Thava Sajitharan

Five years have lapsed since a ceasefire agreement (CFA) was signed by the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam V. Prabhakaran. The agreement came into effect from 0.00 hours on February 23, 2002.The preamble of the truce stated that the overall objective of signing the agreement was "to find a negotiated solution to the on-going ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka". It was meant to be a prelude to the negotiations between the two parties concerned.

Since then, several rounds of talks have been held in different destinations across the globe between the government and the LTTE. Yet it remains questionable whether those dialogues bore any fruit.

De-proscription of the LTTE by the Sri Lankan Government on September 19, 2002, peace talks held in Thailand, Norway, Germany and Japan between October 2002 and March 2003 and the LTTE submitting its proposals for establishing an Interim Self Governing Authority (I.S.G.A) to the government in October 2003 are the significant events that took place in the first few years of the Ceasefire Agreement. The breakaway of Karuna Amman, the Eastern leader of the LTTE, on March 6, 2004 was considered a major blow to the LTTE.

However, at this crucial juncture, there have been vigorous campaigns against the CFA by some section of people demanding the termination of the agreement in the 'interest of the nation', while some others fear that a full scale war will claim scores of lives and lead to economic disaster of the country.

The main criticism levelled against the CFA by those who oppose the agreement is that it has allowed the LTTE to perpetrate its activities with limitless impunity both within and outside the so-called 'LTTE controlled' areas; It has permitted the outfit to carry out forcible conscriptions and abductions.

It is pertinent to note the comments made by the Defence Spokesman and Minister Keheliya Rambukwella in response to a recent report released by the Scandinavian truce monitors of the CFA which said 'nearly 4000 people had lost their lives in incidents connected to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka during the past 15 months in contrast to the three previous years where less than 130 deaths relating to the conflict had been recorded'.

The Defence Spokesman was reported to have said that the country's sovereignty had been threatened by the CFA and in the process of changing it violence had increased. The LTTE too in a statement said that the CFA had 'recognized the Tamil Eelam's de facto existence'.

On the other hand, the Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians are often heard criticizing the government for failing to safeguard the lives of the people living in the North-East.

During the first three years of the agreement the occurrence of major incidents and violations of the truce were reported to be minimal.

The assassination of the then Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar in August 2005 had a serious impact on the peace process and the agreement. Minister Kadirgamar was noted for his relentless campaigns against the LTTE in the international arena.

The government was forced to react for the first time with aerial bombarding on the LTTE controlled Sampur, after the LTTE launched a failed attempt to assassinate the Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka on April 25, 2006 at the Sri Lanka Army headquarters in Colombo. A female suicide bomber carried out the attack, critically injuring the Army Commander. Consequently, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army Major General Parami Kulatunga was killed in a suicide explosion that occurred close to Pannipitiya junction on June 26, 2006.

In an incident in Kebithigollewa in June 2006, which is known to be the worst one involving the civilians since the signing of the agreement in which over 65 bus passengers were killed in a mine attack.

The aerial raid by the Sri Lankan forces in August 2006 on 'Sencholai' in the Mullaitivu district, which the LTTE claims to be an orphanage centre, drew vehement condemnation as over 60 girls were reported dead in the attack.

The purpose of having a ceasefire agreement will continue to be questioned if it fails to secure the lives of the civilians.

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