LTTE is back to zero - TULF leader

With the death of the LTTE's Political Wing Leader S. P. Thamilselvan, the Leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Veerasingam Anandasangaree, the politician who had written the highest number of letters and pleas to the terrorists, has again requested the LTTE leadership to comeback to the negotiating table to save young lives. In an interview with the Sunday Observer he said that the Tamil political parties are willing to help the LTTE if the terrorists end the armed struggle and entre the democratic stream. These youth have the courage to achieve whatever the deadly desires of the leadership risking their lives. So it is high time to use these valuable lives to develop the country. It is sad that they are sacrificing their lives for an unrealisable cause," he said.

Q: Despite severe defeats, yet there are no clues that the LTTE will enter the democratic path. In this climate do you think the only option to liberate Tamils is militarily weakening the LTTE?

A: I do not agree with you. One thing that I agree is that the LTTE would never come to the negotiating table because they have their own problems. They will not come for a settlement. The government's intention to beat them first and then come for talks would not help to end the problems of Tamils. Terrorism can be defeated by this way but what I hope is that the peace package must come out along with these military operations.

There are people in this country who say that once the problem is solved militarily and since the terrorists are defeated, that there is not problem for the Tamils. They will try to forget our grievances. The problems of Tamils were there for the last 50 years.

So the government must come out with a solution and then discuss it. None can believe Prabhakaran to come to a settlement. The last photograph with Prabakaran and his 21 carders would say it all.

Without Prabhakaran all other 21 youth in that picture died why not Prabhakaran committed suicide but he sacrificed innocent lives of 21 youth who were brain washed and forcibly taken into the LTTE. Why is he sacrificing lives of our people. I do not know in what status Prabhakaran is now as he knew well that those youth would die and he dared to take the last picture with them. I see Prabhakaran as a lunatic.

Q: It is apparent that even after losing its political leader T. Selvan, the sole aim of the LTTE leadership is still a separate state. Can he make his dream a reality and how feasible Eelam today?

A: Forget about Eelam. First thing is that Eelam is not a thing wanted by the Tamils in the North and the East.

Second is in that Eelam is never achievable. Never will the LTTE achieve it. Because the international community is against it and India is much concerned about it. Because, they have their own problems in their own country. The third point is, it is absurd to have Eelam. There will be over 1000 miles and it is difficult for all the people get together to guard the boundary. So it is utterly impossible and difficult to maintain it. The main point is that the majority of Tamils do not want Eelam. The Tamil community will strongly oppose it because they have to depend on the Southern market. So it is impossible to have Eelam and Tamils are totally against it.

Q: You are famous for making pleas and writing letters to the LTTE including its leadership. How many such letters and pleas have you written to Prabhakaran so far?

A: I think I have written more than eight such letters. I have already one in my hand about the Anuradhapura incident. It is finding fault for unnecessarily sacrificing lives of innocent Tamil youth and causing death for ten airmen.

Q: Did he ever reply your letters?

A: He never replied and he can never reply to my letters.

Q: Do you think writing letters to a ruthless terrorist would bring positive results?

A: Yes, writing letters has a dual purpose. One is that he is exposed. My latest letter started with exposing the LTTE's killings including that of former Jaffna Mayor, Alfred Duraiappah. It has received wide publicity and convinced lots of people.

Most people in the Tamil diaspora. They do not know much about these killings. Most of the Tamils including some of the local Tamils and those who are living abroad. They do not know what had happened. We had 36 industries but all are closed now. We had a big cement factory which met the half the requirement of the country but is closed with over 1,000 rendered jobless with their families. We had the chemical factory where over 1,000 people worked. We had the saltern which would have supplied salt to the entire country. That factory and the Valachchenai factory were closed. The whole economy of the North and the East was destroyed by the LTTE.

Prabhakaran is really mad and it is not a day or a week or a month but half a century had gone with this unnecessary battle. But he is now back to zero.

Q: Did you ever try to discuss with him to make him aware of the state of Tamils in this bloody war?

A: No. I know it would have been pointless. But I have met him once after the CFA was signed after the 2002 election. He wanted to meet all the MPs. We thought he was very serious about a solution. I honestly believed that he was genuinely trying to find a solution at that time but I soon realised that he had took us on a ride. Within a month, the LTTE spokesman Anton Balasingham issued a statement saying that we can't be independent but should carry out the orders of the LTTE. Who are them to give us orders and that is why I broke away from them. If the LTTE had been cordial and got our advice and experience this would have been different. They decided against getting our advice and we were asked to accept their dictatorship. There is nothing that Prabakaran can advise us on. So I did not have an opportunity to meet him or explain him but within a shorter period of time he proved he was incorrigible.

Q: Do you think that Prabhakaran is a dictator and not the sole representative of the Tamils?

A: Yes. Militancy ultimately gave room for fanatism and then dictatorship. Today Prabhakaran is almost like a dictator. He started the struggle saying that it was to win the rights of the Tamils. But because of him the Tamils have lost all of their rights. The democracy that they enjoyed is no more. Human rights violations are taking place everyday. It was a thorough failure not because of the Tamil leadership but because of Prabhakaran alone.

We know the gravity of the problem. The LTTE are leading very lavish lives.

Their children are safe and it is not the case of the children of ordinary farmers. In Kilinochchi O/L and A/L classes are not conducted.

Most of them are living in hiding in fear of the LTTE and most of them have been taken by the LTTE by force and whenever the parents objected they were thrashed.

Some parents who could not protect their children from the LTTE had committed suicide. Some died after jumping in front of LTTE vehicles.

Q: What is the HR situation in Kilinochchi?

A: Kilinochchi is now like a graveyard. I am surprised why that whoever comes to the country like the UN human rights experts and many other NGOs to study the situation are not bothered about what is happening in Kilinochchi. Human rights violations are much more in Kilinochchi but no one talks about this.

I find fault with the government also for one thing for not allowing Arbour to go to Kilinochchi because when I met her in Geneva two months ago I told her about the situation and explained that I am from Kilinochchi and the violations that are taking place were immense. Then she agreed to visit the area. But the government had refused. The government should have told her if the LTTE agrees her to go deep into the area and talk to the people. The LTTE tactfully said that the invitation is only to see the administrative side. That means that she could not have seen anything other than the guard of honour.

This is the advice that I am giving to the government. Anyone who wants to go to Kilinochchi should be allowed to go under condition. Then they are allowed to see the real situation by talking to people.

Q: Do you think that before opening doors for the LTTE for discussions, the CFA should be amended?

A: Yes. Now the CFA is a completely a dead document. All the provisions of the CFA have been violated. So they should sign a new agreement for this purpose.

Q: For years you have been mentioning about the need of an Indian model based on federalism to end the national problem. So you do not have hopes about APRC?

A: Why I stress on an Indian model is because there are special reasons. One, 60 million Tamils are living across the sea. There are some people who are agents of the LTTE there. Even about a small thing they make a big fuss about it in a very unjustifiable manner. The moment that we say that we adopting an Indian model, people, who are agitating for a separate state in India will have to keep their mouths shut because they cannot ask for more from us for more than what they are enjoying for themselves. They have no moral right. People who are talking very loosely can tell about the Indian model and so on. All these people are not interested in getting a separate land for Tamils.

And the second is that the Indians do not call it federalism or unitary. And as far as the debate on unitary or federalism is concerned the debate is silent.

We can just say we are united in diversity. So this will satisfy the requirement of the people who do not oppose the concepts of a unitary state and federalism. So, here the government can do away with both words. I have met the number of Ministers of this government, MPs, Mahanayaka Theras and Bishops among the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim Diaspora who did not oppose my proposal.

These political parties are in different directions. We had APRCs earlier also but all the members couldn't go to a one direction. With having serious opposition to a unitary state or federalism or what ever the proposal do you think that they will ever arrive at a consensus?

Q: So according to you, what do you think is the best way out?

A: Yes, the President has to take action. The government should decide, but he should not have any bias against or towards the communities. He must tell the people that. "You have elected him as the President of the country, so have faith and give me a free hand.

And I want to solve this problem? I know the whole country would be with him. Then he should come to a conclusion. The problem about the APRC is you cannot ask the APRC to come up with a solution. There was the expert committee with experts. What has happened to it. The President could tell that these are the proposals from the expert committee and do not interrupt him. That is what I thought would have happened.

But it was rejected. Same thing will happen to the APRC too. It is very unlikely that it will be succeed. The whole thing depends on the President. He has to come out with a concrete proposal.

Q: Once you have said that terrorism could be ended the national problem can be solved under this government. Are you satisfied with the steps taken by the government so far?

A: The government is making a serious attempt to solve this problem. There is no doubt about it. With the word unitary it will be difficult for the government to sell it to the people. It is very unfair for the Tamils to agree for a unitary concept. For over 50 years under unitary system we did not find a solution.

Now it is high time for the government to come out with proposals to solve the problem. Why the government continue with fighting is that the LTTE still fighting. I have told Prabhakaran, "You stop your killing and see what will happen?".

But the problem is no one can believe the LTTE will stop fighting. First they must come for talks and say that they have stopped fighting. Then the government also can stop fighting.

Q: So are you satisfied with the steps take by the government to resettle the people in the East?

A: Yes, I have visited the East and people are happy that they were liberated from the LTTE. And there were not much casualties this time.

Q: What is your feeling about your colleagues like R. Sampanthan who are speaking for the LTTE in the Parliament?

A: I even do not look at their faces because they are traitors and have betrayed the Tamils. There are lots of HR violations taking place in Kilinochchi. They did not utter a single word about it. Senadhiraja was talking about free election in the Parliament. If I was in the Parliament I would have asked him "Hey Mr.Senadhiraja were you elected freely". Unfortunately there was none to ask them this question.

Q: Do you have any information that the LTTE is going to make a Unilateral Declaration of Independence on January like in Zimbabwe. Can they declare ULD and will the international community accept Eelam?

A: Do you think that the international community will just tolerate it. No I do not have any information as such. It will be a mad step. What will happen is that the LTTE will declare UDI while depending on the government.

Then the government has to send food for Prabhakaran also. So it is absurd. This is an attempt by the LTTE again to fool people abroad to collect money.

Q: Now the international community talking about HR violations in Sri Lanka. Why do you think that the international community is silent over the grave HR violations by the LTTE like having torture camps and detention camps for Tamils in the North?

A: Yes. Even I cannot understand why they are so silent. I think it is mainly because that there is no sufficient propaganda on the part of the government.

How many times I have brought this to the notice of the government.

How many times I have written to the international community about the HR violations taking place in the North. Indian politicians were making a big fuss and one day I told an Indian politician to come to Kilinochchi and see about the HR violations. Then he kept silent.

On the other hand when the international NGOs come here they select local volunteers. And over 90 per cent of these volunteers will represent the LTTE.

Q: Are you ready to contest in the election schedule in January in the East. How do you see Karuna's entering into main stream politics?

A: Anyone can come into politics without arms. That should be the pre-condition. Secondly we will be contesting if there is a free and fair election.

First of all, I do not advise for holding an early election, where the LTTE is very furious. If they behave in the same manner they will kill our candidates before the election as they are brainwashed to such things. So we cannot sacrifice our candidates.

The government should do the mopping out operations in the Eastern province . However it is good to postpone the election for some months until the situation is improved. The most appropriate thing that the government should do is to put forward the solutions to isolate the LTTE.

When the ordinary Tamils in these areas do not have a solution they will rely on the LTTE as there is nothing from the government. Do you know there are Tamils who say that they can raise their heads because of the LTTE.

But I told them that because of the LTTE I really ashamed and I put my head down.

Q: Can the LTTE face the military operations to liberate the North and can the LTTE continue child conscription and forced recruitment in the North?

A: What action have they taken so far to stop forced recruitment. I have repeatedly complained to the international community about child conscription in Kilinochchi. They are talking about these violations in general but no one talks about these grave HR violations taking place in Kilinochchi. Real HR violations are taking place in Kilinochchi.

I told Allen Rock and Louise Arbour that serious HR violation including child conscription and forced recruitment are taking place in Kilinochchi and I wanted them to go there.

Although they are claimed to be fighting a conventional war the LTTE is a guerrilla group. They are modernised guerrillas. They will only depend on aerial attack. When the government troops walked in to Muhamalai over 500 LTTEers died and another 250 became disabled. So facing the state military is not an easy task for them. They will be unable to move forward from the land.

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Pix: Chinthaka Kumarasinghe