President only leader who could develop country - Minister Muralitharan

by Shanika SRIYANANDA

November 26th was famous for the LTTE’s ‘Mahaveera Day’ speech made by V. Prabhakaran, who kissed the earth in his last battle last May putting a full-stop to the 30-year long battle that dragged the Tamils into the stone age.

His most trust worthy bodyguard and the former military commander now turned the Minister of National Integration and Reconciliation Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan said that some ignorant pro-LTTEers would try to mislead the Tamils by releasing a dubbed speech of Prabhakaran to say that he was alive.

“I saw his body and that was Prabhakaran. The DNA too has proved that was his body. But some Tamils still believe that he is alive”, Minister said.

Minister Muralitharan, who said that his life was ‘devoted’ to get more Tamils into the SLFP, which is the political party that his generations belonged to, said Prabhakaran would be the King of Tamils if he changed his dream and got into the democratic process.

“For any government that comes to power needs the support of Tamils in the North and the East. So if Prabhakaran was changed, he would be the most soughtafter man in all the Governments”, he said adding that he felt sorry for his former leader as he who had hundreds of strong bodyguards around him, was lying in isolation on the banks of the Nandi Kandal Lagoon.

Following are the excerpts of the interviews:

Q: Just five months ago the military had defeated the LTTE completely. How do you see the post-LTTE period?

A: After three decades, the country is back to normal and people are happy after Prabhakaran is gone. The biggest problem that we faced was resettling displaced people but that is too going smoothly as the Government has accelerated the program. More than 100,000 IDPs have already been resettled.

Before the end of January next year all IDPs will be resettled in their own areas. Other development activities too are going on well. New roads and bridges have come up.

The Eastern region is getting better and we try to promote tourism to generate income and employment. Lots of investors have already come forward to invest in the tourism sector. The situation in the North is too getting better. The situation in the North is too becoming normal. I strongly hope that within next two years the entire North and East will have a prosperous time.

Q: But the LTTE is not completely gone and the remnants are still haunting. What do you think about the LTTE sympathizers abroad and can they be active like earlier?

A: No, it is very difficult for the LTTE to raise its head. Gradually the pro-LTTEers abroad have also changed because they have realized the situation here and the damage caused by the LTTE to the Tamils. Only few are still voicing for the LTTE. The best example is the Tamil Nadu delegation.

Before coming here they always talked against the Government and promoted the LTTE’s separate country idea for Tamils. Especially Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi’s daughter MP Kanimoshi stood by this idea and said that the only solution was a separate country for Tamils. After they visited the IDP camps and saw the reality they have completely changed their opinions.

I also have had regular discussions with Tamil Diaspora in USA and London and now they have completely different views. They no longer support the LTTE. They are willing to join hands with the Government to work for the Tamils. There is a very positive support from them.

Q: V. Rudrakumar was one of the participants with you during the peace talks between the Government and LTTE. How do you see his arrival as the LTTE’s latest figure to lead the outfit?

A: He is a lawyer and the only man trying to create problems abroad. He tries to declare his imaginary Trans-national government. They claim that they are going to have elections to get the Tamils’ opinion about this. But it’s not possible as to declare Trans-national government, other countries should also agree and support the idea. The outfit needs to function openly in these countries but no country will accept the LTTE, which is banned in most of the countries.

My request for the Tamil Diaspora and Rudrakumar is that we, Tamils, suffered for over 30-years and need to come out of the agony. What I can tell Rudrakumar is that Tamils were misled by the LTTE and other politicians but they are well aware of the past. Now on one can mislead Tamils. I know the pulse of the Northern people.

I have also requested the Tamil National Alliance politicians not to raise racism because the country’s situation has come to normal and we need to maintain it. Now the country has peace under the good leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Tamils can have hopes for a better future under his leadership.

Q: Many former LTTE cadres had joined with you when you broke away with the LTTE. Now the Government is saddled with over 10,000 ex-LTTEers who are undergoing rehabilitation. To what extent are those from the Eastern province leading normal lives?

A: The Government had introduced good plans to rehabilitate them. Today they are doing well and leading peaceful lives. These former cadres are now engaged in farming, cultivation and odd jobs. According to their educational standard some got good jobs. This is the cultivation season and people are getting ready for the coming season. Fishing is going on well. These ex-cadres got more jobs in these sectors including tourism.

Q: As the Minister do you feel that you have succeeded in the task given to you?

A: I am happy that I am given this Ministry. Tamils suffered from the war. Tamils are divided due to internal conflicts among Tamils. So far I have done lots of things to re-build the relationships among all communities. I met the religious leaders, community leaders and politicians and religious organizations to make them united. I think there is a good outcome of these activities and there is a unity and better understanding among them than earlier in the East.

The other task is not to have regional politics which is bad for a small country like us. We should have national politics. There cannot be any discrimination when they are in national politics. Then these people will have a national stage to voice their problems.

That is why we are keen in setting up SLFP offices in the North and East to get more people into national politics.

Q: You said that you are satisfied with the work done to the Eastern people, but what are the plans for the Northern region, where you have spent lots of time as a LTTE military commander?

A: I have lots of contacts with Jaffna people. The first thing we have to do is organizing the SLFP there. Development is going on well. I think we have to explain these people properly about our future plans. We have to increase the number of Tamil Parliamentarians from the North to represent the ruling political party. Then only we can develop the region.

I have requested the TNA Parliamentarians to support the President. Some agreed. The Opposition is trying to select a common candidate, but what I can say is that when there is a new leader the development and the good work done by this government will be wasted and will be at a standstill. I do not believe in these proposed common candidates and they cannot win also as all the SLFPers are working hard to strengthen the hands of the President.

Q: There is a talk going on that you are building a manson in Jaffna. Is it true?

A: No. It’s a rumour. So far I do not have any house in Sri Lanka. We are going to open our SLFP office. It is not a big house. I do not want to live in a palace.

Q: The Government boasts about a successful resettlement program in the Eastern Province. Do you mean to say that all IDPs are back in their own habitats?

A: Yes, I am proud about the resettlement process in the Eastern province as it is 100 percent successfully completed. There are new roads and bridges.

For the first time in the history of the Eastern region people are getting carpet roads. The country’s longest bridge - the Kinniya Bridge - is in the Eastern Province. The biggest school in Batticoloa was opened recently by the President. The infrastructure facilities are given to the maximum.

The only issue is the unemployment problem. There are 1,200 graduates in the Eastern Province. We had discussions with the Education Minister and the Governor on this issue and they will be recruited as teachers very soon.

There are some IDP camps in Muttur but they need to be relocated. Other than these 6,000 IDPs, all IDPs in the Eastern province are resettled and have started their own livelihood activities.

Q: The TNA has accused the Government for attempting to grab lands that belong to Tamils to create Sinhala villages in the Northern region. What do you have to say about this allegation ?

A: No such thing is taking place. All these are lies by the interested parties. Whether Sinhalese or Muslims, those, who have original deeds, should get their land. Sinhalese people have a right to buy lands in the North and the East if they can pay money. How many Tamils live in other parts of the country and no Sinhalese person oppose Tamils buying lands or buildings.

This is how the interested parties are trying to create racism among Tamils. I invited some top Sinhalese businessmen to come and buy lands in the North and the East. They can assist to develop the regions by investing more there.

I do not think that the TNA can mislead people by spreading these rumours as Tamils are more aware of these lies now. The politicians with the party also have realized this. I had talks with them and invited them to join the Government. Over 75 percent like to join the Government because they know that they have no future otherwise. They can not promote racism in future as Tamils want to live together with other communities.

Q: But the Tamils are to form an Alliance to face the coming elections and what is your comment about this intended alliance?

A: There is no future for any Alliance. There are more than 15 Tamil and Muslim political parties in Sri Lanka and they never like to work in unity.

They try to compete with one another to capture power. They are divided and will never work together. All these Alliances are failures. But, if they can join together, they can do a good impact but the issue is that they will never hold hands together as they have separate agendas. Some political parties want to maintain their image and do not want to work for the Tamils. They maintain small political parties like small sports clubs.

Some political parties, which have realized the truth and their fate, have already pledged their support for the Government but I asked them to join the Government fully to become pure SLFPers.

Q: You formed the TMVP but now you call yourself as a ‘pure SLFPer’. What made you to wear full blue?

A: Normally Batticoloa people are SLFPers and my whole generation are SLFPers. That is the first reason for me to join the SLFP but the main reason was when I broke away from the LTTE, I formed the TMVP temporary but later I realized that regional politics can not achieve any thing. Then I realized this truth and joined the SLFP to extend my fullest support to the President. Now I am one of the Vice Presidents of the SLFP.

Q: The pro-LTTEers are still active and what are their possibilities of carrying out arms smuggling?

A: With the arrest of KP, this net work is completely destroyed. Earlier they used to get weapons from Ukraine but not from China. One of the media has mis-quoted me saying that the LTTE brought arms from China. This is totally wrong and those weapons were Chinese made but not given by Chinese Government. I know that the LTTE brought weapons from Ukraine illegal arms dealers. I can confirm this 100 percent.

I am sure that still the LTTE shipping net work is active but can not prove that those ships belong to the LTTE as they are registered under different names. According to their country laws, these ships are in their business and can not say they engage in illegal activities.

Q: What do you know about Raj Rajaratnam, who is now arrested in the USA?

A: I know he financially supported the LTTE earlier.

Q: Some try to frame charges war crimes against the Government. You were a military commander and were once a close associate of Prabhakaran, who had committed serious crimes against humanity. What do you have to say about these charges as a former commander of the LTTE?

A: No point USA trying to blame Sri Lanka for war crimes and they can not do anything against Sri Lanka, because the Sri Lankan Government had a rescue operation not a war.

The most important thing is we have finished the war and brought peace. Tamils are now enjoying freedom here because the Government swept out the LTTE here.

Especially in a military operation no one can win without shedding blood.

The reality in a war is that nothing can be achieved, without shedding blood. What they should understand is that the Government waged this war to destroy ruthless terrorists, who terrorized people for over 30 years.

The LTTE at the last stages did more harm to the civilians and put the blame on government.

When people tried to escape, the LTTE indiscriminately fired at people killing lots of them.