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by FRANCES BULATHSINGHALA

LTTE leader arrives

It was a press conference as well as a media performance. And the subtleties of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were distinctly spelt out in the manner in which the security division of Velupillai Prabhakaran carried out the checking of media personnel.

Scrutiny, scrutiny and more scrutiny. The soles of shoes, the hems of shirts and trousers, pens, notebooks were all examined. Every journalist and every item which was to enter the venue of the press conference of the LTTE leader was examined with a detailed precision which clearly gave a glimpse into the nature of a guerilla force which, in a time span of 19 years, has become one of the most feared organisations in the world.

Journalists who happened to have visiting cards in their wallets or diaries of other colleagues and friends were asked to explain why they were carrying the cards with them and one journalist who had three photographs of previous assignments in the North and East pasted in a pocket diary was asked to decipher the 'exact' reason why he was carrying the photographs!

The 'screening' of the journalists which took place at the Economic and Research Centre in Vattakatchy, Vanni where the throng of nearly 400 media members were lodged the night prior to the press meet, included having around four LTTE photographers lurking in the four corners of the room taking 'mug shots' from diverse angles, an aspect which succeeded in unnerving even some of the most adroit of international journalists.

If the media men were overawed by this initial procedure of 'assuring the safety of the LTTE national leader' (a fact which was repeated over and over at the 'pre briefing' held on 10 morning by Sudakaran, the Secretary of Thamilchelvam, the LTTE Political Wing leader and Pulidevan a high command member of the LTTE political wing) they were in for more unique and interesting observations. Every grove and plain in the heavily forested Vanni en route to the press conference venue were flecked with male and female LTTE police personnel in their blue hued uniforms and LTTE militant cadre in their battle outfits.

LTTE leader at press confab

The interior of the heavily guarded press conference venue , identified as an LTTE college hall, had plain clothed members of the LTTE security division, standing a few feet apart from each other, all of them mustached and all of them scanning through their dark glasses the hall full of journalists who were taken to the venue around 4.00 pm, one hour before the scheduled time of the meeting. As one Indian female journalist described, they looked like the typical Indian macho hero with only the dangling cigarette missing to complete the picture.

For the LTTE war maestro, Velupillai Prabhakaran, labelled for the past nineteen years with a variety of titles ranging from master of terror to the greatest war strategist in the world, April 10 was probably the day when his world fame was estimated and his present reputation which precariously hovers between the borderlines of terrorist and a freedom fighter who hankers for peace, sealed in the eyes of the world, sealed in the manner in which each media organisation representative judged the message between the lines of the answers of Prabhakaran.

The comparison of this press conference with the last one held in 1987 by the LTTE leader at a leading school in Jaffna, at the beginning of the Indian involvement in the Sri Lanka's conflict clearly revealed the height to which the LTTE had grown since then to now. Where there was then only around one hundred journalists, consisting only of Indians and Sri Lankans, April 10 saw one of the largest contingents of media people from around the globe.

Where Prabhakaran was then a guerillas notorious chiefly in India and Sri Lanka, Prabhakaran and his organisation is today, banned by Britain, America, India and LTTE funding banned in Australia, creating a universal web of recognition of the LTTE.

And last Wednesday's press briefing saw a lethal man in less than twenty years transformed from a mere guerilla to a guerilla war lord trying to convince. The global fourth estate that he can finally be trusted to be consistent in his peace efforts; that he wanted to be ban-free and Sri Lanka to initiate it so that the world will look at him and his organisation with new eyes. It was also clear that the LTTE leader wanted India to push under the carpet a past which was described by Prabhakaran as "tragic", a past which both he and his party hierarchies seemed desperate to forget.

A journalist who persisted in the issue of India and the assassination of Rajiv Ghandi was cut short by LTTE theoretician Anton Balasingham with the retort. "Don't try to dig into the past. We want to have friendly relations with India. You are raising an issue that happened ten years ago and therefore we are not in a position to make any comments at this stage".

The million dollar question which was asked in various way by media organisation representatives was whether the Tiger leader was tamed enough to permanently embrace the ethos of a negotiated settlement which the United National Front Government is trying to lure the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam into.

Particularly to the large number of Indian journalists the most intriguing factor was the plea of the LTTE to India to lift the ban on the LTTE and provide a safe passage to LTTE theoretician Anton Balasingham in Tamil Nadu for 'medical and logistic' reasons. "We want the government of India to lift the ban on our organization. At the appropriate time we will raise the issue with the government of India," Dr. Balasingham said.

Asked about the LTTE's involvement in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, it was pointed out by the LTTE leader that as there were four persons who have been condemned to death over the incident and because the LTTE was seeking an amnesty from the Government of India. They did not want to make any comments which might affect their status".

A once hard core socialist who had apparently fought against the caste system among Tamils, the change in Velupillai Prabhakaran's thinking patterns were revealed when he pointed out that he preferred an 'open economic policy'.

To the Sri Lankans it was a matter of gauging in a time-frame of less than three hours, the genuineness of the LTTE leader in his approach to peace.

Following are some of the questions posed to the LTTE leader.

Q: Judging by past attempts at cease-fires what guarantee is there that this particular cease-fire will lead to peace?

A: We are certain of achieving peace because of Norway's involvement this time round.

Q: Will the LTTE consider giving up Eelam?

A: We will consider giving up Eelam if the Government of Sri Lanka considers the self determination of the Tamils. By self-determination we mean the Tamil homeland, Tamil nationality, Tamil rights of self-determination. If these fundamental demands are accepted and a political solution is put forward by recognising these three fundamentals and if there is overall satisfaction on the framework of the solution identifying these core issues then we will consider giving up the demand for Eelam.

Q: What would the LTTE do in the event of peace talks collapsing?

A: As far as we are concerned we have faith in the present government and we are prepared to work with this present government until we are convinced the talks have failed.

Q: Will you go to Thailand while the ban is still on by Sri Lanka?

A: We want Sri Lanka to lift the ban on us. It is then that we will go to Thailand. We will then begin our campaigning in the international arena for our bans in other countries to be lifted.

Q: Will Prabhakaran accept any responsibility under an interim administration?

A: The question does not arise now as the dialogue for an interim administration has not yet arisen. It is only when that arises that I will think whether to accept that responsibility or not.

Q: What assurance can you give to the Muslims who were chased out of the North and East that the LTTE would allow them to resettle in the land belonging to them?

A: Proper objective conditions should be created for these people to come back. After these conditions are installed I will make an appeal for the Muslims to come back to Jaffna. We will be meeting Muslim Affairs Minister Rauf Hakeem this week to discuss the issue further.

Q: Can you comment on the accusation levelled against the LTTE about its recruitment of children?

A: We cannot run a conventional army with children. The LTTE are now in the process of returning children who have come and joined the organisation on their own accord to their respective families. The LTTE has also taken many orphans under their wing and were supporting many orphanages.

Q: Will the LTTE leader travel to Thailand to participate in the peace talks?

A: No. The LTTE will be represented by Dr. Anton Balasingham.

Q: How do you respond to the fears raised by the cease-fire monitoring mission that there are violations of the MoU by the LTTE, especially in the East of the country?

A: The cease-fire committees have not been appointed in certain areas. Once appointed then they will bring up the matter with the LTTE. So far such complaints have not been forwarded to the LTTE.

Q: The LTTE has assured the cease-fire monitoring mission that it will investigate into the alleged violation of the MoU by the LTTE. Can you specify how you would carry out the investigation?

A: We are in the process of questioning Karikalan, the Batticaloa area commander to find out about the accusations levelled regarding incidents in Batticaloa. We are also questioning all other members of the LTTE in Batticaloa.

No reference was made to the releasing of seven prisoners of war held captive by the LTTE, however, responding to questions on LTTE prisoners being held in Colombo, he said, "We have been constantly campaigning for the release of LTTE suspects arrested and kept in prison without any trial. It was also pointed out that the LTTE has requested the Tamil political parties to agitate for their release. At the same time we are going to request from the government to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act which is being used to hold these people."

 

LTTE economic plans Mankulam forests to be cleared Keeping in line with the LTTE leader's open market economic policy, steps are being taken by the LTTE to develop the Vanni region, Ramu Sinnappa a key officer in the LTTE administration in charge of NGOs functioning in the region and in streamlining LTTE funds, told the Sunday Observer that computers and other technological items were heading the list earmarked for purchase by the LTTE following the lifting of the embargo. "We will begin with the purchase of around five computers which we hope to buy with funds from the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation", Sinnappa, an ex-school master known as 'Sinnapa master' in the LTTE fraternity said, referring to the main funding machine of the LTTE, kept thriving by funds mainly provided by the Tamil expatriate community. According to Ramu Sinnapa, the computers are to be purchased for a youth institute to be established by the LTTE in the Kilinochchi region which is to include vocational training. In addition to computers, typewriters, generators and sewing machines are also to be purchased by the LTTE. "We are in the planning stages. We hope to get the non-governmental organisation in the region involved in our development plans", Sinnappa said claiming that the strategy of the LTTE is targeted mainly at eradicating the gross level of poverty the four hundred thousand civilians in the Vanni. The LTTE's development plan is to include a wide resettlement structure where forestland in the Mankulam region would be cleared to accommodate in more hygienic conditions the thousands displaced people living in congested IDP settlements in the Vanni. "We have approached the UNHCR and await the final results of the United Nations Development Project (UNDP) which has embarked on a survey on the displaced population in Sri Lanka and in India. Once the survey is concluded we hope to submit proposals to other foreign missions operating in the region as well, to help us settle the displaced who want to settle in Vanni who are at present living in other areas of the country and in India", Sinnappa said. He further said that the LTTE would recommend the building of permanent housing for a feasible number of displaced persons, giving initial priority to those living in camps in the LTTE controlled control area. Meanwhile it was revealed that nearly two lakhs of mines had been removed from the areas Kilinochchi, Nadunkurni and Odusudan areas in Vanni.

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