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| Sunday, 27 October 2002 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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The true face of the LTTE
At the very outset, we urge upon all, not to misconstrue or misunderstand our stance as that of trying to jeopardize or stand in the way of or sabotage the on-going peace process. No, we are not at all inclined, for a moment to disturb the now prevailing peace-atmosphere, the genuine efforts of the UNF Government and the new-found freedom of all people, specially that of the ordinary Tamil folk of the North and the East who have suffered most in the last two decades because of a senseless bloody war and wanton destruction to life and property alike. We do in all sincerity and honesty support, pray and bless the peace process will succeed resulting in lasting, sustainable peace restored and law and order instilled in the total system-that of governance in the country. The LTTE ofcourse has shown its true-face on so many occasions in the past and is still making it a habit and rule, to think and take for granted that any goodwill, kindness, leniency, tolerance and compassion of both the Government and the Sinhala people, as our national weakness. This is the inherent and acknowledged weakness of the LTTE to think that the Government and the people are fools. Let us, here and now, categorically warn the LTTE that we are no fools get trapped by their bait, their numerous provocative acts and statements and to lose our sense of righteous thinking and balance. We need not dig too deep to almost two decades or more of the past, but let us take the latest developments, i.e. the blatant, serious violations of and breach of the conditions of the MOU by the LTTE. Although the LTTE never admit their faults of mistakes, they always hasten to shout loud and find fault with the Sri Lanka Government and her armed forces for the slightest delay on the part of the government or the simplest wrong move by our Armed Forces - where the MOU is concerned. Even when they make deliberate and calculated breach of the MOU such as the recent incidents involving Sea-Tigers specially when the LTTE took captive SLMM personnel, they true to form put the blame fairly and squarely on the Sri Lanka Navy - but their wild allegations were poohpoohed by the SLMM itself who faulted the LTTE. Then the storming of Army's 52.4 Brigade Headquarters at Point Pedro, the attack on the Valachechenai Police Station, the riots at Vavuniya and now the more serious and violent storming of the STF Camp and Kanjirankurdah, and the incident at Trincomalee when 10 LTTE cadres were killed and several wounded are all very clear examples of LTTE excesses. Then how about the abduction of 7 soldiers, unarmed and within the latters own territory and then demanding ransom by way of the release of 3 LTTE cadres who forcibly intruded into government controlled area fully armed. It is most tragic when the law of the land applies differently to some people. The law has proved to be a real Ass. How come the same system of the Law applies differently to powerful and influential people - politicians, their henchmen, top bureaucrats and the rich, separate for LTTE offenders - and altogether a separate and inhuman manner to the ordinary man? The three LTTE cadres who were released on bail by the High Court, according reports reaching us, have wowed that they will not report to Vavuniya Police as per the Courts order. In the circumstances will the Court take action to rescind the bail, confiscate the bail money, arrest the personal sureties who signed for them until the 3 offenders are re-arrested, re-remanded and re-tried under the normal Law of the land? Or will be Law enforcement Agencies just let it be a by-gone thing and conveniently forget it as is the usual practice in such cases. As the Ven. Mahanayake Theras have stressed, we confirm that whole of Sri Lanka is one country. Hence it can have only one Government, one administrative system, one President and one Prime Minister. It can have only one State Army, one National Police Force, one Navy and one Air Force. This has been confirmed by our Prime Minister when he categorically said Sri Lanka is the homeland for all Sri Lankan sons discrimination on ground of ethnicity, religion caste or class. The North and East can certainly have their own system of self-determination in the day to day administration, development, reconstruction and rehabilitation processes in the areas where they can muster and respect and support of the majority citizens in the Local Government Elections. All other policy matters must lay fairly and squarely on the hands of the central Government of the country. In conclusion let us here remind the UNF Government on the several forewarnings we have given in their quest for peace. We do appreciate that this Government had embarked on a very difficult, most arduous task. The path they have to read on is full of vicious thorns and poisonous shrubs Hence it is imperative that the Government should act with caution and great restrain until the path is fully cleared. We wish and hope the UNF Government will take our warning in the true spirit and will succeed in achieving the much dreamt of much cherished lasting peace before long under a single National Flag. |
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| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
Statement issued by Ranjit C. Dissanayake, Deputy President, Eksath
Sinhala Maha Sabawa.
