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| Sunday, 27 November 2005 |
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Tiger stand spelt out today by Ranga Jayasuriya TThese are crucial days, indeed, as far as the peace process is concerned. Lethargic it may sound in the absence of any cohesive action to break the deadlock in peace negotiations, but, with the advent of the Rajapakse Administration the peace process is surely heading for a complete overhaul. Dramatic changes would take place in the coming days in the implementation of the peace process as indicative of the Throne speech of the President delivered at the opening of a new Parliamentary session. The President has declared to embark on a "new peace process in which all parties involved in the crisis can participate", instead of what he called unsuccessful bipartisan approach of the UNP where the peace process was confined to the government and the LTTE. And another statement to be delivered today from the jungles of the Wanni would be of equal importance as far as the future of the peace process is concerned. All eyes will be on Kilinochchi today as the Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran makes his annual heroe's day address, which is generally considered as the policy statement of the LTTE. The LTTE has been commemorating fallen Tigers in a three-day ceremony, which began from Friday with pandals being set up in memory of "martyrs" and their portraits being displayed on the roadsides for the public to pay homage. The commemorations will wind up today after the Tiger supremo delivers his annual address at 5 o clock in the afternoon. Twenty-three years ago, this day the first LTTE cadre Seelan alias Charles Anthony was killed when fleeing the security forces operation against the then nascent insurgents. Since 1989, the Tigers have been commemorating fallen cadres who have been buried in a dozen of well maintained cemeteries scattered in the Wanni, East and Jaffna peninsula. The largest LTTE cemetery is Wishva Madu on the Paranthan-Mulaithivu road. Indeed, Prabhakaran delivers his policy statement as the Tigers are facing worsening international opinion against his movement. The European Union has slapped a travel ban on the LTTE and Prabhakaran committed another blunder last week when he forced a boycott on his subjects, disenfranchising at least a half a million voters in the Wanni, East and the Jaffna peninsula. The LTTE strategy to showcase the boycott as a "collective thinking of Tamils," thereby strengthening its cause for a separate state has failed and indeed backfired as evident by the reaction of the international community. The EU has expressed concerns at the conduct of the LTTE. The United States also condemned the LTTE action. "We deeply regret reports that people in the north and east of Sri Lanka were prevented from exercising their democratic right to vote by the actions of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam," the EU said in a statement. Adam Ereli, Deputy Spokesman- U.S. Department of State stated that "the United States regrets that Tamil voters in the northern and eastern parts of the island did not vote in significant numbers due to a clear campaign of intimidation by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)". "As a result, a significant portion of Sri Lanka 's people were deprived of the opportunity to make their views known. The United States condemns this LTTE interference in the democratic process". These statements are indicative of a growing international frustration at the LTTE's marked reluctance to rid violence and ensure fundamental rights and pluralism in the North-East. It is assumed that the Tiger chief will dedicate a greater part of his speech to placate the international community as individual nations gradually tighten the noose on the LTTE front organisations in the West. Prabha's heroes day address holds further importance as it is expected to respond to President Rajapakse's planned unilateral moves on the peace front. The LTTE has earlier told that the Ceasefire Agreement could not be amended unilaterally and instead of amending it, the LTTE insisted on the full implementation of the CFA. Later the Tigers agreed to discuss to "review" the ceasefire agreement, but a dispute over a common venue made the meeting a non-event. President Rajapakse has declared that the CFA would be revised to ensure " the protection of human rights, prevent recruitment of children for war,safeguard national security, prevent terrorist acts, pave the way to rebuild lives that were shattered by war and the tsunami in the Northern and Eastern Province and introduce an open and transparent ceasefire monitoring mechanism". His reference to the ceasefire monitoring mechanism is suggestive of a change in the role of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission. His administration has rejected federalism in favour of a unitary state. However, as far as the Ceasefire Agreement is concerned, of which the government and the LTTE are equal partners, any changes in the CFA should be agreed upon by the two parties to the agreement. It is not clear how the President plans to address this dilemma. And Prabhakaran would spell out the LTTE thinking on the recent political changes in the South. The LTTE enforced boycott of the election was a failure in the LTTE's public relations campaign. But the Tiger leadership is clamouring for the success of the boycott, albeit international condemnation at the disenfranchising of Tamil voters. The LTTE Peace Secretariat website ran a speech attributed to the elusive LTTE intelligence chief, Pottu Amman, said to be delivered on the first day of the Maveerar day commemorations, where Pottu Amman says, "We are standing proud as people with a heightened awareness of our nationhood. We have rejected the chance to elect Sri Lanka's Head and have implicitly told them to elect their own Head." The LTTE website also carried a picture of Pottu Amman addressing the event held at Elephant Pass which fell to the Tigers in 2000. However the authenticity of the picture could not be verified. Pottu Amman was also quoted as saying: "... to enrich the meaning of the sacrifice of Maveerar, it is essential that the Tamil people get their freedom. If we lose strength, our history will be written by our enemies. If our enemies defeat us and write our history, or our history is written by the traitors, the sacrifice of Maveerar will lose its worth.... We reached this stage because we survived the Indian military assault. We stood steadfast when we were expelled from Jaffna by the Sri Lankan military. We are here today because we faced the war waged by the Sri Lankan military in Vanni". "We stand proud for having rejected the chance to elect the Head of Sri Lanka. The Tamil nation in unison has taught a good lesson to the Sinhala nation by saying to it to elect its own Head. This is the strength of the Tamil nation. This will come together as military strength, economic strength, and political strength. Then the dream of our Maveerar will become reality". Irrespective of what the Tiger chief would say today, it is now crystal clear that the ceasefire is gradually losing ground. Last week a navy personnel was abducted allegedly by the LTTE cadres in the Delft island. His whereabouts are not yet known. On Thursday night, an LTTE cadre lobbed a hand grenade at a group of soldiers riding in a tractor in Point Pedro, injuring five. On the same day, two soldiers and two civilians were injured in another incident, when LTTE cadres lobbed a grenade at a security post in Trincomalee. The last few months saw an increase in the grenade attacks and shooting incidents carried out by the Tigers in the government controlled areas. What the Tigers are up to, Prabhakaran would say today. |
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