Prabhakaran threatens international community

Earlier last month, the United States banned the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), a front organisation of the LTTE, in its latest ruling against international terrorism.

The US Government froze all assets of the TRO in the USA in furtherance of its declared aim of financially isolating terrorist groups and their support networks. The US Government arrived at this decision following detailed investigations having found extensive proof that such a decision was justified.

The TRO, which styles itself as a charitable organisation, functions as a front to facilitate fund-raising and procurement for the LTTE - the most ruthless terrorist organisation in the world. The LTTE has been declared a terrorist organisation by the USA, Canada, India and the European Union.

LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran and his terrorist outfit were greatly perturbed by the bold decision of the US Government. It was a courageous and exemplary decision taken by the US though it was a serious blow to the Tiger funding mechanism.

Prabhakaran responded to the US decision by accusing India and the international community of not supporting his outfit's cause for a separate state, and on Tuesday asserted that the Tigers were determined to carve out a separate state through intensified warfare. In a so-called 'Mahaveer Day' speech on his 53rd birthday, Prabhakaran said that the international community is now making the 'same mistake' that India made many years ago.

In a statement in Tamil from his Wanni hideout, he alleged that India tried to enforce the Indo-Lanka accord of 1987 with over 100,000 security personnel, the agreement between the two countries and with the assistance of Tamil paramilitary groups. He was critical of the international community's failure to support the LTTE.

On the very next day after his 'threat', Prabhakaran showed his true colours by targeting innocent civilians with two bomb explosions in Colombo and at Nugegoda, killing 21 people and injuring many others. The USA, European Union and international organisations including the UN and Amnesty International have already condemned this attack on civilians.

In doing so, the LTTE has clearly justified the decision of the US, India, Canada and the European Union to brand the Tigers as a terrorist outfit. Prabhakaran calls the LTTE a liberation organisation but what liberty could he achieve by targeting civilians, his own Tamil community and democratic Tamil leaders such as Douglas Devananda, who survived an assassination bid for the ninth time?

How did Prabhakaran celebrate his 53rd birthday? On that afternoon, the LTTE fired artillery rounds towards the Pulleadi Irrakkam School in Mannar, injuring at least five students and two teachers.

The students were under 15. Is this the liberation that Prabhakaran is dreaming of? Through these terror acts to celebrate their leader's birthday, the LTTE has again proved that they have not deviated from their 'habit' of targeting innocent civilians. The LTTE has again demonstrated its cruelty and inhumanity, which calls for greater attention of the international community.

At the same time, it is a threat and a warning to the international community. This, indeed, is serious and all countries which genuinely raise their voice against global terrorism, should in unison end this megalomaniac's genocide.

This blood-thirsty terrorist leader was instrumental in killing thousands of innocent people over the past three decades - with powerful bomb attacks at the Pettah Bus Stand, CTO Building, Central Bank, Maradana, Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kebitigollawa and other areas.

Prabhakaran has always taken great pride in his crimes against soft targets; especially women and children, each time the LTTE is weakened militarily. From the Kent Farm massacre way back in 1984 to the Nugegoda bomb blast last Wednesday, the hard-hearted Tigers have butchered thousands of innocent children in many ethnic cleansing raids and bomb blasts targeting civilians.

His antipathy towards women and children does not take into account any race, caste or creed.

The LTTE killed a large number of bhikkhus at Arantalawa and Anuradhapura and used innocent Tamil civilians as human shields in Vakarai and several other places. The Tigers would continue to carry out similar attacks on soft targets to provoke people that would result in a backlash in the South. It's a sinister bid to win the hearts of the international community. We should not fall into that trap.

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has vowed to eliminate Prabhakaran and eradicate terrorism. Whether we like it or not, the terror of Prabhakaran should be 'answered' in the 'language' he understands. Terrorism in any part of the globe is terrorism and should be eradicated at all costs.

At the same time, we strongly believe that there should be a political solution to whatever genuine problems of our own Tamil brethren. They are a peace-loving community which has been living with the Sinhalese, Muslims and Burghers in perfect harmony for many years.

Hence, the battle is only against terrorism. The LTTE spares no pains to paint a different picture to the international community and mislead them by saying that there is ethnic cleansing in Sri Lanka.

All Tamils and Muslims living in harmony with the Sinhalese would dismiss such misleading claims. It's Prabhakaran and Prabhakaran alone who has brought misery not only amongst the Sinhalese and Muslims but also to his own community as well.

As patriotic and loyal citizens, we should act with a sense of responsibility and support our brave Security Forces who are engaged in an unrelenting battle to protect our motherland from the scourge of terrorism. Let us unite as one nation and stand strong against terrorism!