Chilling outrage
THE outrageous, cold-blooded, daylight
gunning-down of the head of the Military Intelligence Corps, Major Nizam
Muthaliph, in the heart of Colombo, besides meeting with our unreserved
condemnation and that of all right thinking persons, puts a fresh, huge
question mark over the bona fides of the LTTE.
For, this killing carries all the hallmarks of the mindless brutality
of the LTTE and prompts a requestioning of the LTTE's true intentions as
regards a negotiated settlement of the conflict.
While one could expect another of the LTTE's now almost ritualistic
denials of such killings, it is plain to see that the LTTE stands to
gain most from the elimination of a top intelligence official of the Sri
Lanka Army.
In fact the LTTE has gunned down to date, 35 undercover operatives of
whom 10 have been from Army Intelligence. The magnitude of this latest
killing could be gauged from the fact that Major Muthaliph was the most
senior army officer to have been killed in these efforts to eliminate
army personnel holding sensitive positions.
The national interest and the ends of the peace process, however,
wouldn't be served by any section of the public violating the law or
committing hostile acts of any kind on receiving the news of this
killing.
We call an all sections of the public to keep the peace and to
respect the law, for, the perpetrators of this crime would certainly
stand to gain by an outbreak of lawlessness in Southern Sri Lanka.
Complete calmness and patience would be the ideal answers to
developments of this kind.
However, the hard questions cannot be avoided. How serious is the
LTTE in claiming that it is for a just, negotiated settlement? The
continuous elimination of State intelligence operatives by the LTTE
points to the persistence of a murderous mindset.
It points to a relentlessly hostile attitude towards the Lankan
State. How swiftly, then, could a negotiated settlement be arrived at?
To what degree is the LTTE keen on making compromises for the sake of
ethnic peace?
The LTTE needs to asks itself these questions because, as we see it,
it is only the Tamil people who would suffer as a result of the LTTE
following a fork-tongued policy on these issues of grave importance.
At this crucial juncture in the post-independence history of this
country, careful, sensitive deliberation is needed by all major parties
to the peace process. Let no party brag foolishly of an assumed military
superiority.
The Sri Lanka Army is duty-bound and compelled to attach foremost
priority to keeping the peace everywhere in the country and to uphold at
all times the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
This policy of the State security forces shouldn't be seen as a
weakness by the enemies of peace. Brashness and foolhardiness of those
intent on ruining Lanka's hopes of peace would only backfire on the
whole of Lanka.
The people everywhere in the land would suffer indefinitely by such
myopic perceptions. How, then, could the Tamil cause be served by these
braggarts? |