Sangaree condemns LTTE claim

COLOMBO: Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) President V. Anandasangaree has strongly condemned the claim of an LTTE leader that the claymore mine attack on the military was by the civilians and not by them.

Anandasangaree in a statement on behalf of the TULF stated that the Sri Lankan Tamils were not barbarians.

Anandasangaree's statement:

"The Tamil people living all over the world, like any other race or group of people, are very proud of their culture and civilisation and will not tolerate anybody doing anything to damage or cause dishonour to their culture or civilisation. We are a God fearing race, non-aggressive and peaceful.

It is our tradition not to harm even a deadly serpent. It is very unfortunate that the LTTE who claims to be the guardian of the Tamil culture and civilisation should make such an irresponsible statement, that could cause extensive damage and bring dishonour to the reputation of the Tamil race.

I challenge any one from the areas where such attacks took place, to come forward with any evidence available to prove this claim of the LTTE. Will anyone of the 21 Tamil Members of Parliament representing the Tamils of the North and East, dare say that the civilians are involved in the claymore attacks on the military personnel.

Can't they do a Sathyagraha protesting against this claim of the LTTE and compel the LTTE to withdraw this ridiculous charge against the civilians, who are undergoing untold hardships under the LTTE rule. The whole world should be made to know that the Sri Lankan population, whether Tamils, Muslims, or Sinhalese, are all law-abiding citizens and shun violence.

They don't derive pleasure in creating widows and orphans. They are well aware that the service personnel too are human beings, having families to look after and when they are blown to pieces the families are left as destitutes.

They also know that claymore attacks and grenade attacks cause only fear and tension to the innocent civilians who want only peace.

The Tamils are a much respected race and the LTTE should not discredit them.

One should not forget that till the ceasefire agreement was signed, the people were living peacefully in the areas under the control of the Government. The CFA gave a golden opportunity to the LTTE to go into the Government controlled areas to do political work and not to organise hartals and demonstrations.

They are not expected to control the administration or to terrorise the poor timid civilians. They are not expected to throw hand-bombs and plant claymore mines. In short they were allowed into Government controlled areas to genuinely work for peace and not to make things difficult to bring back peace. It is with this intention that the LTTE cleverly manoeuvred to keep everybody, including the Norwegian facilitators out of the areas under their control.

The extent of CFA violations of the LTTE inside the areas under their control is hardly known to the outside world, but in other areas the number of violations had exceeded 6,000. Will the LTTE or those who defend them deny the existence of detention camps, torture camps and dark room chambers. There are also abductions, extortions, killings and conscription of children as child soldiers.

If the LTTE is really interested in protecting the people they will not get involved in violent activities against the army deliberately, to provoke them to attack the civilians. The best examples for the irresponsible conduct of the LTTE are grenade attacks on the army at the Jaffna bus stand, near Mannar and Chavakachcheri hospitals, the claymore attack on the Navy at Mannar in which 12 sailors were killed etc. Everyone knows that incidents of this nature in crowded areas had cost the army several lives. If these incidents had taken place without affecting the civilians a lot of innocent civilian lives could have been saved.

I humbly appeal to the LTTE to give up all these and not to implicate innocent civilians in violent activities. Sixty thousand to 70,000 and lives had been lost and destruction to property is worth several billions.

The LTTE must now cry halt to their activities, stop killing of civilians or forces and genuinely return to the negotiation table and agree for an early settlement.

It is very unfortunate that the good name earned by the Forces under very strenuous circumstances over a period of time had been badly affected by the hasty actions of some in a short time.

The Army also should act responsibly by tracing the culprits and taking action against them without punishing the innocent civilians who gather at the scenes of the incident by accident. By doing so the Army can earn the goodwill of the people, and also help to solve the problem early."