LTTE must stop all atrocities, says EPDP

COLOMBO: The LTTE should stop all atrocities and enable North and East citizens to lead a peaceful life to revive democracy in the region. Unless the LTTE commits itself to the total cessation of violence it could not be considered a partner in establishing peace in the country, an Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) statement over the conclusion of the ceasefire agreement talks in Geneva said.

The EPDP in the statement said it had not changed its stand against the LTTE going by past and present actions of the Tigers.

Talks with Tigers had dragged on from Thimpu to Geneva and Tigers had violated each and every agreement made at these talks so far, it said.

The EPDP statement: "The first round of Ceasefire Agreement talks held between the Government and the LTTE concluded in Geneva on February 23. Many optimistic, pessimistic as well as impartial observations have been made about these talks so far.

The EPDP as a party engaged in the democratic political mainstream of the North and East for a considerable period and conducting a struggle for the democratic and human rights and pluralism of the people in the North and East thinks that it too should express the stand about these talks.

Past and present activities of the LTTE prove that there had been no change in the stand we have taken on them for a long time.

Talks started in Thimpu had prolonged upto Geneva talks and the Tigers have violated each and every agreement reached during these talks. This has shown the world that the Tigers can never be trusted."

The EPDP said its comrades who went to sell its paper Thinamurusu on the day the Geneva talks concluded had been threatened by Tigers.

Tigers who have violated the Ceasefire Agreement more than 6,000 times will continue to violate it in the future. The Government has fixed dates for another round of talks with the Tigers. If there is to be a change in the EPDP stand about Tigers, they should observe the agreements reached at the talks through their activities.

The LTTE should stop political killings and abductions, assassinations and assaults of alternative political party activists and stabilise the right of civilians to live in freedom, the EPDP said.

It said: "The LTTE should also allow alternative political parties contesting the local polls to conduct their election work. Similarly the LTTE should allow EPDP members elected uncontested to the Pudukuduiruppu Pradeshiya Sabha to conduct their administration. Child conscription should be halted forthwith.

Without doing these if the Tigers continue to oppress the people of the North and East through its fascist and dictatorial frenzy, the EPDP too would not relax its struggle for the democratic and human rights and plurality one bit".