LTTE's strategy for survival

T. Pandiyan

Geneva talks: There was a period in Sri Lanka immediately after the Post 1983 period where not only the Tamils of Sri Lanka even a fair segment of the Sinhala speaking polity was sympathetic towards the Tamils in consideration to the unfortunate and orchestrated violence that took place more famously called, 'Black July of 1983'. This helped the LTTE to muster around them the Tamil Diaspora to support the cause for an independent state.

The so-called atrocities that was referred to by the LTTE which the Sinhala administration was committing needed to be suppressed. This was the strong message that was sent by the LTTE to the Tamil expatriate community. This justified the armed struggle for an independent nation of Tamil Eelam.

Today after the lapse of almost 23 years that situation has drastically changed. The LTTE today stands totally exposed as a ruthless killing machine.

The objectives of which they started their armed struggle are now lost. Today we see the LTTE as simply a mercenary force that kills for the sake of protecting and survival of their leader Velupullai Prabhakaran. There is no point in analysing the history of the conflict now. Most articles seem to take a long time in trying to analyse and justify their respective positions on the subject. It would be more prudent to focus on the present and the future.

However in order to do this it is necessary that we make a reference to the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) that the Wickremesinghe administration signed with the LTTE. This agreement is the mother of all destruction.

The recent documentary done by SBS of Australia about the presence of the so-called Paramilitary Forces in Sri Lanka (video footage etc) states that it is after signing the CFA in 2002 that the LTTE got a legitimate demarcation of their territory.

This is an absolute fact. The CFA has given them a sense of legitimacy in segregating their territory and arriving at their own High Security Zones. This act in itself would tantamount to 'Treason' as per the Constitution of Sri Lanka. It is high time eminent personalities in the legal profession such as Mr. H.L. De Silva, Mr. S.L. Gunasekera etc. takes this matter up with the Supreme Court.

It is this demarcation that the LTTE claims today as their legitimate right. The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) is dictated to by a terrorist organisation on the very land that is sovereign to that of the same Government. Their killing spree and brutality is de facto in these circumstances sponsored by the CFA in recognising and allocating territorial authority to the LTTE.

One must commend the Wickremesinghe administration in quite cunningly engaging the active services of the Facilitator, who is considered the Architect of the CFA. Let us analyse the role Norway has played in Sri Lanka as the facilitator. I suppose from what is stated in the above paragraph it is a huge victory for the LTTE as well as Norway in their success in allocating a portion of land that covers three districts to the LTTE unconstitutionally.

On the road to Eelam Norway then completed its first task i.e. apportion land to the LTTE and make the Government of Sri Lanka recognise this fact.

If this was done adhering to procedure as enshrined in the Constitution of going before the people and obtaining their views and a subsequent two thirds in Parliament, then it is indeed a noble achievement but alas it was not to be so.

The Constitution was by passed and not only that the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Wickremesinghe signed the so-called CFA. Norway and Wickremesinghe both have committed treason to our motherland as nor was it constitutional and nor did the Prime Minister have the executive and or constitutional power to sign a document of this nature where the Sovereign right of the ownership of land of the country has been delegated to a foreign nation as well as a ruthless terrorist organisation.

Have the people of Sri Lanka thought for a moment what Norway is doing?

What their objectives are and what are they trying to achieve?

It is indeed high time that we think hard as to the damage Norway is doing to our motherland. They are one and the same i.e. LTTE is Norway and Norway is LTTE. Today the LTTE is stage managed by Norway. Every act is authored by Norway and the LTTE are only actors in the many scenes enacted.

This is quite amply demonstrated in the recent events and the run up to Geneva Peace Talks II. Norway has failed. Failed miserably in convincing the brutal blood thirsty LTTE to contain themselves and maintain a peaceful environment, for them to even think of joining the political mainstream leading towards normalisation, to stop child conscription, to stop killings, to stop claymore mine and other attacks.

The list can go on and on. However it should be clear that Norway has failed towards Sri Lanka and its Polity but not towards the LTTE. They have won handsomely on behalf of the LTTE.

It is high time that the Government and peace loving people of Sri Lanka decides to take a decision on Norway's involvement in our motherland. They have miserably failed to bring the LTTE for second round of peace talks", Geneva.

The LTTE as well as Norway is very well aware that during the Geneva I talks the Government delegation was in a position to expose the atrocities of the LTTE and even made the LTTE theoretician at one point say, "Give me a break, I have to take something back to my leader Prabhakaran". This shows the desperate situation the members of the LTTE are in when considering the brutality within which their leader operates.

The irony of course is that it is the very same Anton Balasingham who speaks of protecting and nurturing the Tamil community from the so-called atrocities of the Sinhala population. No further elaboration is required on this point as it is the threat of losing one's life that makes one succumb to having multiple stands on a subject simultaneously.

The date for Geneva II was agreed upon on the joint statement issued by the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE as far back as February when Geneva 1 concluded. Today the LTTE continues to make flimsy excuses for avoiding Geneva II.

Norway is very well aware of this. This is quite possibly a strategy to get the Government of Sri Lanka to compromise on many issues for the benefit of the LTTE which probably becomes beneficial to Norway. One wonders whether EELAM if ever it is realised will become a part of Norway! Though geographically impossible in the wildest dream may be possible constitutionally.

Norway has failed and failed miserably and today they stand exposed in their failure and for their allegiances and connivance with the LTTE to de-rail the peace process and the efforts of the Government of Sri Lanka in exposing the true nature of the LTTE and convincing foreign nations to take corrective action.

It is this that today Norway is trying to prevent. It is understood that they are lobbying western states to provide the LTTE with breathing space and to put pressure on the Government of Sri Lanka to concede to the LTTE for sake of a so-called perceived peace. A perceived peace where hundreds are killed by claymore mines and bombs.

Norway, the people of Sri Lanka are not that gullible. We are a peace loving nation no doubt. There is harmony in our country amongst all communities.

There may be issues in particular areas that needs attention. We know that the most amount of attention in terms of social and economical and basic human rights are required in the LTTE controlled areas. The Government of Sri Lanka even to date maintains the very same "LTTE controlled areas" that you created through funding for economic and social requirements.

Salaries of pubic servants, for infrastructure development, for economic development, for agricultural development, fisheries development, health development and even the Samurdhi is funded by the Government.

The Government should decide to freeze all funding of this nature and see whether the socially responsible LTTE would take care of the innocently victimised Tamil polity within their controlled areas? This is a good question for the likes of Eric Solheim to ponder upon and a good question for the Government of Sri Lanka to ponder upon in implementing same.

Norway either perform and deliver the LTTE to Geneva II or accept failure so the Government we can take what is appropriate in keeping to with the sovereign rights of protecting our motherland.