LTTE on the run

by Anthoney Fernando

This year, the LTTE Heroes’ Day speech and the Mahaweera celebrations in Palermore, Catania and Reggio Emillia were on a low-key that no one knew where it was held. Though there was no public announcement about the Mahaweera Day Celebrations, there was an announcement that there would be a concert by children. Many parents were reluctant to send their children and the celebrations were moved away from the hall they had reserved for the concert.

The LTTE is on the run in Italy. Some of the master-minds of the LTTE, who escaped arrest in the July crack-down, have left Italian soil and have gone to other European countries where there is protection. The first noted change was when the LTTE decided to shift their broadcasting station from France to Italy.

The Government of Italy is slow to take up such issues, which do not affect them. And, mainly because of the fact this station broadcasted in the Tamil Language and it did not affect them. The LTTE terrorism was a phenomenon that affects Sri Lanka.

The LTTE won the propaganda war without facing any opposition. So they thought that Milan would be a safe heaven from where to broadcast their propaganda, by uploading it to the satellite from Milan.

It is a very well known fact that within a very short time the Sri Lanka Embassy in Italy took a series of important steps and the LTTE TV transmission was closed within a few days of its commencing the Test broadcast. Then came the changes that took place in the official organ of the Vatican ‘L’ Osservatore Romano’.

All its news items which had a pro-LTTE slant were corrected with the intervention of the Embassy. In fact, the Vatican newspaper published a long account of child conscription carried on by the LTTE and the TMVP.

The ‘Rai 1 TG 24’ the premier Italian news channel and other newspapers carried banner headlines about the arrest of LTTE suspects. The efforts of the LTTE through its Political Wing leader Nadesan to win the sympathy of the Catholic Church to declare a Peace Zone monitored by UN Agencies in the Madhu area failed.

The eventual evacuation of the LTTE from the Madhu area permitted the Armed Forces to walk into the Madhu Church and recapture and open it to the pilgrims.

We know the Embassy played no mean role in the establishment and rapport with the Vatican to heed the cry of the Sri Lankan Diaspora.

The effort of some of the members of the UNP to obtain a statement from the Holy Father to prevent the Armed Forces from advancing towards Kilinochchi was refused point-blank by the Vatican as they did not want to get involved with the LTTE which is refusing to renounce violence and lay down arms for a negotiated settlement.

The most important event was the visit of the President.

It was reported in the local newspapers and in websites containing Italian news that the President had a long audience with the Holy Father lasting 30 to 45 minutes.