EPDP, PLOTE, TULF welcome LTTE ban

Shanika Sriyananda

While the people are rejoicing the recent historical military victories - capturing of Paranthan, Kilinochchi and Elephant Pass, last weeks decision by the Government to ban the LTTE is the fulfilling of a long-standing wish of the anti- LTTE Tamil politicians, who said it should have happened pararal to the abrogation of the Norwegian brokered Ceasefire Agreement.

Being in the forefront of the anti-LTTE war, the EPDP, TULF and PLOTE welcoming the move to proscribe the LTTE said that many unfortunate incidents could have been prevented if the decision was made earlier.

General Secretary of the EPDP and Minister of Social Services Douglas Devananda viewed the move as an act of redeeming the Tamils from the inhumane cruelties inflicted upon them by the LTTE terrorists. "Using over 200,000 innocent civilians as a human shield is a shocking act which the LTTE cannot be pardoned. It is a gross violation of human rights and a clear act of terrorism," he sad.

The Minister who is the Chairman of the Special Task Force Committee of the Northern Province said that an unwillingness of the LTTE to resume peace talks and refusal to join the democratic mainstream were the other major considerations that compelled the Government to proscribe it.

"The EPDP appreciates and values this decision and says it was a decision of extreme importance'' he said '' but many sad instances could have been prevented if this decision arrived years back."

He said that though some interested quarters tagged the decision as a 'tactic' adopted by the Government to stop negotiations with the LTTE, the LTTE had a history of throwing out many opportunities emerged for arriving a political settlement to address the issues of the Tamils. "The LTTE had all the opportunities opened for negotiations to build up their power.

The LTTE never worked for the wellbeing of the Tamils and they had never attempted to bring a honourable political solution to the grievances of the Tamils. Tamils can never have hopes in the LTTE to solve their problems, he said.

The liberation of the Tamils, according to Minister Devananda, would not happen until LTTE terrorism is wiped out. The proscription of the LTTE will prevent many terrorist activities by the Tigers and there should not be any room for the terrorists to harm the innocent people of this country," he added.

Commenting about the repeated defeats of the LTTE, PLOTE Leader Dharmalingam Sithadthan sees no practical benefit of proscribing the LTTE as it is already on the 'brink of extinction'. He said there was no need of talking to the LTTE as the Tigers would lose their domination in the North which would prove that they are not representing the Tamils any more as they claimed.

He said that fall of Kilinochchi and Elephant Pass will help to open the A-9. This would tremendously help the people of Jaffna who faced many hardships due to closure of the road linking Jaffna and Kandy.

According to Sithadthan, after 25 years, civilians would be able to travel on the A 9 road with out paying taxes to the LTTE.

He believes that the lives of Tamils in the North would be made more comfortable, with the opening of the linkage to South and the North. "Tamils will warmly welcome the opening of the A9 as it will bring many benefits to them," he said.

Sithadthan said that the war had gone closer to Prabhakaran and his end is near.

Sithadthan is optimistic that the Vanni civilians, who have experienced war for decades and know how to find safe routes to cross to liberated areas , would cross to the liberated areas soon despite the LTTE's strong warnings and harrestment.

Leader of TULF Veerasingham Anandasangaree, who has written a numerous number of open letters to Prabhakaran, said that he was happy about the military victories and welcomed the move to ban the LTTE but he was not happy as it came late. He said that with the abrogation of the CFA, the Government could have banned the LTTE.

He said that the Government should have waited for some time to ban the LTTE as over 200,000 civilians were still living under the iron fist of the LTTE. "They are not allowed to move about. The military is having a very fast push from Paranthan to Muhamalai and what the Government could have done was to wait until Mullaithivu is liberated and then ban the LTTE.

Anandasangaree said that the LTTE which had squandered all opportunities to find a durable solution to the grievances for the Tamils has now dug its own grave.