Sampanthan’s statements tainted with pro-LTTE bias

RAFIK jalaldeen

Government Defence Affairs Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella yesterday called Tamil National Alliance Leader R. Sampanthan a proxy of the LTTE in Parliament.

”It was very obvious that Sampanthan made biased, irresponsible and partial statements to discredit the Government’s effort to defeat terrorism and liberate civilians from the LTTE clutches”, he added.

Addressing the media yesterday at the MCNS, Minister Rambukwella referring to the statements made by TNA Leader R. Sampanthan at a press briefing critical of the current military operation in Mullaitivu and about a worsening humanitarian crisis” blaming the Government for human suffering and harassment, said that a senior politician of the calibre of Sampanthan making such ridiculous and baseless statements cannot be condoned.

“It is a totally distorted, irresponsible and unbalanced statement made by Sampanthan to discredit the Government’s efforts to defeat terrorism and the Security Forces humanitarian mission at a time the whole world has come to realize the danger posed by terrorism and the LTTE’s true nature,” he added.

Minister Rambukwella asserted that the Government had taken measures to rescue trapped civilians in various ways and resettle them at temporary IDP centres, supplying them with basic needs and medical treatment. “The Security Forces declared a Safety Zone in Mullaitivu during the first stage of the Vanni battle. As troops liberated more and more Tiger territory, it declared another SZ and people are moving fast to Government controlled areas taking the safe passage,” he said.

He reiterated that the LTTE was using civilians as a human shield and they are benefiting by holding civilians. Sampanthan should pressurize the LTTE to release civilians. “The beneficiaries of holding civilians are the LTTE. They use them as a human shield to thwart the advancing troops in the effort to liberate the rest of Mullaitivu. Had there been no civilians, the Security Forces would have liberated the entire Vanni by now”, he stressed adding that Sampanthan must pressurize the LTTE to release these civilians from Mullaitivu and not the government.

The LTTE was proscribed in Sri Lanka and Sampanthan is trying to whitewash the LTTE who is on a killing spree in the South and shooting innocent civilians in the Vanni. Therefore, Sampanthan does not represent the Tamil people but he is the mouthpiece of the LTTE. He said that Sampanthan was urging the Government to declare a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds and that the LTTE would reciprocate such a move. “This is a hilarious statement. After three decades of civil conflict, when the LTTE on the verge of being defeated, Sampanthan is calling for a CFA to save the LTTE. The LTTE ultimately used the CFA to strengthen its cadres and capability. The outfit has to be militarily defeated. There is no room for negotiation with the Tigers”, he remarked.

Minister Rambukwella observed that Sampanthan is blaming the Government for alleged food shortages and closure of medical facilities in Mulliativu once again shows his bias. “There are no food shortage in Mullaitivu though we have been sending food convoys from time to time. The Government also dispatched 40 MT of relief items to Mullaitivu via sea to distribute among trapped civilians. There is nobody at the Puthukudiyiruppu hospital and it is only a building occupied by the LTTE. The sick and wounded civilians had been ferried with the assistance of the ICRC and treated at the Trincomalee hospital,” the Minister said.

Minister Rambukwella said it was crystal clear that Sampanthan was trying to garner the sympathy

of the International community and pressurize the Government to cease militarily operations as a close ally of the LTTE.

He also said the Government’s historic 70 per cent victory at the Provincial Council election was an endorsement of people of the current action to defeat terrorism. “The Central Province was a

historically long standing bastion of the Opposition party (UNP). The Government swept the board securing 70 percent of the votes. This is a clear indication that the people had endorsed the President’s efforts to defeat terrorism”, he added.