Sunday, October 30th, 2005
Sunday Observer:
“When the country is facing a crucial election, that will determine the fate of our country and its various ethnic groups I have a bounden duty to speak on behalf of the Tamil people of the North and the East, who have no proper representatives either in Parliament or outside.
Those Tamils who are representing the North and the East in Parliament are only proxies of the L.T.T.E. with no independent views and those outside have been silenced by the threat of guns. As far as the North and the East are concerned the last free and fair election was held on the 5th of December, 2002 at which I polled over 36,000 votes and came first out of the nine members elected from the Electoral District of Jaffna. Therefore I have an undisputable right to speak on their behalf’, says TULF President, V. Ananda Sangaree. (more…)
Posted in Media | No Comments »
Sunday, October 30th, 2005
Sunday, 30 October 2005
As published elsewhere in our issue today, TULF President V. Anandasangaree has made a call to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse and Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe, two main contestants for Presidency to arrive at a consensus on a federal solution to the National Question.
Anandasangaree is no Tiger. He is an experienced politician with roots among the Tamil community. It was reported sometime ago that the Hela Urumaya even offered to nominate him to Parliament. There is no doubt that he should be heard and taken seriously.
Unfortunately federalism has become a dirty word to one section of the ethnic divide just as unitary state has become the same on the other side. When the federal idea was proposed by the Federal Party initially it amounted to something less than the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which is already law. It is sad that religious and racial fanatics misled the people and blackmailed those in power to sabotage each solution proposed to solve the ethnic question throughout history.
What is most unfortunate is that even after two decades of war politicians in the South continue to raise the spectre of a divided country whenever a solution is proposed.
The division of the country could be best avoided by arriving at an amicable solution through negotiations. Further, the international community has already pledged to respect the unity and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka and anyone attempting to disrupt it would earn their wrath and reaction.
A democratic solution to the National Question coupled with a wise foreign policy could achieve an undivided Sri Lanka much better than any military solution. Actually there is no military solution possible.
It is necessary to view things more dispassionately and rationally. Ranil Wickremesinghe says that he is for a federal solution but has not outlined what type of federalism he proposes. Judging by his past record in office one could surmise that he is still clueless, as the UNP has never dared to spell out a detailed program of devolution. On the other hand Mahinda Rajapakse though clinging on to the unitary state promises to devolve power to the maximum. He seeks to build a broader consensus in the South for devolution.
The unitary state in Sri Lanka has no history beyond the British rule. It was established by the British colonisers to suit their colonial ambitions. It is not sacrosanct, as some would want us to believe.
The truth is that in the modern world unitary states have taken several federal features as in the United Kingdom or federal States have retained several unitary features as in India. States tend to be hybrid in character rather than be purely federal or purely unitary.
What is best for Sri Lanka is to stop being dogmatically clinging on to concepts that have been misrepresented and misread by the people and start working towards a national consensus with an open mind.
What is required is neither the continuation of the status quo nor the copying of state structures in other countries but the working out of a Sri Lankan model of a state that accommodates and respects the aspirations and interests of all countries.
The draft Constitution 2000 could be the initial point of departure. A solution would need compromises and intransigence in whatever quarter will only obstruct a solution.
Whatever rhetoric is used in the election platforms let us hope that the two main contenders for the Presidency would seek a common coordinated approach to a solution and would endeavour to obtain maximum consensus in the South before engaging the LTTE in negotiations.
As the latter has already stated it would be a guarantee that whatever solution agreed upon would be practically implemented.
http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2005/10/30/editorial.html
Posted in Editorials, Statements | No Comments »
Friday, October 21st, 2005
21 October 2005 - 07:26
In an impassion plea to the leaders of the European Union, V. Anandasangaree, Leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front has requested them to save the Tamils from the control of the Fascist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
While lambasting the LTTE for all the killings, TULF leader has categorically told the EU leaders “The modern democracies can’t be polluted by fascist elements,” he also pointed out, “the only option the E.U. has, is to proscribe the L.T.T.E. in the EU.”
He appealed to the EU leaders, “This is the most opportune time for the International Community to liberate the Tamils from the L.T.T.E.”
Recently, Ananandasangaree wrote letters to all the heads of the diplomatic mission of the EU countries in Colombo, bringing to their notice that LTTE is remote-controlling from Vanni for a protest march on 24 October in Brussels against the EU countries and its leaders for imposing travel ban on 26 September against them.
In the Letter he emphasized, that LTTE is holding Sri Lanka to ransom and now it is trying to extend its terror and intimidation to the EU Countries and very soon to the entire world.
“In response to the call of the L.T.T.E., a number of people are preparing to participate in the proposed rally from Europe, U.K, and Scandinavian countries,” the septuagenarian Tamil leader brought to the attention.
“Most of the ‘would be participants’ are either citizens or permanent residents of the countries where they reside and are enjoying all benefits including the education of their children. Most of them have sponsored and got down their parents and close relatives too. These are the people who finance the LTTE for all their activities including the training of children for war,” Sanagaree’s letter described.
The TULF leader was of the opinion that the sanctions so far imposed on the LTTE was very mild.
“It you take into consideration the numerous violations of the Ceasefire Agreement by the L.T.T.E and their denial of basic human rights to the Tamil People, forcibly kept by them under their subjugation, for many years, the sanctions imposed so far by the EU is very mild.”
Anandasangaree underlined that it was the provisions in the C.F.A., which enabled them to enter into the areas under the control of the Government. “Although their entry into these areas was limited to only 50 and 100 during the first two months, but from the 3rd month onwards they came into Government areas in very large numbers and today they are controlling almost all such areas - the North in particular,” he said.
The TULF leader revealed that the people who had been enjoying all the rights in those areas have now been deprived of many of their basic rights. Hardly one day passes without at least one person getting killed in these areas. He further added, “Politically motivated killings, arbitrary arrests, harassments, abductions, detentions, torture, extortions, intimidations, disappearances and conscriptions are some of the many fundamental right violations of the L.T.T.E, still going on unabated.”
The letter further explained of the nefarious activities of the Tamil rebel outfit and of the outfit getting the best advantage out of the CFA.
He further pointed out that hundreds of them, who dared not to enter into the Government controlled areas before the C.F.A. was signed, were able to go abroad freely with Government security and helicopters provided to ferry them to the Airport. “Large number of unchecked baggages was also transported at Government expense. They did not fail to exploit the Norwegian facilitators who paid for their passages, provided hotel accommodation and arranged seminars, and high level meetings with officials of various countries” – the letter described.
Sangaree revealed that since the C.F.A. was signed 3 years and 8 months back, a number of Diplomats and VIPs who visited them had advised them very many times to stop killing people and recruitment of child soldiers.
“These are the two matters every body stressed on, although there are many matters for which the L.T.T.E. could have been found fault with,” the letter pointed out.
“They did not heed any such advice and continued with the killings and conscriptions, even after the imposition of the ‘Travel Ban’, which could be construed as a challenge to the International Community, the EU in particular,” the TULF leader described in his letter.
Anandasangaree indicated in his letter to the Colombo based EU countries’ diplomats the three reasons that are more than enough to impose travel ban against the LTTE.
1. On Monday the l6lh of August 2004, the local E.U. Troika comprised of Ms. Susan. Th. Blankhart, Stephen Evans and Wouter Wilton the Ambassador for Netherlands, High Commissioner for U.K. and Charge’ d’ Affaires of the EU, respectively met S.Paramu Tamilselvan, Head of LTTE’s Political Division and advised him to stop this.
2. On 12lh August 2004 a statement, issued by Adam Erell on behalf of the former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage expressed that having reviewed the situation with Jeffrey Lunstead the U.S. Ambassador in Sri Lanka, he had said that assassinations and suicides bombings are unacceptable, and that the recruitment of child soldiers must cease.
3. At a Press Conference in Colombo on 8,h March 2005, EU Commissioner Ferrero Waldner had said, “I made clear my readiness to meet the L.T.T.E. Leaders, but for logistical reasons this have not been possible on this occasion. The messages I would have passed are the following :
“The L.T.T.E. must Renounce violence, Respect the Ceasefire Agreement, Resolve their commitment to principles stated in the Oslo Declaration of December 2002, to find a ‘Federal Solution’ within a United Sri Lanka, Stop recruitment of children, and Give breathing space in the North and East to political parties and people who have a different opinion.
“The above three references are sufficient to justify the EU’s decision to impose Travel Ban on the L.T.T.E. as a first step before taking harsher steps,” revealed Anandasangaree.
“I appeal to the International Community to go all out to prevent such a rally being held in Brussels, which is in fact to demand from the E.U. the right for the L.T.T.E. to kill those who do not agree with them and to recruit children as child soldiers.”
The Tamil leader said that the ‘would be participants’ of the proposed rally may be politely told, about the consequences of the participation in the rally and told that if they so desire, then they may also show desire to return for ever to the L.T.T.E. held areas with their wives and children.
“They may be also told that in a democracy “Sole Representation” concept will never fit in and that it will better fit in only in a fascist state. The modern democracies can’t be polluted by fascist elements and the only option the E.U. has, is to proscribe the L.T.T.E., in the EU. This is the most opportune time for the International Community to liberate the Tamils from the L.T.T.E.”
In conclusion the TULF leader lamented that it was very unfortunate that the TNA Members of Parliament who claim the L.T.T.E. as the ‘”Sole Representatives” of the Tamil people, have not condemned neither the recruitment of children nor any killings including the latest killings of Principals of two leading colleges in Jaffna. Some TNA MPs are also planning to take part in the rally in Brussels.
http://news.sinhalaya.com/wmview.php?ArtID=9850
Posted in Letters, Media | No Comments »
Monday, October 17th, 2005
EDITORIAL Monday 17, October 2005
Source: DAILY NEWS
THE public demonstrations which broke out in the North in reaction to the LTTE’s brutal slaying of a school Principal, proved amply that not all sections of the Tamil people are intending to be cowed by the Tigers’ murderous, intimidatory violence.
This is the evidence that nothing that the LTTE could do could strangle the yearning in the hearts of these sections to enjoy their democratic rights and lead a life of dignity.
Although precious lives have been lost in the LTTE’s unrelenting terror campaign and this is a matter to be deeply regretted, some progress is being made in the North-East in terms of democratic development and this is something which needs to be welcomed.
That is, the people are finding it important to stand-up to LTTE terror. There is, in other words, a growing consciousness of their rights.
However, a people conscious of their rights is something the LTTE would violently resent and this is probably the reason why international human rights expert, Ian Martin has considered it important to insist on the sides to the conflict endorsing and adhering to a human rights declaration, a proposition which is anathema to the Tigers.
Why cannot the LTTE make such a commitment? Is it because they intend to reduce the North-East to a “Killing Fields”? If that is so, the “Peace” desired by the Tigers is that of the graveyard.
For, a people who are democratically-oriented would be at cross-purposes with the LTTE, whose one intention is to rule in the North-East, unchallenged.
As we have said before, the Lankan State would find this highly unacceptable, for, it is obliged to work towards a just and honourable peace which would not result in even one section of the people coming under the yoke of tyranny.
It is an account of these considerations that we need to admire TULF President V. Anandasangarie’s courage and inner strength. Anandasangaree is, of course, a dour defender of Tamil rights but he would not succumb to the cruel dictates of the LTTE.
The candle lit by Anandasangaree in the name of democratic freedoms, needs to be kindled to a glowing flame by all democratically inclined Tamil citizens.
Therefore, it is vitally important that the Tamil people are saved from their self-proclaimed guardians. A human rights declaration which would be signed by both parties and respected by them is, therefore, a dire necessity.
We do not see any reason why such a task should wait until political talks are held between the sides on implementing the ceasefire - a demand made by LTTE political wing chief, S.P. Tamilselvan.
There is absolutely no connection between the two and we all on the international community and other concerned sections to pressurise the Tigers into signing and implementing this human rights declaration.
By insisting on this link the LTTE is making a glaring disclosure of its duplicity. It is betraying a tyrannical tendency and mindset and this is something no fair thinking person or group could countenance.
However, the LTTE being a big fighting machine, could not be expected to adhere to humanitarian principles easily. That is not the language it speaks. More so why, pressure needs to be brought on it to adhere to a human rights regime.
The West, in particular, should take it on itself to bring pressure on the LTTE, for the purpose of promoting human rights.
http://www.southasianmedia.net/index_opinion4.cfm?id=74500
Posted in Editorials, Media | No Comments »
