Pilliyan, a special Commander of the Tamil EelaMakkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) and a senior leader of the TMVP, told the Asian Tribune that the LTTE and TMVP are parallel organizations and if one is a "paramilitary" then so is the other.
Amplifying this claim he said: "We were a part and parcel of the LTTE until March 03, 2004. When we broke away we became parallel organizations of the Tamils serving the Tamil people. Only our name, methods and the leadership have changed. In every other respect, we are the LTTE under a different leadership and name. The international community also regarded us as a part of the LTTE when our leader, Col. Karuna participated in the negotiations. Our legitimacy does not depend on being a part of the LTTE.
Our legitimacy depends on the acceptance of TMVP by the Tamils of the east. The international community should have realized by now that it cannot work out a reasonable or viable peace solution without the Muslims and the TMVP.
"The Norwegian facilitators are working under the false assumption that it can work out a formula by working only with the LTTE. As long as they go down this track they are doomed to fail," he said. "If our leader was earlier acceptable to the international community, then he should be acceptable to them even now. Nothing has changed since then and now except that we have broken away from the one-man regime that does not respect democracy, rule of law or the legitimate aspirations of the Tamils to be free from the tyranny of the Vanni. The vast majority of the Tamils reject the idea of equating the LTTE with the Tamils. Though they claim to be "the sole representative of the Tamils" common sense would dictate that no single party can claim to be the sole representative of a community in a democracy.
"The time has come for the Norwegian facilitators and the international community to face the new realities and reject the political definitions of the LTTE which claim that they are "the sole representatives of the Tamils" and that we are the "paramilitaries". The LTTE defines anyone opposed to them as "paramilitaries".
We are branded as "paramilitaries" without receiving aid from the Sri Lankan government. But it is they who should be classified as "paramilitaries" because they not only received arms from the Sri Lankan government at one time (to fight the Indians) but continue to be supported by the Sri Lankan government. The LTTE survives today on the hand-outs of financial, administrative and all other facilities provided to the LTTE by the Sri Lankan government to run their one-man regime. They can't even travel from one point of Vanni to another point of their regime without support from the Sri Lanka Air force or military escorting them. We don't get any of those facilities from the Sri Lankan government. So who are the "paramilitaries"? Who is it who gets aid from the Sri Lankan government to undermine the Ceasefire Agreement signed with the advice and consent of Norway and the international community?" asked Pilliyan.
"We hope that the new Norwegian facilitator, Jon Hanssen-Bauer will reject the old definitions and work on the new realities. If the facilitators cannot recognize who the real "paramilitaries" are then they will fail to advance the peace process," said Pilliyan. "Nobody needs to have any problem over us. When we were together we worked towards durable solution to the problems the Tamils are confronted with. Even now our main goal is to liberate the Tamils and work for an autonomous rule for the Tamils in Sri Lanka. We want a solution with honor and dignity and we are not after any petty concession, he said.
"We haven’t change, but it is the Vanni Tigers who have changed and wanted to safeguard one individual. We do not believe in individualism. We believe in people and in democracy and in pluralism.
" Our problem with the LTTE is ‘an internal problem’ as once told by the Vanni leaders. We are at present in the process of settling the internal differences with the Vanni leaders in the language they understand. Therefore international community need not bother about this.
"On April 10, 2004, when Vanni Tigers entered Verugal in the East with the help of the Sri Lankan Army and Navy, we did not confront them because; we do not want to enter into a fratricidal war with them. This has been clearly explained numerous times by our leader Colonel Karuna Amman.
"After making a tactical withdrawal from the Batticaloa – Amparai districts we were bent on organizing a political party and prepared to enter into the democratic political mainstream.
"Unfortunately Vanni leadership mistook our withdrawal from the East as a sign of weakness. They have failed comprehend one factor that when we withdrew we sent back about 4,000 of our cadres to their homes. Those cadres whom we sent back will at any time would come back and join us, if we wanted them. This was an important factor that they have failed to come to terms with.
"When Vanni Tigers started hounding our cadres, does the international community, or Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, or Anton Balasingham or the Sri Lanka Government wanted us to place our heads in the guillotine chambers for the Vanni Tigers slice it.
"Sorry we are not Jesus Christ to show the other side of the face when our enemies slap us at one side of the face. Unfortunately we are only sheer mortals. Not Jesus Christ or Mahatma Gandhi to uphold pacifism.
" I joined the LTTE when I was young as 14 years old. We have been brought up on the doctrine of 'an eye for an eye.' When Vanni Tigers started hounding and killing our unarmed cadres, we were forced to change our strategy. Today we are forced to defend ourselves against the killing machine of the Vanni Tigers. Today we have made them understand the pain of loosing people through killing. Today we have made them understand the horror of being hounded. Today we have made the Vanni group to understand that they are fallible and they can be defeated and chased out of the East. We will stand up for our rights and no agreements signed in Geneva or Vanni can stop us.
" It is very clear that if not for us Vanni Tigers would not have gone to Geneva for talks with the Sri Lanka Government. Kindly understand today it is Colonel Karuna Amman and Tamil EelaMakkal Viduthalai Pulikal that has emerged an equal player in the political agenda of this country and the Vanni Tigers are no longer "the sole representatives of the Tamil people. We know how to deal with their empty threats.
" Now Anton Balasingham is demanding protection for their cadres to leave from Colombo to Geneva and back. This request clearly indicates that they have lost confidence in themselves. This shows that the cadres they have now with them are potbellied ageing commanders and the mercenaries. There is no one willing to fight spiritedly to safeguard the honor and integrity of the Tamils. They are all gone with Colonel Karuna. Despite their propaganda to tarnish the image of Colonel Karuna and TVMP, we are growing and we will be a factor to consider soon once we chase the Vanni Tigers from the Batticalao – Amparai districts soon and from the East subsequently ," said Pilliyan.
(http://www.asiantribune.com/show_news.php?id=17508)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment