Norwegian Peace Initiative
An embodiment of antimony
Thamilchelvan on Kumaratunga's speeches in New York
17 September 2005
"The LTTE is still ready for immediate talks
on the implementation of the CFA, outside the island,"
reiterated Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, Political Head of the
LTTE, in an exclusive interview to the TamilNet on Friday.
"We see a lot of contradictions in the speeches of Sri
Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga, made abroad and in
the south. The fact is the Tamil people have lost faith in
Kumaratunga's statements, speeches and promises. It is high
time the international community takes this into
consideration," said LTTE's political head.
"It is ludicrous for Kumaratunge who is at the
tail-end of her presidency to pontificate now that she is
committed to a federal system for the resolution of the
Tamil national question," said Mr.Thamilchelvan, commenting
on the statement by Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge in New York.
"We consider Kumaratunga's speech in New York a pack of
chicaneries trying to hoodwink the international community.
During her ten-year period of presidency Kumaratunga failed
to implement anything to enhance the welfare of the Tamil
people," Mr. Thamilchelvan said.
Kumaratunga tried
desperately to prevent the then United National Front (UNF)
government from holding talks with the LTTE on the proposal
of Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA), which she
vehemently criticized. At her earliest opportunity, she
dismissed the UNF government, jeopardising the chance for
the resumption of the peace talks centred on the ISGA
proposals, charged LTTE's political head.
"She failed to take action using her
executive power to solve the humanitarian problems of Tamil
people when misery struck them. It was because of the
international pressure that she signed the P-TOMS agreement
with the LTTE. But she did not make any move to implement
it."
"She has now rushed to shift the blame for the
non-implementation of the P-TOMS on to the Supreme Court and
the Sinhala extreme nationalists. Hence we see no
credibility in the speeches and statements made by her
abroad. They ring hollow. Even last year, when she went
abroad, she spoke profusely in favour of a political
solution based on federal concept, with a view to win the
hearts of the international community. But once she returned
to Sri Lanka,it became a forgotten tale," pointed out
Mr.Thamilchelvan, to the TamilNet correspondent at the Peace
Secretariat of the LTTE, in Kilinochchi.
The
Political Head of the LTTE emphasised the fact that the LTTE
was ready for immediate talks on the implementation of the
CFA in an international venue. While it had become the
accepted practice to conduct talks outside the island,
Kumaratunge government’s sudden insistence on having talks
in Sri Lanka was to conjure a new ploy that would help
abjure the talks, Thamilchelvan observed.
Commenting
on the reports that that Mr.Jayantha Dhanapala, the
Secretary General, Sri Lanka's Peace Secretariat, had
requested Ms Christina Rocca, US Assistant Secretary of
State that the international community should exert pressure
on the LTTE to come to the negotiating table, Mr
Thamilchelvan said, "Southern politicians and diplomats are
used to giving a picture of deceit to the international
community regarding the problems affecting the Tamil people
in Sri Lanka."
He pointed out that the LTTE has established
a good rapport with the international Community and has,
through regular briefings, presented the predicaments the
Tamil people in Sri Lanka per se. Sri Lankan politicians and
diplomats are now engaged in disrupting the good relations
and understanding the LTTE has built up with several
countries.
"We also consider the Sri Lankan
government's insistence on holding future peace talks in Sri
Lanka and not abroad is with a view to sever the rapport the
LTTE has built up with the international community,"
Mr.Thamilchelvan added.
"The Sri Lankan government's
strategy is to marginalize the Tamil people and weakening
the LTTE on one hand, while assuring the international
community it is prepared to hold peace talks with the LTTE,
on the other. Sri Lankan diplomats including Dr.Jayantha
Dhanapala are now engaged in the implementation of this
strategy of duplicity," Mr.Thamilchelvan further said.
"If Sri Lanka is seriously committed to taking forward the
peace process, it should have first agreed to hold talks on
the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in a neutral
country, without breaking the status quo, for which the LTTE
is always ready," Mr.Thamilchelvan assured.
"We have
categorically informed the Norwegian government that the
talks on the implementation of the ceasefire agreement
should be held in a neutral country. But due to the pressure
of the Sri Lankan government, probably from the President
herself, the Norwegian government proposed Sri Lanka,"
replied Mr.Thamilchelvan to a question from the
correspondent.
"The Norwegian government did not
impose on us its decision on a venue in Sri Lanka. We have
now received news that Norwegian government is considering
our proposal regarding venue for talks,” Mr.Thamilchelvan
added.
"We have also pointed out to the Norwegian
facilitators that the contradictory statements and speeches
by President Chandrika Kumaratunge who is on the verge of
leaving her post are causing serious impediment to the peace
process. We are sure the Norwegian authorities are quite
aware of the development,” said Mr.Thamilchelvan. |
