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Indiscriminate Attacks strengthens case for Tamil self-rule
- John Murphy MP 5 May 2006 [Tamil Net]
"Whatever the provocation, targeting Tamil civilians by the Sri
Lankan Government clearly demonstrates that it does not regard the Tamil people
to be part of its population. It thus strengthens, in my view, the Tamil
people's case for self determination," said Australian parliamentarian John
Murphy, Member for the Federal State of Lowe, in a media release issued Friday.
Full text of the media release follows:
"In my view, the spiralling violence in Sri Lanka can only
be brought to an end by implementing the Cease-Fire Agreement entered
between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) in February 2002.
Media reports of air strikes by the Sri
Lankan regime on 25th and the 26th April are appalling in that they have
resulted in the deaths of at least 15 civilians and displacement of well
over 15,000 people. The air strike was claimed by the Sri Lankan Government
to be retaliatory attacks mounted to avenge the bombing at the Military High
Command in Colombo. Whatever the provocation, targeting Tamil civilians by
the Sri Lankan Government clearly demonstrates that it does not regard the
Tamil people to be part of its population. It thus strengthens, in my view,
the Tamil people's case for self determination. The failure to implement
vital clauses in the Cease-Fire Agreement is, in my view, the direct cause
for the spiralling violence.
In my opinion, had the Government of
Sri Lanka at least implemented the Joint Mechanisms agreed between the
parties to address the damage caused by the war and the damage caused by
tsunami, the negotiations could have resumed. These were agreements that
were reached between the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE during the 4
year Cease-Fire. They had the potential to rebuild trust between the Sinhala
and Tamil people.
I refer to the observations by the Canadian Liberal party
parliamentarian, Hon. Maria Minna, following her fact finding mission to Sri
Lanka in March 2005: “To be honest with you, I am not terribly positive
about the possibility of getting back to peace discussions if they can’t
agree on the reconstruction from the tsunami because that should be an
easier one”. The implementation of the Cease-Fire Agreement is vital and the
Australian Government needs to do more and use its influence with the Sri
Lankan Government to end the spiralling violence.
Sri Lanka could then begin negotiations with the Tamil leadership to
find an enduring political solution based on the Tamil people's right to
self determination.
All of us want to see a peaceful and just
resolution to the conflict in Sri Lanka.
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