http://news.in.msn.com/international/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1814268
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
LTTE ready for ceasefire, says pro-rebel Tamil party
Colombo: Rebel Tamil Tigers are ready for ceasefire if the Sri Lankan government is willing to halt its military offensive against them, a pro-LTTE political party said on Tuesday.
"We have been told by the LTTE that they are willing to accept a ceasefire if the government ends the offensive against them and will hold talks on the Tamil issue", a senior member of the pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliancev (TNA) Nallathamby Srikantha told reporters here. "Our party appeals to both the LTTE and the government to hold negotiations and to agree for a ceasefire as this will ameliorate the lot of the Tamil Civilians in Wanni", he said.
Meanwhile, the Parliamentary leader of the 22 member TNA party, V Sambanthan said it was not true that the LTTE was stopping the Tamil civilians from leaving the rebel held areas in the Wanni. Sri Lankan parliament has 225 members directly elected by the people.
Sambanthan alleged the government was "determined" to continue the war on Tamil people in Wanni in the north.
Claiming that around 50,000 Tamil Civilians have moved over to the government controlled areas in the northern Wanni, Sambanthan said he wondered how the government can levy this allegation as it would not be possible for people to leave those areas without the approval of the LTTE.
© Copyright 2009 PTI. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
A military victory over the LTTE will not resolve Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict
CURRENT AFFAIRS
pros&cons
Much Hype Little Hope
A military victory over the LTTE will not resolve Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict
N SRI KANTHA
Cover Story
Illustration: SUDEEP CHAUDHURI
AS HEAVY FIGHTING rages in Mullaithivu between the Sri Lankan military and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the civilian casualties have mounted. Over four lakh Tamils are concentrated in the small area that is still under LTTE control, which the army wants to liberate. A major human catastrophe is unfolding as hospitals and the so-called 'safe zones' are shelled, and children, women, and old people die. There is a shortage of food and life-saving medicines. Operations are performed without anaesthesia.
The government believes it is close to winning the war against the LTTE. However, given the nature and history of this conflict, it is difficult to predict the outcome of this war. It is true that the LTTE is fighting with its back to the wall. But we should not forget that the LTTE has been in similar situations earlier and bounced back. Today, many feel the LTTE will no longer be a factor in the resolution of the ethnic conflict. Such assumptions might be far-fetched. A militant outfit that has been around for more than three decades cannot be wiped out overnight. The worst-case scenario for the LTTE is that it would be forced to fight a guerrilla war if it is weakened as a conventional military force. The LTTE will survive as long as the root causes that led to its formation remain unresolved. The Sri Lanka Government and the country's major political parties are inherently racist and show no interest in addressing the legitimate grievances of the Tamils. The divide between the Sinhalese and Tamils has widened. There is hardly anyone in Sri Lanka who thinks as a Sri Lankan — they look at themselves either as Tamils or as Sinhalese.
Though Tamil was made one of the official languages in line with the Indo-Sri Lanka accord of 1987, it has not helped the Tamils substantially. In south Sri Lanka, Sinhala remains the court language. It puts Tamil litigants at a disadvantage. As a lawyer not proficient in Sinhalese, I find it difficult to practice in Colombo's courts. Less than two percent Tamils are in the police department and virtually none in the armed forces. In such a situation, a military victory over the LTTE is not going to resolve the ethnic conflict. The LTTE is not the cause of the problem; it is the effect of the problem.
I foresee three possible scenarios in the near future: SCENARIO 1: The army defeats the LTTE as a conventional force and drives them into the jungles. The Tigers resort to guerrilla warfare. The LTTE has not lost many cadres in this war. Its present strength may be around 10,000 to 15,000. With this strength, it could pose problems even as a guerrilla outfit. The government holds elections in the liberated areas as it did in the Eastern Province.
SCENARIO 2: The LTTE puts up a stiff resistance, the war drags, and there is a military stalemate. The LTTE may even gain territories here and there, retreat, hit back, and use a combination of tactics to frustrate the army. Throughout this phase it would retain a small amount of territory for itself. Then the government would be forced to negotiate with it, as there would be an international outcry over the rising civilian casualties.
SCENARIO 3: There is a resurgence of the LTTE and it launches surprise attacks on the army. The LTTE seizes areas under army control. The government is forced to resume negotiations with the LTTE.
I believe a solution is possible to the Tamil problem within the framework of a united Sri Lanka. But if the Sinhalese politicians are unwilling to grant rights to the Tamils, then the Tamils should have the option to form a separate nation.
Kantha is an MP from Jaffna District
From Tehelka Magazine, Vol 6, Issue 6, Dated Feb 14, 2009
pros&cons
Much Hype Little Hope
A military victory over the LTTE will not resolve Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict
N SRI KANTHA
Cover Story
Illustration: SUDEEP CHAUDHURI
AS HEAVY FIGHTING rages in Mullaithivu between the Sri Lankan military and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the civilian casualties have mounted. Over four lakh Tamils are concentrated in the small area that is still under LTTE control, which the army wants to liberate. A major human catastrophe is unfolding as hospitals and the so-called 'safe zones' are shelled, and children, women, and old people die. There is a shortage of food and life-saving medicines. Operations are performed without anaesthesia.
The government believes it is close to winning the war against the LTTE. However, given the nature and history of this conflict, it is difficult to predict the outcome of this war. It is true that the LTTE is fighting with its back to the wall. But we should not forget that the LTTE has been in similar situations earlier and bounced back. Today, many feel the LTTE will no longer be a factor in the resolution of the ethnic conflict. Such assumptions might be far-fetched. A militant outfit that has been around for more than three decades cannot be wiped out overnight. The worst-case scenario for the LTTE is that it would be forced to fight a guerrilla war if it is weakened as a conventional military force. The LTTE will survive as long as the root causes that led to its formation remain unresolved. The Sri Lanka Government and the country's major political parties are inherently racist and show no interest in addressing the legitimate grievances of the Tamils. The divide between the Sinhalese and Tamils has widened. There is hardly anyone in Sri Lanka who thinks as a Sri Lankan — they look at themselves either as Tamils or as Sinhalese.
Though Tamil was made one of the official languages in line with the Indo-Sri Lanka accord of 1987, it has not helped the Tamils substantially. In south Sri Lanka, Sinhala remains the court language. It puts Tamil litigants at a disadvantage. As a lawyer not proficient in Sinhalese, I find it difficult to practice in Colombo's courts. Less than two percent Tamils are in the police department and virtually none in the armed forces. In such a situation, a military victory over the LTTE is not going to resolve the ethnic conflict. The LTTE is not the cause of the problem; it is the effect of the problem.
I foresee three possible scenarios in the near future: SCENARIO 1: The army defeats the LTTE as a conventional force and drives them into the jungles. The Tigers resort to guerrilla warfare. The LTTE has not lost many cadres in this war. Its present strength may be around 10,000 to 15,000. With this strength, it could pose problems even as a guerrilla outfit. The government holds elections in the liberated areas as it did in the Eastern Province.
SCENARIO 2: The LTTE puts up a stiff resistance, the war drags, and there is a military stalemate. The LTTE may even gain territories here and there, retreat, hit back, and use a combination of tactics to frustrate the army. Throughout this phase it would retain a small amount of territory for itself. Then the government would be forced to negotiate with it, as there would be an international outcry over the rising civilian casualties.
SCENARIO 3: There is a resurgence of the LTTE and it launches surprise attacks on the army. The LTTE seizes areas under army control. The government is forced to resume negotiations with the LTTE.
I believe a solution is possible to the Tamil problem within the framework of a united Sri Lanka. But if the Sinhalese politicians are unwilling to grant rights to the Tamils, then the Tamils should have the option to form a separate nation.
Kantha is an MP from Jaffna District
From Tehelka Magazine, Vol 6, Issue 6, Dated Feb 14, 2009
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