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CONDEMNING LTTE’S RE-EMERGING TERRORISM AGAINST OTHER TAMIL
PARTIES PRAJATHANTHRA SAYS IT IS UNLIKELY THEY ARE FOR PEACE
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles The Prajathanthra, a Movement for Social Democracy in Sri Lanka strongly condemned “the increasing resort to terrorism by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , in the North and East of Sri Lanka , as seen in the past weeks , especially after the Oslo round of talks” and said it was unlikely the Tamil Tigers were for peace. In a statement issued to the press the movement said this new rise in terrorism by the LTTE, demonstrated by its determination to wipe out all political opposition to it among the Tamils showed the absolute contempt it had for democracy and pluralism in politics. The statement issued under the signature of its convener Lucien Rajakarunanayaka further appealed to the international community to take note of these developments in their judgment of the LTTE. The Prajathanthra warned it was hardly likely that an organization like the LTTE to agree to any political solution whether based on a federal structure or any other , that did not give it overall control over the fate of the Tamil and other people of the North and East. The Prajathanthra said, in addition to attacks on political opponents there had also been marked increase in abductions of citizens, the hijacking of a fuel tanker, and more intensified acts of extortion in the North and the East, and in Colombo too, that clearly demonstrated the LTTE’s real commitment to terrorism that was now re-emerging. The movement further said, “We are unable to understand how it could be said that such an organization has even hinted that it is prepared to abandon its goal of a separate state carved out by force of terrorism. The international community should take note of these developments in their judgment of the LTTE.” Describing how the LTTE during the past few weeks increased its terrorist activity the Prajathanthra said the activities included the abduction and murder of Mr. Poopal Pillai Alagathurai (35) a member of the EPRLF (Vardaraja Perumal Wing) and an elected member of the Poratheevu Pattu Pradeshiya Sabha, and the grenade attack on five members of PLOT. The statement further said, “It should be noted that both the EPRLF (Vardaraja Perumal Wing) and PLOTE were political parties that entered the democratic mainstream in 1987, with the 13th Amendment, and have been in democratic politics since them. These parties as well as the EPDP, that has members in the present Parliament too, were compelled to give up the weapons issued to them by the Government for their protection, due to the constant threat of attacks by the LTTE. They gave up these official arms following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and the LTTE in February, wherein the LTTE stipulated that no other political group other than it should be allowed to carry arms. Having surrendered their legally issued arms, the members of these political parties have become even more vulnerable to LTTE attacks, as it steps up its terrorism in the North & East.” (EOM) (29/12/02 go2lanka.com) |