The 'Tiger' Bogey!


“On the other hand, the government has cautioned that such a strike can be favourable to the LTTE which is being targeted by the security forces in the Vanni area. The JVP which used to brand the political parties and civil societies that had been voicing for human rights as puppets of the LTTE is now at the receiving end and are condemned in the very same tone that they had condemned the others earlier.”
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- Thinakkural Editorial

(July 07, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Among the politicians of the South, Wimal Weerawensa speaks most eloquently in favour of the war. He makes the war propaganda much more effectively than what he did while he was in the JVP.

Weerawensa maintains that people are bearing the burden of the economic crisis only to support the war and that if the war is not continued, the government will fall. It is now clear that it was Weerawensa who persuaded the JVP to tow the line to support President Rajapakse's government and its pursuance of the war.

It is clear now that the leaders of the JVP have realized that they have been alienated form the people because of the support the JVP extended to the government to continue the war efforts.

Even though we don't expect any major change of policy on the part of the JVP in respect of the resolution of the ethnic problem, the JVP leadership has now accepted that the government is trying to divert the attention of the people from major problems faced by the people under the pretext of the 'war against terrorism'.

The JVP has begun to launch many struggles against the government and in fact the trade unions under the influence of the JVP have called for a general strike. JVP has appealed to the workers in the private sector and the public sector to take part in the strike.

On the other hand, the government has cautioned that such a strike can be favourable to the LTTE which is being targeted by the security forces in the Vanni area. The JVP which used to brand the political parties and civil societies that had been voicing for human rights as puppets of the LTTE is now at the receiving end and are condemned in the very same tone that they had condemned the others earlier.

Today JVP is accused of supporting the LTTE by none other than Wimal Weerawensa. In response, Tilvin Silva, the General Secretary of the JVP, has denied the allegation.

The JVP's strategy of depicting the 'tiger Bogey' to distract the attention of the people from the main burning issues of the country is now being used against the JVP itself.

(An English translation of the Editorial in Thinakkural, a Tamil daily, based in Colombo)
- Sri Lanka Guardian