“The Tigers have tried this trick of “unilateral declaration of ceasefire” too often. It has become a tiresome joke. No one take their offers of peace seriously any more. Of course, the peace--merchants in the NGO will raise a howl saying that this is an opportunity that must be seized. They are as tiresome as the Tigers, repeating the Vanni mantras. If the Sri Lankan government accepts this offer, by any chance, and if it fails to last even between July 26 and August 4 the NGO hacks will blame the Sri Lankan government.”
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(July 23, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) The latest gimmick of the Tamil Tigers is to declare “a unilateral ceasefire that is devoid of military actions during the period of the SAARC conference from 26th July to 4th August”. This move is hyped in the official press release of the Tigers as “a sign of goodwill ….. to develop friendship with the countries of the world and our neighbouring countries in our region.” The press release adds: “We are always keen to develop friendship with the countries of the world and our neighbouring countries in our region. We are sincere in our efforts to create the external conditions in order to build these friendships. We wish to express the good will and trust of the Tamil people.”
Nowhere does the Tiger press release talk of peace. Nor does it state that this is an initial move towards advancing an agenda for peace. The fact that it has placed a definite time frame – from July 26 to August 4 and nothing beyond – confirms that it is not even a preliminary soft approach towards finding a way to establish peace. The entire text is aimed at winning the good will of the SAARC countries, particularly India which is concerned about the threats to its delegates, including the Prime Minister.
This is a two-pronged move. First, it is a move to win over India by proclaiming that they are such nice boys who have no intention of attacking India or its delegates when they are on Sri Lankan soil. The Tigers need India’s support to survive at this critical juncture and the Tigers are aiming to exploit the 15th SAARC summit to declare their good will to “our neighbouring countries,” namely, India. It is hoping to win the hearts and minds of India by exhibiting that it is on India’s side. But SAARC has survived and will continue to survive with our without the goodwill of the Tigers.
In any case, the Tigers have a funny way of expressing its goodwill towards India. First they assassinate India’s Prime Minister. Second, they kill 1700 Indian peace keepers who came to help the Tamils to find a solution. Third, export Tiger technology, training and expertise to India’s Maoists, Naxalites and other rebel groups bent on destablising India. Fourth, they bomb India’s oil installations in Sri Lanka and threaten Indian investments as Indian enterprises are undermining their political goals. Fifth, manipulate India’s regional electorate (namely, Chennai) against its national interests at the centre and works closely with separatists of India. Sixth, uses Indian territory as a base to destabilize India’s friendly neighbour, Sri Lanka. Seventh, harbours bitterness against India for not backing its claim for a separate state. Eight, Velupillai Prabhkaran hates India more than any other state, as will be shown later in another article focusing on his personal and implacable hatred of India. With friends like the Tigers do the Indians need any enemies?
The second aim of the two-pronged move is to find an opening to halt the advance of the Sri Lankan forces heading towards Killinochchi. The Tiger press release admits that “the war is spreading and is turning more and more intense.” The Tigers have tried every trick in the book – from international pressure to bombing of busses and trains in the south – and failed to stop the advance of the Security Forces. The latest move is a long shot to put pressure on Sri Lanka through India to stop the march of Security Forces into Killinochhi. The timing, however, is bad. It comes at a time when India is flexing its muscle to send a clear signal to the Tigers that they mean business if they dare touch the SAARC delegates.
In any case, the Tigers will be forced to cease hostilities outside the theatre of war because any attack in the south during the SAARC summit will be an insult and a threat to SAARC region as whole. Any attack by the Tigers during the SAARC summit will be read and dealt with as a direct attack on SAARC. Besides, the focus of the international media on SAARC will worsen the prevailing image of the Tigers as mindless terrorists and ruthless violators of human rights. Tiger violence is guaranteed to lose the last vestiges of sympathies in the international community and in the SAARC region. It would be like the Basque separatists blowing up parts of a European city when the EU is holding its summit in the heart of the metropolis.
The Tigers are aware that they cannot resort to violence at the height of the SAARC summit. Certainly not after they say: “We are always keen to develop friendship with the countries of the world and our neighbouring countries in our region. We are sincere in our efforts to create the external conditions in order to build these friendships. We wish to express the good will and trust of the Tamil people.” They can’t expect to get away by uttering these platitudes if they dare attack the civilians in the south which will be seen as a threat to the SAARC delegates as well.
Any violence of the Tigers would be counter-productive. So the Tigers are kissing the hand that it cannot cut. Its offer of “unilateral ceasefire” is meaningless because whether they offer it or not they have to stop their violence outside the war zone when the SAARC summit is on. Besides, Sri Lanka and the war-weary people are tired of the numerous declarations of “unilateral peace” because it has always led to declarations of “unilateral war”.
Quite correctly, the Sri Lankan government has rejected this hypocritical offer of “unilateral ceasefire”. The Tigers have threatened to take “defensive action” if their offer of “unilateral ceasefire” is rejected. So what else is new? They have been taking “defensive action” to sustain the collapsing one-man regime of the Vanni for decades. Their threat is not going to frighten the SAARC delegates or the Sri Lankan Security forces. Besides, the head of the Peace Secretariat, Prof Rajiva Wijesinghe states: “What they have sent us is the copy of that press release.” He explained that there was no formal communique from the LTTE addressed to the Government.
The Tigers have tried this trick of “unilateral declaration of ceasefire” too often. It has become a tiresome joke. No one take their offers of peace seriously any more. Of course, the peace--merchants in the NGO will raise a howl saying that this is an opportunity that must be seized. They are as tiresome as the Tigers, repeating the Vanni mantras. If the Sri Lankan government accepts this offer, by any chance, and if it fails to last even between July 26 and August 4 the NGO hacks will blame the Sri Lankan government.
This charade of on-again-off-again peace should be rejected without any qualms by the Sri Lankan government. It must insist on the Tigers coming for peace talks on the commonly accepted principles of: 1) laying down arms under UN supervision; 2) renouncing violence; 3) renouncing separatism and 4) putting an end to forcible recruitment of children.
If the Tigers fail to accept these minimum requirements they must be told to go jump in the Giant Tank.
( H.L.D.Mahindapala: Editor, Sunday and Daily Observer (1990 - 1994). President, Sri Lanka Working Journalists' Association (1991 -1993). Secretary-General, South Asia Media Association (1993 -1994). He has been featured as a political commentator in Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Special Broadcasting Services and other mainstream TV and radio stations in Australia.)
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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(July 23, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) The latest gimmick of the Tamil Tigers is to declare “a unilateral ceasefire that is devoid of military actions during the period of the SAARC conference from 26th July to 4th August”. This move is hyped in the official press release of the Tigers as “a sign of goodwill ….. to develop friendship with the countries of the world and our neighbouring countries in our region.” The press release adds: “We are always keen to develop friendship with the countries of the world and our neighbouring countries in our region. We are sincere in our efforts to create the external conditions in order to build these friendships. We wish to express the good will and trust of the Tamil people.”
Nowhere does the Tiger press release talk of peace. Nor does it state that this is an initial move towards advancing an agenda for peace. The fact that it has placed a definite time frame – from July 26 to August 4 and nothing beyond – confirms that it is not even a preliminary soft approach towards finding a way to establish peace. The entire text is aimed at winning the good will of the SAARC countries, particularly India which is concerned about the threats to its delegates, including the Prime Minister.
This is a two-pronged move. First, it is a move to win over India by proclaiming that they are such nice boys who have no intention of attacking India or its delegates when they are on Sri Lankan soil. The Tigers need India’s support to survive at this critical juncture and the Tigers are aiming to exploit the 15th SAARC summit to declare their good will to “our neighbouring countries,” namely, India. It is hoping to win the hearts and minds of India by exhibiting that it is on India’s side. But SAARC has survived and will continue to survive with our without the goodwill of the Tigers.
In any case, the Tigers have a funny way of expressing its goodwill towards India. First they assassinate India’s Prime Minister. Second, they kill 1700 Indian peace keepers who came to help the Tamils to find a solution. Third, export Tiger technology, training and expertise to India’s Maoists, Naxalites and other rebel groups bent on destablising India. Fourth, they bomb India’s oil installations in Sri Lanka and threaten Indian investments as Indian enterprises are undermining their political goals. Fifth, manipulate India’s regional electorate (namely, Chennai) against its national interests at the centre and works closely with separatists of India. Sixth, uses Indian territory as a base to destabilize India’s friendly neighbour, Sri Lanka. Seventh, harbours bitterness against India for not backing its claim for a separate state. Eight, Velupillai Prabhkaran hates India more than any other state, as will be shown later in another article focusing on his personal and implacable hatred of India. With friends like the Tigers do the Indians need any enemies?
The second aim of the two-pronged move is to find an opening to halt the advance of the Sri Lankan forces heading towards Killinochchi. The Tiger press release admits that “the war is spreading and is turning more and more intense.” The Tigers have tried every trick in the book – from international pressure to bombing of busses and trains in the south – and failed to stop the advance of the Security Forces. The latest move is a long shot to put pressure on Sri Lanka through India to stop the march of Security Forces into Killinochhi. The timing, however, is bad. It comes at a time when India is flexing its muscle to send a clear signal to the Tigers that they mean business if they dare touch the SAARC delegates.
In any case, the Tigers will be forced to cease hostilities outside the theatre of war because any attack in the south during the SAARC summit will be an insult and a threat to SAARC region as whole. Any attack by the Tigers during the SAARC summit will be read and dealt with as a direct attack on SAARC. Besides, the focus of the international media on SAARC will worsen the prevailing image of the Tigers as mindless terrorists and ruthless violators of human rights. Tiger violence is guaranteed to lose the last vestiges of sympathies in the international community and in the SAARC region. It would be like the Basque separatists blowing up parts of a European city when the EU is holding its summit in the heart of the metropolis.
The Tigers are aware that they cannot resort to violence at the height of the SAARC summit. Certainly not after they say: “We are always keen to develop friendship with the countries of the world and our neighbouring countries in our region. We are sincere in our efforts to create the external conditions in order to build these friendships. We wish to express the good will and trust of the Tamil people.” They can’t expect to get away by uttering these platitudes if they dare attack the civilians in the south which will be seen as a threat to the SAARC delegates as well.
Any violence of the Tigers would be counter-productive. So the Tigers are kissing the hand that it cannot cut. Its offer of “unilateral ceasefire” is meaningless because whether they offer it or not they have to stop their violence outside the war zone when the SAARC summit is on. Besides, Sri Lanka and the war-weary people are tired of the numerous declarations of “unilateral peace” because it has always led to declarations of “unilateral war”.
Quite correctly, the Sri Lankan government has rejected this hypocritical offer of “unilateral ceasefire”. The Tigers have threatened to take “defensive action” if their offer of “unilateral ceasefire” is rejected. So what else is new? They have been taking “defensive action” to sustain the collapsing one-man regime of the Vanni for decades. Their threat is not going to frighten the SAARC delegates or the Sri Lankan Security forces. Besides, the head of the Peace Secretariat, Prof Rajiva Wijesinghe states: “What they have sent us is the copy of that press release.” He explained that there was no formal communique from the LTTE addressed to the Government.
The Tigers have tried this trick of “unilateral declaration of ceasefire” too often. It has become a tiresome joke. No one take their offers of peace seriously any more. Of course, the peace--merchants in the NGO will raise a howl saying that this is an opportunity that must be seized. They are as tiresome as the Tigers, repeating the Vanni mantras. If the Sri Lankan government accepts this offer, by any chance, and if it fails to last even between July 26 and August 4 the NGO hacks will blame the Sri Lankan government.
This charade of on-again-off-again peace should be rejected without any qualms by the Sri Lankan government. It must insist on the Tigers coming for peace talks on the commonly accepted principles of: 1) laying down arms under UN supervision; 2) renouncing violence; 3) renouncing separatism and 4) putting an end to forcible recruitment of children.
If the Tigers fail to accept these minimum requirements they must be told to go jump in the Giant Tank.
( H.L.D.Mahindapala: Editor, Sunday and Daily Observer (1990 - 1994). President, Sri Lanka Working Journalists' Association (1991 -1993). Secretary-General, South Asia Media Association (1993 -1994). He has been featured as a political commentator in Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Special Broadcasting Services and other mainstream TV and radio stations in Australia.)
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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