LTTE men prepare to confront the Foreign Minister with prepared questions

(September 12, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) The LTTE campaigners are widely circulating their brief for the forthcoming meeting with the Foreign Minister Lord Malloch Brown.A memo is sent to the pro LTTE persons attending the meeting to be addressed by the Foreign Minister that will be held at Zoroastrian Centre, 440 Alexandra Avenue, Harrow, Middlesex HA2 9TL on 15 September 2008 (Monday) at 6.30pm.

They have asked them to target specific questions on issues to the minister. Departing from the traditional stand, the appeal specifically states: ‘Compelling case for separation, … it would be wise to for you all to keep this in reserve’.

It is not known whether this appeal has the backing of the LTTE hierarchy. The meeting is organised by the LTTE front British Tamil Forum. A carefully worded brief prepared by Ravi James Barristers & Solicitors, Level 10, 51 Queen Street, Melbourne Victoria 3000 (Tel: (03) 9614 3588, Fax: (03) 9620 9277) is widely circulated and it states:

’ Those who attend Brown’s meeting must use the time wisely and effectively:

· Human rights violations and internally displaced people are a must and immediate attempt to obtain assurance about food and medical relief to the displaced; that EU NGO’s and aid workers will not leave or be called back and should not be asked to move, if the Sri Lankan government is pin pointing militants alone and not attacking civilians en-masse. Safety of civilians should be government’s responsibility and they cannot simply abandon them.

· Compelling case for separation, I think it would be wise to for you all to keep this in reserve. Please remember Kosovo was backed by EU and America against Russia and Serbia. In a payback Russia has birthed South Ossetia and Abkhazia against the EU and America. So you need a powerful international ally with us to support the case. Neither the EU or America, or even Russia, will go against India. Even China or Pakistan won’t back Tamils. We all know we made a mess of the Indian assistance. Ask Brown to call for Commonwealth intervention to pressure India to stop civilian carnage. Do you see that SARC conference by itself did not raise any whimper against military operations of Sri Lanka. Only Mr. Singh had some dialogues with our parties.

· Call for the road map of how Sri Lanka government intends to implement political and human rights of Tamils and if not, withdrawal of EU-GSP.

· Do not fall into the propagandas and fall victims to criticise Brown for shaking hands with Pillayan. All elections in Sri Lanka including the National Front of ours is through violence and intimidation. Begin to accept and respect different points of view. Pillayan thinks Praba is living in ‘Purananuru’ times and wants to be the hero or die as a hero. Does this help anyone? Not only Brown, but every leader in the civilised world will recognise and give a chance to change. It is that political wisdom they see. We must also move with the times. Look at Nepal.

· Please remember we can only save, protect and look after only if we can make India rise from its slumber. Get the assistance of Brown to look at how he, through the Commonwealth, can do this. Look at what M. K. Narayan said in a ‘Straits Times’ interview recently. He categorically said it is India who can provide ‘the good advice to Sri Lanka’, saying that without India, the involvement of Norway or other nations is not going to be fruitful. Get clues from this and do not run the lines given to you without considering the international scenarios.

Please pay heed to his, and follow this with a meeting with the Indian High Commission, through the efforts of Brown and others’. - Sri Lanka Guardian