Let the demonstrators demand trapped civilians be freed

(April 19, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Note from the Editors of Sri Lanka Guardian: President Mahinda Rajapakse calls for pressure to be put on the LTTE to free the civilians (see below). This request reported by the Policy Research & Information Unit of the Presidential Secretariat speaks clearly of the current predicament faced by him, the government and the Armed Forces; and the people too.

Sri Lanka has finally come to a stage of getting rid of terrorism, perhaps the most brutal kind the world has seen and suffered in recent years, and there can be no room for any let up or anyone to foul it up.

It has to be said to the credit of the government and the high disciplinary conduct of the Armed Forces, that the war against LTTE terrorism was not over months ago all because of the consideration given to the civilians. Civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan did not have this consideration from such a super democratic power as the US supported by the United Kingdom and some other countries.

The LTTE is not only a danger to Sri Lanka but also to the entire region in South Asia, India principally, and now even the urban communities in Canada, United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark and Norway. LTTE is a driving force of a powerful underworld spread widely and its political involvement is only a part of it. The big bosses are elsewhere and more and more people like Pathmanathan (KP) wanted in some countries are emerging as the big bosses on the international scene.

Just because Pathmanathan and others of his ilk are smart crooks and even deadly, they cannot be heroes to head our political causes because the same people could end up as the villains for our children and history has many tragic examples. Even a drowning man will have a better option than grabbing the tail of a deadly sea snake; the tiger is no better.

All that the LTTE wanted was a land territory and saw the Tamil issue in Sri Lanka ideal to be exploited for such a purpose and the availability like a brutal brigand like Prabhakaran suited its idea of a mafia state in South Asia. The Tamil community, a tragic victim of empty political slogans beginning with Ponnambalam the crook, Chelvanayagam the farce and Amirthalingam who prided in his oratorical skill but nothing else, and finally the horrendous terrorist has paid a terrible price for not being politically mature, lacking in depth understanding of politics and deficient in visions.

Because of the underworld backing and the support of a section of the Tamil Diaspora whoever is managing the LTTE seems certain that with determined pressure on the Government of Sri Lanka, LTTE could be given a new lease of life which will still give hope for a land territory for a mafia state. This cannot happen; should not happen and that should not only be the primary goal of Sri Lanka to ensure all the people of this island state live in peace and harmony but also of all nations to prevent this terrorist contraption from gaining global ascendancy.

Put pressure on LTTE to free civilians - President Rajapakse

President Mahinda Rajapakse called on all those pressuring his government, both locally and internationally for an extended "humanitarian pause" or a ceasefire, to instead appeal to the LTTE to give freedom of movement "just for one hour" to innocent civilians stranded in the No-Fire Zone (NFZ), in the North.

"If the LTTE gives such freedom was given to the Tamil civilians held back by it for nearly 30 years, no one could prevent them coming of their own free will to the government controlled areas", he said.

He was addressing a gathering of ayurvedic physicians, Justices of the Peace, and representatives of farmer organizations at Temple Trees, Colombo April 18.

Evan as he made this statement the military reported that more than 2,800 civilians crossed over from the NFZ, where the LTTE is still holding several thousand civilians, to government controlled Safe Zone. This is the largest number of civilians to cross over from the war zone on a single day in the last few months.

In contrast during the recent 48-hour pause of offensive for during the traditional New Year period - April 13 & 14, there were hardly any civilians who crossed over from the NFZ, which by then had 68,000 who had fled to freedom. This was so during the 48-hour pause announced by the President in January 2009, too.

President Rajapakse said the operations of the government Armed Forces were not aimed at the Tamil people but against a terrorist group and they did not harass or put the Tamil people into any difficulties, although but some politicians were alleging violation of human rights against him, the Defence Secretary and the Army Commander. They would rather face the gallows than betray the country, he said.

He stressed that some decisions made for the sake of the country may not please some people but such decisions were necessary for the benefit of the people, especially the unborn generations, the President said.

Earlier on Friday (17), Mr. Rajapakse maintained his government took crucial decisions on the basis of national interests and expected support from the international community without any hindrance or disruption.

Addressing workers of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Mr. Rajapakse maintained that the LTTE leaders trapped within a few square kilometres of the NFZ would meet their end soon

"They have only three alternatives. Either they have to surrender to our armed forces, eat the cyanide capsule and commit suicide, or plunge into the sea." Mr. Rajapakse claimed that when the people accepted his Mahinda Chinthana policies and elected him as the President, they were not concerned about their hunger. "They were solely concerned about the future security of their country. They wanted their motherland to be free from terrorism, and fragmentation as per the agreements inked between the terrorists and the past governments."

Courtesy: Policy Research & Information Unit of the Presidential Secretariat

-Sri Lanka Guardian