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WO XIX NO. 12 ISSN 0266-4488 15 DECEM
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CD LTTELeader's Heroes Da
O News Review
O Letter from Jaffna
 
 
 

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Speech O Govt Ready for talks
O People & Politics
O Saroja - Film Review

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15 DECEMBER 2000
“I do not agree with a word of what you say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.'
-Voltaire
ISSN 0266 - 44 88 Vol. XIX No. 12 15 DECEMBER 2000
Published by: TAMILTIMESLTD PO Box 121, Sutton, Surrey SM13TD United Kingdom Phone: 020 - 8644 0972 Fax: 020 - 8241 4557 Email: prajan(agn.apc.org
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Unconditional talks O3 Heroes Day Speech 04 Ready for talks - Govt O7 News Review O9 Extradition issue 14 People & Politics 17 Goading the Combatants 19 Bindunuwewa Massacre 22 Letter from Jaffna 23 Why Advani should go 25 Actor's Release 26 Saroja - Review 28 Classified 30
Uncon
The Liberation Ti talkS With the Govern speech. The Govern peace talks with the L December SaidSO.BC of both parties, why di at bringing an end to
Let uS befrankar are prepared for "unc fessing their readines they are putting forw
The LTTE leader Sri Lanka governmen of a COnducive Climat talks", and "explained removing the econom also proposed "a proC and the Creation of a de-eScalation and nor tionS. We Want the ta mutual trust SO that it
On the Other han tariat said, "Both, the should be lost in addre and fringe matters, ... future of Sri Lanka Shi talks with the LTTE, a requires that the LTTE tions. The COre issues. of War, the stoppage ( through negotiated pC displaced by War, etc. to move beyond rhetol frame with a clear poli
That the respectiv "pre-conditions" is sel that both parties have an Outside "facilitator" talks to begin. It may agenda for future talk Concern to them befo negotiated settlement, merit Of their view tha diSCUSSion On What th The beneficial result C other acroSS the table
Once the parties parties to agree an a matters relating to th hostilities, and talks Ol separate teams from e either side discussing and the other in the af diSCUSSİOn Ofb0th Sub
If the parties areg then they should mov Other With the assistar of rhetoric and postu
 
 

TAMITMES 3
Iditional talkS, but ....
Jers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are prepared for "unconditional" peace ment. The LTTE leader said so in his recent annual "Heroes Day" ment of Sri Lanka is also prepared for "unconditional immediate" TTE. A statement released from the Presidential Secretariat on 12 thparties have agreed to Norwegian facilitation. If that is the position on't they fixa date and venue and get on with the peace talks aimed the Conflict in Sri Lanka? dblunt. Both parties are not telling the truth when they say that they Onditional" peace talks. Accompanying their announcements prois for "unconditional" peace talks are a plethora of pre-Conditions
rd. has said that he is "prepared for unconditional peace talks with the t but insisted On a process of de-escalation of war and the Creation e of g00cwill and normalcy in the Tamil homeland to facilitate the that by normalcy he meant the restoration of normal civilian life by ic blockade and other restrictions imposed on the Tamil people." He ess of de-escalation of war leading to cessation of armed hostilities peaceful, Cordial environment." And he further said that "Our Call for malisation of civilian life should not be misinterpreted as pre-Condi|ks to proceed from a stable foundation in a cordial atmosphere of could turn Out to be a Constructive engagement". d the government's statement released by the Presidential Secregovernment and the President are particularly keen that no time Ssing the main COre issues, that no time should be loston peripheral ...In the government's view the Crucial political issues that affect the puld not be evaded any longer. The government states that political imed at resolving the conflict, can and should begin forthwith. This agree that the Core issues should Comprise the agenda of negotiaas the government has consistently maintained, are:-the stoppage )f all terrorist killings, the resolution of the Tamil people's problems litical Settlement and a speedy resolution of the problems of those a Finally, the government wishes to state that the time has come icto the discussion of Concrete political issues, within a definite time tical Outcome in view." 'e positions of the LTTE and the Government contain a number of f-evident. However, what needs to be underlined as significant is expressed their willingness to talk. In this context, now that we have let him talk to the parties with a view to drawing up an agenda for be that the first round of talks will be limited to just to drawing up an S. if the LTTE Wants to discuss about other matters which are of 'e they will enter into substantive talks on the political issues for a they should be able to do so. If the Government wants to discuss the talks on the Substantive political issues should commence before ey describe as "peripheral issues", it should also be able to do so. f this approach is that the parties would have begun to talk to each
and that alone can be considered an achievement. have sit downto talk, it may be that the facilitator can persuade the genda which enables the discussion of both subjects - namely restoration of Conditions of normalcy leading to a cessation of substantive political issues - at the same time. It could be that two ither side discussing both subjects at the sametime, ora team from the two Subjects in two separate sessions, say One in the morning ernoon. There may be other Orbetter ways to enable simultaneous jects. enuinely committed to the goal of a negotiated political settlement, e away from their current fixed positions and start talking to each ce of the facilitator. The people must be spared of the current spate ing. They deserve better.

Page 4
4 TALTIMES
PIRAPAHARANS HEROESDAY
“Ready for Peace T. in a Cordial Atmosp and Conditions of Nor
(Text of the press release by the International Secretariat of LTTE,
London E6 IBU, United Kingdom)
he leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan declared today (27 November 2000) that his organisation is prepared for unconditional peace talks with the Sri Lanka government but insisted on a process of de-escalation of war and the creation of a conducive climate of goodwill and normalcy in the Tamil homeland to facilitate the talks.
Enunciating the organisation’s policy in his annual Heroes' Day speech the Tamil Tiger leader explained that by normalcy he meant the restoration of normal civilian life by removing the economic blockade and other restrictions imposed on the Tamil people.
Mr. Pirapaharan revealed that the Government of Norway has suggested positive proposals as confidence building goodwill measures to be mutually reciprocated by the parties in conflict that would facilitate the process of de-escalation leading to cessation of hostilities. He admitted that the LTTE is seriously considering the proposals. “If the government takes the initiative we will respond positively", the LTTE leader said.
"Our liberation organisation is prepared to participate in negotiations to find a political solution to the ethnic conflict through peaceful means. We are not opposed to peaceful processes of resolving conflicts. Nor are we reluctant to engage in peaceful dialogue. We are seeking a negotiated settlement that would be fair, just, and equitable and that it would satisfy the political aspirations of the Tamil people. I explained this position very clearly when I met the Norwegian peace delegates in Wanni recently. We
are not imposing a for peace talks. Ye creation of a cordi conditions of norm: peace negotiations difficult for both th been involved in a war for the last t mutual animosity a denly enter into while continuing ht cisely for this reas process of de-escal ing to cessation of and the creation of environment', Mr.
The LTTE leade that "our call for normalisation of c not be misinterpre tions. We want th from a stable foun atmosphere of mut could turn out to engagement'.
"Chandrika's t continue for the ni ther it is going to riod characterised ce or whether pea ing this period di the policies to bi ndrika. This Gove ed power with the vinistic forces. It tory by indulging lence and massiv tices. Those who Sitions in the pov Government are h alists. A treacherc made a mockery electoral violence also supporting t have our doubts

PEECH
lks
ete nalcy”
211 Katherine Rd,
ly pre-conditions we insist on the l atmosphere and lcy conducive for It is practically : parties who have avage and bloody wo decades with nd distrust to suda peace process, stilities. It is preon we propose a ation of war leadarmed hostilities a peaceful, cordial Pirapaharan said. r further explained de-escalation and ivilian life should ted as pre-condi: talks to proceed dation in a cordial ual trust so that it be a constructive
rm of office is to xt six years. Whebe a turbulent pey war and violene will prevail durpends entirely on adopted by Chanment has assumupport of the chauhas achieved vicun wide-Scale vioelectoral malpracold important poir structure of this d-line ultranations Tamil group who democracy by its and fraudulence is Government. We s to whether this
15 DECEMBER 2000
Government, which pathetically depends on Sinhala racists and Tamil traitors for its sustenance, will be able to make any bold decisions to resolve the Tamil national question", the LTTE leader said.
Mr. Pirapaharan also criticised Kumaratunga government for its confused and incoherent policy towards resolving the ethnic conflict. "This Government does not have any coherent policy or a determined approach towards the issues of war and peace and towards the resolution of the ethnic conflict. It constantly makes contradictory statements. Since this government is constituted by different personalities with different views we hear different voices which are confusing. We hear different voices from the President, the Prime Minister and the Army commander, one calling for peace talks with the Tamil Tigers, the other vowing to destroy them and yet another calling for surrender. This government has several tongues each addressing a different audience. Chaindrika and Kadirgamar present an amicable picture to the international community while the Prime Minister and Army Commander placate the local chauvinistic forces', the Tiger leader observed.
The following are extracts from Mr. Pirapaharan's statement:
"The Western Governments want peace and a negotiated settlement through peaceful means. They insist that the Tamil conflict cannot be resolved by war. It is precisely for this reason that Chandrika has been making subtle propaganda Statements to placate the western nations using the categories of peace, negotiations, devolution and constitutional reforms.
As far as the LTTE and the Tamil people are concerned we do not believe that Chandrika is sincerely committed to peace. We view her as a hard-liner committed to a military solution. The LTTE and the Tamil people are compelled to take this position because of Chandrika's political history for over the last six years and her policy of subjecting our people to military atrocities and economic injustices and her recent measures mobilising the country for war. The colossal sums allocated for military

Page 5
15 DECEMBER 2000
spending, the procurement of massive scale military hardware, the continuous recruitment for the armed forces and the witch-hunting of the army deserters clearly demonstrate the fact that Chandrika is a militaristic hard-liner committed to strengthening the military machine for war.
Chandrika's inconsistency and confused approach to the Tamil ethnic conflict can be best discerned if one analyses her policy statement on the 9th of this month at the opening of the first session of Parliament. Tracing the history of the ethnic conflict, Chandrika agrees that injustice has been done to the Tamils for the last 50 years. Without making direct ref. erence to the Tamils she used the general category "minority communities'. To quote her in this context: "The real cause of the ethnic crisis is the minority communities have not had a fair or reasonable opportunity to share in the political, social and economic power structure of this country'. The strange aspect of this exposition is that Chandrika fails to answer the questions as to why, how and who did this injustice to the Tamils. She shifts the entire blame onto foreign colonialism for all injustices done to the Tamil people. Chandrika's thesis is that existing Sri Lankan state system emanated from essentially colonial power structure "that does not suit in anyway the prevailing conditions in our society” and therefore failed to provide justice and fair play to the "minority communities'. In this elucidation the cruel history of Sinhala-Buddhist chauvinistic oppression against the Tamil people is skilfully suppressed. The role of Chandrika's parents in this history of oppression is also covered up. This attempt to link the racist oppression against the Tamils to constitutional systems and shift the entire blame to foreign colonialism is incredible and pre posterous.
It is a historical fact that the Tamils lost their sovereignty over their homeland as a consequence of foreign colonial penetration. But a calculated systematic oppression against the Tamil nation began soon after the island of Sri Lanka gained independence from British colonialism. SinhalaBuddhist racism was the main perpe
trator of this oppre: Buddhist racist i roots buried in Sri has perversely spri Sinhala social fo etrated deep into th system. The const made by Sinhalap ing but institutiona ology. Therefore, the tyrannical ol Tamils is Sinhala B the British coloni as Chandrika assu
The political s by the Tamils again ist oppression in th the form of nonwhich later transfor resistance campaig sumed the dimensio For more than twer war has existed b Tigers, the libera Tamils and the Si nation entitled to tl termination our p. right to defend the Struggle against St genocidal proport Tamil Eelam war is the norms of Inter tarian Law pertaini flict. But the Sri L has been deliberat nature of this war ary historical back ing it as a phenome Commenting on the her recent policy st described the war : of the ethnic conf Statement she als war as a form of "a is the same tongu war as a manifestat flict and also as 'al is the same Chandr that ethnic conflict by peaceful means the Sinhala people late terrorism by wa of war that Chanc makes the most col distorting the rea armed struggle aga sion as a form of totally mis represe conflict to the Sinh world.

TAMILTIMES 5
ision. The Sinhaladeology, with its Lankan Buddhism, :ad throughout the mation and pene Sinhala political itutions that were oliticians are nothforms of this idethe culprit behind pression of the uddhist racism not ll thought system
eS.
truggles launched st the Sinhala race early stages took violent agitation med into an armed gn and finally asin of an all-out war. ty years a state of etween the Tamil
tion army of the
nhala State. As a he right to self-deeople reserve the mselves by armed ate oppression of tions. Therefore, conducted within national Humaning to armed conanka government ely distorting the and its evolutionground and debasnon of “terrorismo. : armed conflict in tement Chandrika as a "consequence lict'. In the same o, categorises the rmed terrorism'. It e that defines the ion of ethnic conmed terrorism'. It ka who proclaims will be resolved nd also calls upon to unite to annihir. It is in the realm rika government nfusing Statements ity of the Tamil inst State oppresterrorism' thereby nting the ethnic ala people and the
Tamil Eelam war is the liberation struggle of the oppressed Tamil people. The Sinhala ruling elites are refusing to accept this stark political reality. This denial of truth, this refusal to face reality is the stumbling block to finding a political resolution to the conflict through peaceful means.
Political negotiations are not unfamiliar to the Tamil people. Our liberation movement as well as the Tamil leadership before us had negotiations with the Sinhalese on several occasions. From the time of the BandaChelva Pact there has been peace talks over the last se veral decades under different historical conjunctures, under different compulsions. But all these talks have failed to resolve the Tamil problem. Instead the conflict has become more complex and finally transformed into an all-out war. The main reason for this unfortunate situation is the refusal of the Sinhala nation to recognise the fundamentals of the Tamil conflict as well as the political aspirations of the Tamils. If a permanent political solution is to be achieved by peaceful means, the Sinhala nation has to accept certain basic truths about the Tamil people and understand their basic aspirations.
The Tamils of Eelam have a unique ethnic identity. They are a community of people constituted as a national formation experiencing a national consciousness of their own. They have their own lands; a historically constituted territory which is their homeland. Our people desire only one thing. They want to live happily in peace in their own lands without being dominated or harassed by others. The deepest aspiration of our people is to live in dignity in a political environment where they could rule themselves. The Sinhalese should try to understand the Tamil aspirations. It is on the basis of this understanding a just and permanent solution could be built up.
We have our doubts as to whether Chandrika’s government will do justice to the Tamils on the basis of understanding the fundamentals of the Tamil question. The outbreak of racist barbarism against the Tamils in the south, the hegemonic role of the chauvinistic elements in the power struc

Page 6
6 TAMILTIMES
ture of the State, the continuous militarisation of the Sinhala society, the anti-Tamil attitude of the Maha Sangha, the Government's commitment to the military option; all these factors cast doubt as to whether the Tamil national question could be resolved by peaceful means. Furthermore, certain irrational measures adopted by Chandrika's government also make the resolution of the Tamil question difficult. In a similar manner the earlier Indian government made a historical blunder by crowning Perumal as Chief Minister, Chandrika has also elevated a Tamil quisling group to a high position in the Northeastern administration. By such ridiculous actions this government has not only earned the hostility of the Tamil people but also complicated the ethnic conflict.
The international community is becoming more concerned about the Tamil national conflict and wants the problem to be solved by peaceful means. It is encouraging to note that the conscience of the world has turned towards our plight. We are
impressing upon th not an anyway opp or a negotiated p( through peaceful 1 community has be the fundamental
Tamils and our pos en vironment con talks is a pre-requi derstand the force pression of the Tal of the massive fina from donor countr can continue this Tamils. Having un tive war against th ing slaughtered a la people, this gove misleading the inte nity by claiming th a 'war for peace'.
now begun to reali. tives behind the w Tigers cannot b armed combat and
nic conflict cannc war. Therefore, if directed towards t the reins are in the
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world that we are ed to peace talks itical settlement eans. The world un to understand demands of the ion that a cordial ucive for peace te. They also un; behind the opils. It is because ncial aid obtained es that Sri Lanka war against the eashed a destrucTamils and havge number of our nment has been rnational commuat it is engaged in But the world has e the ulterior mo'ar and the Tamil vanquished in that the Tamil ethit be resolved by Sri Lanka is to be he path of peace, hands of the inter
15 DECEMBER200
national governments who feed the economic needs of the country. We do not believe that Sinhala-Buddhist chauvinism, which is growing fast and proliferating at all levels of the Sinhala social structure, will embrace the Tamil people with compassion. If the Sinhala nation fails to redeem itself from the grip of racism and continues its repression against the Tamils, we have no alternative other than to secede and form an independent Tamil State'.
Commenting on the ground situation the LTTE leader admitted that he was compelled to delay his advance into Jaffna as a consequence of unilateral intervention by international governments who injected massive military assistance to the Sri Lankan military forces at a crucial time in the battle of Jaffna. "The entire world rushed to help Sri Lanka with emergency military assistance when Chandrika raised the alarm of an impending military disaster claiming that the lives of thirty thousand troops were in danger', Mr. Pirapaharan said. "It was the same
(continued on next page)
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Page 7
15 DECEMBER2000
Ready for immediate
Says Governme
he Sri Lankan government has said it is ready for immediate peace talks with the Tamil Tigers, but rejected their demands for a de-escalation of the war and lifting of the economic embargo ahead of negotiations describing them as "pre-conditions'. "The government has made no demands of the LTTE at all. Both, the government and the President are particularly keen that no time should be lost in addressing the main core issues, that no time should be lost on peripheral and fringe matters," Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar said, adding, "The LTTE says there is mistrust on both sides, so they should start talking and during these talks they can address the issue of building trust. Both should not put conditions before talks begin.”
Kadirgamar said they were not imposing conditions on the LTTE but wanted to ensure that talks on "core
(Continued from page 6)
world which closed its eyes and observed a studied silence when Jaffna was invaded militarily by the Sri Lankan army and as a consequence a monumental tragedy occurred when half a million Tamils were uprooted and displaced", he observed. "Jaffna does not belong to the Sinhala nation. Jaffna belongs to the people of Jaffna. Sovereignty is not a divine right of a State. Sovereignty derives from the people; it is an inalienable right of a people. It is the people of Jaffna who has sovereign right over the Jaffna peninsula. The Sinhala nation cannot impose its sovereignty over the historically constituted lands of the Tamils by military aggression and occupation. As the liberation army of our people we will not allow our traditional lands to be occupied by alien forces. Whatever the challenges we have to face, regardless of the obstacles we must overcome, whichever force opposes us, our liberation movement is determined to liberate Jaffna”, Mr Pirapaharan declared.
issues" were c specified period. the government 1 ntained are the s stoppage of all t resolution of the lems through neg tlement,' he said
The Foreign a Statement issu and approved by retariat, respon made by LTTE le hakaran on 27 No ating the 'Heroes there will not be dence building talks commence a lation of war coul as the talks prog nite stage in reso In his annual vember, the LTT Pirapaharan said, ganisation is prej in negotiations to lution to the ethr peaceful means. to peaceful proc conflicts.... We a pre-conditions for insist on the crea mosphere and cor conducive for pea We propose a pri tion of war leadil armed hostilities a peaceful, cordial ing that "our call f normalisation of not be misinterp tions."
The governm sponse said that ika Kumaratung Parliament on No indeed on many reiterated the gov ment to a negotia Lanka's ethnic co made it categori doors for talks wi ned open.”
The statemen
 

TAMILTMES 7
oncluded within a The core issues as Las consistently maitoppage of war, the 2rrorist killings, the Tamil people's probotiated political set
Minister reading out ed on 12 December the Presidential Seciing to the speech ader Velupilai Prabvember comme-morWeek', stressed that a ceasefire or confiprocess before the dding that "de-escad be considered only ress towards a defilving the conflict'.
speech on 27 NoE leader Vellupillai "Our liberation orpared to participate find a political sonic conflict through We are not opposed esses of resolving re not imposing any peace talks. Yet we tion of a cordial atditions of normalcy ce negotiations...... ocess of de-escalag to a cessation of ind the creation of a environment,' addor de-escalation and civilian life should 'eted as pre-condi
nt statement in re“President Chandr
in her address to ember 09, 2000, as brevious occasions, ernment's commited settlement of Sri nflict. She has also ally clear that the h the LTTE remai
identified that an
"honest political commitment of the government, the clear agreement of the majority of all Sri Lankans, and an end to the war and all forms of terrorist activity“ as pre-requisites for the achievement of such a settlement.
Stressing the importance of “honest participation of the LTTE” in any negotiations, the statement said that the repeated offer of this government to engage in talks had been constantly evaded by the LTTE. since August 1994. "During the entire eight months of talks between the government and the LTTE in 1994/1995, discussions on these two essential matters (an end to the war and all forms of terrorist activity) were firmly refused by the LTTE,' the statement said. The government statement added, "The government has noted with interest that even at this late stage, Velupillai Pirabaharan, the LTTE leader, in his November 27 speech has responded somewhat positively to the government's stand on the resumption of talks. In this speech, the LTTE leader committed himself "not to oppose peaceful processes, nor to be against participation in peaceful dialogue.
"However, a careful reading of the LTTE leaders speech gives the impression that his readiness for peace talks is not without ambiguity. He insists on the ‘creation of a cordial atmosphere and conditions of normalcy conducive for peace negotiations.' The LTTE leader does not spell out what he means by "conditions of normalcy'. The government is aware that the LTTE has held and expressed the view that 'conditions of normalcy' include the withdrawal of the armed forces from Jaffna and the Northern Province, as a precondition to the commencement of any talks,
“In the government's view the crucial political issues that affect the future of Sri Lanka should not be evaded any longer. The government states that political talks with the LTTE, aimed at resolving the conflict, can and should begin forthwith. This requires that the LTTE agree that the core issues should comprise the agenda of negotiations. The core issues, as the government has consistently maintained, are:- the stoppage of war, the stoppage of all terrorist killings, the resolution of the Tamil

Page 8
8 TAMITMES
people's problems through negotiated political settlement and a speedy resolution of the problems of those displaced by war, etc.
"Mr. Pirabaharan has also expressed his desire for "a process of deescalation of war leading to cessation of armed hostilities.' This is proposed almost as a precondition for talks. In the government's view the de-escalation of war could be considered only as the talks progress towards a definitive stage in resolving the conflict. “The government is acutely aware that there are difficulties faced by the civilian population, in conflict areas, in the North and East. This is due to the inescapable fact that there is an on-going war for which the LTTE bears a heavy responsibility. The government wishes to remind the LTTE leader that it has taken every possible step to improve the conditions of civilian life in areas under government control. It has to be emphasized that it is the LTTE that has constantly disrupted the supply of goods and services to the people in the Northern and Eastern provinces. The government is of the view that issues concerning the normalization of civilian life could also be discussed in the course of the proposed talks.
The LTTE leader has claimed Sovereignty over Jaffna, while issuing a challenge to the State that his movement will "regain Jaffna.' The government's position as has been clearly reiterated to all concerned is that Sri Lanka is a single sovereign State, the territorial integrity of which is not, and cannot be put, in question; nor is it a negotiable issue. The government also reiterates that Sri Lanka is a multiethnic, multi- religious, pluralistic State in which there is no space for monoethnic political entities. The government and its armed forces shall continue to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Sri Lanka.
"Finally, the government wishes
to State that the time beyond rhetoric to t concrete political issu nite time frame with outcome in view.'
In answer to jou ister said, “There wil drawal of troops f LTTE is a matured t tion, they are not perfectly capable C while fighting," the Kadirgamar also failed peace talks in the government this t a very cautious atti ducting peace talks. both these occasion called for peace tall lated the talks by res ing. “This is not a g the government will bargains or trade of Minister asserted. LTTE had totally r move made by the May this year, he b Norwegian facilitatio to do with the LTT sent to peace move. participation by a thir will add new hope peace talks, the Min
Support for Talks:
Following the g ement on the previc nse to the LTTE lead talks, some Tamil pi 13 December urgec and Tamil Tigers fixed positions and out pre-conditions. They welcomed announcement that enter talks with LT sides must be willii without imposing welcome the gover it wants to open ta Member of Parliam Sidharthan who lea
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S COII16 tO IThOV6 ; discussion of s, within a deficlear political
alists the Minlot be any withm Jaffna, the Trorist organisabies, they are talking peace finister said. aid that with the 1994 and 1995, me would adopt ude when conHe noted that on the LTTE had s and then viouming the fightme for novices, not accept any s this time,' the Stating that the 2jected a peace government in elieved that the n had something E's present conThe presence and d party facilitator for successful ister said.
overnment's status day in respor's offer of peace litical leaders on
the government o abandon their enter talks with
he governmen's it was ready to E, but said both g to make a start onditions. "We ment saying that ks,' said former nt Dharmalingam s the Democratic
15 DECEMBEK Zug
People's Liberation Front (DPLF).
Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) said the government must not give the LTTE an excuse to back out of talks. "Prabhakaran has for the first time broached the subject of a negotiated peace,” TULF senior vice president. V. Anandasangari said. "By saying no to a ceasefire before the talks, the government should not give the LTTE an opportunity to back out," he said adding that having Norway as a facilitator could help sort out ambiguities in the LTTE's offer of talks made on November 27. On the issue whether there should be a ceasefire before commencement of talks, Mr. Anandasangaree said that he favoured one saying, "when you hit a man, he will always hit back.” But it was now up to the Norwegian facilitators to break the deadlock. "That is what they are there for. They must intervene and get both parties to agree for a ceasefire.” Only negotiations conducted in the background of a ceasefire would yield "good results,' Anandasangaree said.
Welcoming the government statement, the TULF General-Secretary R. Sampanthan said, "The TULF has always been for a negotiated settlement and is of the hope that the Government would expeditiously begin the process as a solution for the settlement of the crisis and the problems of the minorities.'
EPDP spokesman and Jaffna District MP S. Thavarajah said, "We welcome the proposals by the government to have talks with the LTTE and we have no objections to these talks. However, the LTTE has not instilled sufficient confidence in the people yet and it is up to them to prove the sincerity of their intentions.”
EPRLF General Secretary Suresh Premachandran said, "We will support the Government if the LTTE's efforts are sincere. It is high time that a solution to this long drawn out conflict has been determined.' O
ONLY))))-SRI LANKA
-SOUTH INDIA -SINGAPORE

Page 9
15 DECEMBER 2000
• JAFFNABISHOP: “SEIZELAST CHANCE FOR A SOLUTION’ The Bishop of Jaffna, Rev Thomas Savundaranayagam, has appealed to the people of Sri Lanka to seize the current opportunity to find a peaceful solution to the ethnic conflict now tearing the island, because this may well be the last chance. Spea king at a meeting of the Colombo branch of the Old Boys' Association of St Henry's College, Ilavaalai, Jaffna, on Sunday 10 December, the Tamil north's most prominent religious dignitary said: "A good opportunity to find a peaceful solution has now arisen. We should not let this opportunity slip out of our hands. We cannot expect the same kind of general interest in finding a peaceful solution to arise again.'
He pointed out that the LTTE had offered to talk without preconditions and that the Norwegian government had held out a helping hand and said that this situation must be utilised to find a solution through "ahimsa' (non-violence). He deprecated the statements of some forces which wanted a solution only through war and were against Norwegian involvement. Pointing out to the urgency of a solution from the point of view of the people of Jaffna, Bishop Savundaranayagam said that there was only one class of people living in Jaffna, "the poor who live on the mercy of others”.
He said there was no stratification based on education or class now in Jaffna because the well heeled, the educated and the middle classes had fled the land leaving only the poor. The Catholic community had been particularly hard hit and its structures had to be dismantled in as many as 12 places in the past year because of the war. "It is time we thought of the poor and took the finding of a peaceful solution as a challenge,' he said.
The Bishop who left after his visit to Colombo to the LTTE held Vanni area on a three day visit, in an interview with a Colombo newspaper said that he had embarked on the visit as a messenger of peace and 'if the opportunity arose' he would inspire the LTTE leadership regarding peace talks. Describing as extremely posi
NEWS
tive the Heroes' LTTE leader V. P. Saundranayagam leader’s calls foi taken at face valu He said that should immediate sibilities of initiati as a follow up to expressed readine whether he was LTTE would not c of troops from t before the comm Bishop Saundrana cording to what h Tiger leader's spee not do so.
The fact that tl not made referen separate state in h that it was a positiv process, the Bish The Bishop ha latory message tc soon after the LT Norwegian peace ( and expressed his forward for talks w "I requested Prabl with the matter ful that the LTTE le manded any condi Bishop said.
The Bishop m leader Ranil Wick lombo and said th had agreed to his the government to in a bid to find ar to the ongoing wa "Since arriving spoken to the lea tion and requeste others do not sab peace talks when consented. I also President and M and requested hir peace talks. Some tering that these I necessary for us, and they would f war. Therefore I ha to work against S visited the Canad

TAMLTMES 9
sion and explained the situation. I have also met Ronnie De Mel and had talks on the subject
day speech of the rabhakaran, Bishop said that the LTTE peace 'should be e'.
the Government ly explore the posnga peace approach the LTTE leader's ss for talks. Asked confident that the emand the removal he North and East encement of talks, yagam said that aca gathered from the ch, the LTTE would
he LTTE leader had ces to Eelam or a is speech indicated e sign for the peace Op added.
ld sent a congratuMr. Prabhakaran TE leader had met envoy Erik Solheim willingness to come ith the government. nakaran to proceed ther. We are happy ader has not detions for talks', the
Let the Opposition remesinghe in Coat the UNP leader request to assist initiate peace talks
amicable solution
. in Colombo I have der of the opposid him to see that tage the proposed he LTTE itself has met the UNP Vice " Karu Jayasuri ya to help promote evil forces are uteace talks are not only war is needed nd a settlement in fe appealed to them uch people. I also an High Commis
through out. These are some of the ways in which we help humanity.
Meanwhile, the Bishops of the Catholic Church who met in Conference recently decided, as a measure for peace, to take the statue of our Lady of Madhu from the north to the southern parts of Sri Lanka. The statue is to be taken in procession to Chilaw, Kurunegala, Colombo and Anuradhapura They also expressed full support to the Norwegian government sponsored peace effort. On behalf of all the Bishops, Bishop Ranjith of Ratnapura diocese, released the report which said that both warring factions must abandon the war in order to find peace.
PEACE PROCESSSHOULD START WITHOUTDELAY The National Peace Council of Sri Lanka, in a statement issued on 30 November said, "The offer of unconditional peace talks made by LTTE leader Velupillai Prabakaran in his annual Heroes Day speech is a welcome one. The issue of pre-conditions prior to peace talks was previously seen as a major obstacle to the resumption of peace talks.
The LTTE leader's offer, comes at a time when the international community has been showing a great deal of interest in promoting the peace process. The role of the foreign facilitators has become very important at this stage in the breaking of deadlocks that block the peace process.
An example concerns the parameters of a negotiated settlement. A few weeks ago, the Norwegian peace envoy Erik Solheim set the parameters of a negotiated settlement which the government and LTTE had far failed to do by themselves. The parameters set are the unity of Sri Lanka within which Tamil aspirations must be met. It is important to note that neither the government nor LTTE have rejected these parameters.
The visiting British Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Peter Hain offered the example of the United Kingdom in which the devolution of power has taken place as part of a political solution to

Page 10
10 TAMILTIMES
the question of nationalities. The National Peace Council believes that it is essential to meet the Tamil aspiration for self-determination within a democratic framework through the negotiation process.
At this time the two conflicting parties themselves appear to be in two minds about committing themselves wholeheartedly to the negotiation process. Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake has recently being saying that terrorism must first be crushed militarily. On the very day that the LTTE leader made his offer of unconditional peace talks a landmine blew up a civilian bus with many civilian casualties.
The NPC believes that it is crucially important at this time is to get the peace process started without further delay and loss of lives and property. Going by the experience of previous peace processes, both locally and internationally, contradictory rhetoric and actions are to be expected at the outset of negotiations. They manifest the mistrust and suspicions of the two sides that can only be lessened through the confidencebuilding that accompanies face to face dialogue and peace talks.'
• PEACE TALKSONLY FBAN IS LIFTED, SAYSLTTE The LTTE in a statement from its London international headquarters has stipulated that its proscription in Sri Lanka should be lifted before it would enter into the Norwegian sponsored peace negotiations with the government of Sri Lanka.
The ban on the LTTE was imposed by the Sri Lankan government on 26 January 1998 soon after one of its suicide squads drove an explosive laden truck into the island’s most hallowed Buddhist place of worship, the Sri Dalada Maligawa, resulting in considerable damage to the temple and generating feelings of much popular Outrage.
The Tamil Tigers, as the LTTE is popularly known, are proscribed in Sri Lanka, India and the USA. The LTTE argues that the creation of a conducive atmosphere is essential as a prerequisite for any peace talks to commence, and such an atmosphere cannot be created if the ban imposed
against it remain The Sri Lan] also been carry campaign, notab tals, to secure t LTTE on the all Tamil Tigers an sations have be draising for “ter Sri Lanka in purs separate state. Tl gn Minister Mr I has been engag for some time no President Chan has urged the B. ban the LTTE du The Tami Ti long as the gove engage in Such a provide the righ negotiations to c
Meanwhile, cember l l that account the Sri L request to ban L ing from its soil v of international tions to be prosc the country.
The British H Colombo, Linda local newspaper British Governn Senior LTTE leg Balasingham, w LTTE's chief sp don, said that UK its soil should n for spreading te "Britain is consi sation to ban a count the Sri L. request that the
Newspaper r leged that Mr course of his sp roes Day” com London on 3 D edly said that if banned, they w terrorists'. "We government that us, we will not Whether it is pe European count attempts to brin, the door to peac is reported to h. time he is alleg

in force.
an government has ng on a sustained y in western capie outlawing of the ged ground that the their front-organi'n engaged in funorist operations' in uit of their goal for a e Sri Lankan Foreiakshman Kadirgamr d in this campaign v, and it is learnt that |lrika Kumaratunga itish government to ring her recent visit. gers also say that so rnment continues to campaign, it cannot t climate for peace
ΟΙΥΠΠθεΠCθε. Britain said on DeIt would take into ankan Government’s TTE from functionwhile preparing a list terrorist organisaribed operating from
igh Commissioner in Duffield, rejecting reports criticising the ment for harbouring ders like Mr. Anton ho is functioning as okesman from Lonwas determined that ot be used as a base rorism,” adding that dering which organi - d will take into acunkan Government's TTE be proscribed." ports in Colombo alBalasingham, in the cech at a “Great Hememoration held in :cember, had reporthe Tamil Tigers were ould turn into "real have told the British if you lay hands on ome for peace talks. ace initiatives by the ies or anyone else's peace, we will close 2," Mr Balasingham ve said. At the same d to have said that a
15 DECEMBER 2000
ban would not be effective and prevent the LTTE from functioning pointing out the example of the ban imposed on it in the USA from where, he claimed that more funds had poured into the LTTE coffers following the ban.
The British High Commissioner said in her statement said: "Far from being soft on terrorism, we are determined that the UK should not be used as a base for the planning and preparation of terrorism. The Terrorism Act of July 2000 is a clear signal of our condemnation of terrorism and our determination to take firm measures against those who engage in terrorist activity. The UK consulted widely in drafting this legislation, including the Sri Lankan Government. There is a gap of around six months before the legislation comes into effect. Such a gap is normal, and is necessary for the Act to be implemented fully. The time is being used to train the police, magistrates, draw up the criteria for proscription and the appeals mechanism. The UK is actively preparing to step up its campaign to combat terrorism. "Recommendations to Parliament on which international terrorist organizations should be proscribed under the Terrorist Act will be made early next year, after the Act comes into force. Part I of the Act broadens the definition of terrorism in UK legislation to include organizations other than those related to Northern Ireland terrorism. Britain is considering which organizations to ban and will take into account of the Sri Lankan Governments request that the LTTE be proscribed.”
Duffield's remarks come in after Britain’s junior Foreign Minister Peter Hain said in Colombo last month that the British government was "very seriously considering' a request from Colombo to ban the LTTE.
It is no secret that the LTTE has offices functioning in many capitals of the world operating a network of propaganda outfits including a number of web sites. Its main functions are performed from western countries and Australia where there has been a large influx of Sri Lankan Tamils mainly due to the ongoing ethnic war in the island.
Very few believe that a ban on the

Page 11
15 DECEMBER 2000
LTTE on the US or Indian style is imminent or likely in the near future in other countries. However, diplomatic sources are of the view that there is a strong likelihood that the international community could put pressure on the LTTE to enter peace talks towards a negotiated settlement with the government of Sri Lanka by threatening to target the group's international operations.
GOVTSEEKSICRCHELP TO PROTECT DOCTORS Sri Lanka's health ministry has asked the International Committee of the Red Cross to help provide protection to doctors serving in war-torn areas of the north-east of the country. The Health Minister, John Seneviratne, said he directed ministry officials to seek ICRC aid in transporting doctors working in LTTE controlled and government controlled areas. The Minister also announced that the government would extend an insurance cover for all doctors serving in the strife-torn region and pay them a special allowance.
The Government Medical Officers' Association had made these demands recently after many doctors deserted hospitals in the eastern Batticaloa and other eastern districts. The doctors fled the district following a landmine explosion allegedly carried out by the LTTE on 6 December.
The GMOA president, Wimal Jayantha, said 54 doctors working in the eastern districts of Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara districts had returned to Colombo and refused to go back to the hospitals.
Dr. Duke Arulpragasam, travelling in the ill-fated Colombo bound bus which left Batticaloa succumbed to his injuries on 8 December at Colombo's National hospital. The bus which went over a clay more mine, exploded, injuring 23 passengers including three doctors who were serving at the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital and who were on their way to Colombo on leave. The two other doctors are still in intensive care. Four passengers died on the spot.
The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) meanwhile is taking action to bring back all doc
tors who are ser high risk areas.
Jayantha saic doctors working also be returning diately. "Doctors mar, Kalmunai am informed us that does not take actic would return to C ther notice,' he s A GMOA offic ation had arisen ir peninsula in May Tigers shelled the doctors working ing hospital fled shells hit the hos Private medic retired doctors ste health services : wounded in the ment doctors retu in the south of th
According to John Seneviratne, get doctors from C ippines to fill surg 56 surgeons were try serving a pop lion. With one st some 300.000 peo service provided has suffered badl
DEFENCES) SLANDoSE Sri Lankas su the Tamil Tigers o town of Jaffna ha price with massiv blasting a hole in
Military spen billion ($ 1.04 bil Rs.52.43 billion es this year, Deputy F L. Peiris said on presenting an inte liament. He told government's he emergency arms s embattled troops widened the budg cent of gross d (GDP). The defici viously estimated cent of GDP
In the past fev sector has been st ing interest rates

TAMITIMES 11
ving in hospitals in
that another 350 in war zones would to Colombo immein Vavuniya, Manld other areas have if the government on immediately they olombo without furaid. ial said a similar situthe northern Jaffna this year after the area. Many Sinhala at the Jaffna teachthe peninsula when pital building. al practitioners and pped in to maintain and treat civilians shelling as governurned to the capital e island. the health minister, Sri Lanka plans to uba, India and Phileon vacancies. Only practising in a counulation of 18.7 milurgeon available to ple, the public health by the government
y.
PENDINGRUNS CONOMY ccessful bid to keep ut of the northern s come at a heavy e defence spending the national budget. ding leapt to Rs.83 lion), up from the stimate made earlier Finance Minister G. 5 December while rim budget in Parlegislators that the 2avy spending on supplies to reinforce in the north had et deficit to 8.7 per omestic product t this year was preto be around 7.5 per
v weeks the private unned by snowballthat climbed to a
dizzy 25 per cent from 12 per cent, with the government absorbing as much cash as possible. The cash-strapped government has been issuing treasury bills with a steep 22 per cent return, making it a popular investment choice while commercial banks are offering higher than usual interest on short-term deposits.
At Colombo's tiny stock market, the share price index has been dipping steadily, a slide that even the prospect of peace talks between the government and the LTTE has not halted.
The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), which has an average daily turnover of Rs.25 million ($312,000), recently announced moves to deregulate share trading by waiving several listing requirements in a bid to perk up local interest. The move came as the market remained in the doldrums amid continuous foreign selling.
Said an exasperated Elton Ebert, a trader on the CSE, "Market? What market? Cigarettes are more expensive than some shares in the Colombo market.'
Having declared 2000 as their “Year of War,” the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), fighting for a separate homeland in the island's north and east, launched an intensified campaign in April this year to wrest the northern Jaffna peninsula from government control. After overrunning three key Army bases, the Tigers trained their sights on the peninsula's most important town, Jaffna. Colombo went on a shopping spree to several countries, including China, Pakistan, Israel and India, for military hardware. Newly bought multi-barrel rocket launchers, refitted Kfir jets, MIG-27 swing-wing jets and Mi-24 helicopter gun-ships have since been largely instrumental for holding the Tigers at bay.
Following the sudden upsurge in fighting, the country was put on a "war footing” in May, diverting funds from non-essential development projects to the battlefront.
Despite hiking taxes, excise duties and rates as well as devaluing the rupee against the dollar by a six per cent, government economists, however, like to paint a rosy picture. Said Min

Page 12
12 TAMILTIMES
ister Peiris: “Sri Lanka has been Successful in achieving six per cent growith in the first six months of this year. This is more than the growth recorded by (neighboring) India. Sri Lanka's per capita income is even twice as much as that of India.”
With the December 18 Sri Lanka Aid Group meeting, a conclave of donor countries, coming up, political analysts see the country's economic troubles as the most forceful reason why the ruling People's Alliance coalition has to open a dialogue with the LTTE.
Despite strong persuasion from India, the US and Britain, President Kumaratunga has yet to wholeheartedly signal that she is interested in sitting down for talks with LTTE.
"The economic imperative is the strongest motivation the government now has to talk to the LTTE,' a Western diplomat said.
Meanwhile, the Manila-based Asian Development Bank said it has approved a $240 loan package to Sri Lanka for 2001. John Cooney, ADB resident representative, said that an additional $25 million will be allocated for small-scale infrastructure development in the war-torn northeast. The bank also has approved an extra $8.25 million as technical assistance.
The 2001 loan plan of $240 million will be channeled through the bank's Asian Development Fund and Ordinary Capital Resources or OCR. The ADB's loan plan for 2000 is estimated at $209 million.
Next year's ADF component of $140 million has a lower, highly concessional interest rate of 1.5% per year, while the OCR component is in line with commercial rates at 6.5% per year, he said.
Cooney said the loan plan aims at improving Sri Lanka's transport, power and financial sector. Labor reforms and the restructuring of state banks will also be carried out with these loans.
Beginning 2002, all loans will be tied to stringent regulations, Cooney said. "The bank will begin a formal process for performance-based lending," he said, adding that the assessments will be based on countrywide performance and portfolio-wide performance.
The ADB has $2.36 billion in Sof from 1968 through
PRESIDENT BRITISHILEA President Cha nga, Who is curre! visit to Britain hel ings and discuss Cook, Secretary o and Commonwealt Caborn, Minister and was hosted to Parliamentary Sri I British House of 28th of November. President Kum tended the annull the Friends of Sri on the same day.
The President : tary Robin Cook h issues which are ol Sri Lanka and Br sions held at the S Lanka High Co don, also included proposals for solv sue. Sri Lanka's H in London, Mang was associated wi Earlier, Mr. Ric ister of State for Tr dent Kuamratunga vestment prospect tors in Sri Lanka. tunga explained t the many advantag foreign investors dent Kumaratun Minister Caborn British experts to the power sector
Later that day tunga was hoste Party Parliamenta at the House of F tion organised b Co-Chairman oft dent briefed the m on Sri Lanka and interest they tak fairs.
The All Part Lanka Group W Naseby in 1975: liamentarians fro litical parties, wl Conservative an

provided nearly pans to Sri Lanka 999.
TALKS WITH DERS lrika Kumaratuly on an official a series of meetons with Robin State for Foreign Affairs, Richard f State for Trade a by the All Party anka Group in the 'arliament on the
aratunga also atncheon hosted by Lanka Association
rid Foreign Secreeld discussions on mutual interest to tain. The discusri )mmission in Lonthe Government's ring the ethnic isLigh Commissioner gala Moonesinghe th the discussions. hard Caborn, Minade called on Presiand discussed infor British invesPresident KumaraMinister Caborn es and facilities for n Sri Lanka. Presia also requested [o send a team of onduct a study on
Sri Lanka. President Kumarato tea by the All y Sri Lanka Group rliament at a funcLord Naseby, the e Group. The Presimbers of the Group lanked them for the on Sri Lankan af
Parliamentary Sri ; formed by Lord d comprises of Parthe three main poh includes Labour, Liberal Democrats,
15 DECEER2O
is co-chaired by Labour M.P. Tom Cox and Lord Naseby of the Conservative party. The Group was formed to facilitate communication and understanding between the people of Sr. Lanka and the UK Parliamentarians or both countries and to strengthen further bi-lateral cooperation.
On 29th November, Presiden: Kumaratunga called on Her Majestry Queen Elizabeth II at Buckinghar Palace and was accorded a warm and friendly reception.
The President also attended the annual lunch hosted by the Friends of Sri Lanka Association the same day. Former British High Commissioner to Colombo, John Field, President of Friends of Sri Lanka warmly welcomed
President Kumaratunga and Sri Lanka's High Commissioner Mangala Moonesinghe and Mrs. Moonesinghe. President Kumaratunga addressed the gathering and received a stainding ovation at the conclusion of her address,
TRAFFICKING ANDABUSE
OF CHILDREN .
Most of the child trafficking in Sn Lanka takes place within the country. and children who live with their parents are taken for physical labour. National Child Protection Authority. Chairman, Professor Dr. Harendra de Silva said at the Launching of a project on 8 December by the International Labour Organisation (ILO)- and the International Program for Eradication of Child Labour(IPEC) to combat the trafficking of Children for exploitative employment purposes.Dr. De Silva further said that these children were invariably prone to abuse of various forms.
Dr Silva said that children are taken from estate areas for domestic labour. "Children are taken to the beaches of Hikkaduwa, Negombo and other coastal areas not merely to serve foreign paedophiles but also to the locals as well,' Dr. De Silva said. Chidren are brought from places like Madawachchiya, and Anuradhapura to railway stations and even to the Galle Face Green for this nefarious activities, he said.

Page 13
15 DECEMBER 2000
SRI LANKA NAVY LAUNCHES AIRWING The Sri Lanka navy launched an air wing on 9 December by taking delivery of its first helicopter ship.
"The first of two Indian-built "Sukanya” class offshore patrol vessels were received by the Sri Lanka navy, laying the foundation for the aerial wing," said a senior navy of ficer, who did not want to be identified.
He declined to say how much the vessel had cost, but said it had been used by the Indian navy for several years and that a second ship was being built.
The officer said the vessel, which has a displacement of 1,890 tonnes, can carry one combat helicopter and a crew of 140. "We will use the aerial wing as much for surveillance as for combat purposes,” he said.
Sri Lanka's tiny navy is used largely for coastal patrols and to supply troops fighting the Tamil Tigers in the country's north and east. The Tiger have their own sea-borne unit and often inflict heavy losses on the navy with daring suicide attacks.
CRICKET PROBE:
LANKA SEEKS INDIAN HELP The Cricket Board of Sri Lanka has sought the Indian government's help in probing the match fixing allegations against some the country's high-ranking players. The move follows refusal by the key Indian bookie, M K Gupta, to co-operate with Desmond Fernando, a leading lawyer, who has been appointed by the Board to investigate the corruption allegations against popular cricket idols like former skipper Arjuna Ranatunga and his deputy Aravinda de Silva. Mr Fernando, who will be joined by International Cricket
Council's antiPaul Condon, th London's Metro dre tO ICCt W shortly in New ters concerning
Mr Fernando minister of sport ister ofLaw, acc( issued by the CI sought help fro Commission in C interview with given a one-mo Lanka's Cricket vestigate the alle a report by India cy CBI.
Fernando, a l. and Sri Lanka’s 1 ICC's Code of C also travelled to L. ICC officials.
Sri Lanka's f Aravinda de Silv approached by bo fers to fix matche cepting bribes or doing.
PEACE FOR
At a moment v process in the Mic trouble, there has breakthrough tow negotiation that to midwife.
With his call conditional peace Liberation Tigers the Sri Lankan leader Velupillai I a positive respo, transmitted by No Erik Solheim.
In the past, P sisted that negotia
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orruption chief Sir former head of the olitan Police force, Indian ministers elhi to discuss mathe investigation. vill meet with India’s as well as the Minding to a statement cket Board. He had n the Indian High lombo to arrange an jupta after he was th deadline by Sri ontrol Board to insations contained in investigative agen
wyer by profession epresentative in the onduct Committee, ondon for talks with
ormer vice captain, a, has said he was bokmakers with of s, but he denied acany acts of wrong
SRILANKA when the Oslo peace least appears in dire been a heartening "ard another peace Norway is seeking
ast Monday for un
talks between his of Tamil Eelam and overnment, Tiger rabhakaran offered se to the signals way's peace envoy
abhakaran had inions had to be pre
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d is to the total value
TAMILTIMEs 13
ceded by a cease-fire and a withdrawal of government troops from the Tamil provinces in the north and east of the island nation off India. But Solheim, meeting the Tiger chieftain in a jungle hideout on Nov. 1, conveyed the objections of President Chandrika Kumaratunga to any preconditions for peace talks. Because the Tigers have a history of using a negotiating interlude to regroup and rearm and then to break off talks with a dramatic military strike, Chandrika could not take the political risk of conceding to a cease-fire and a troop withdrawal before starting peace talks.
A crucial reason why successive Sri Lankan governments have been unable or unwilling to grant some form of autonomy to the Tamil provinces and terminate a 17-year war that has snuffed out 60,000 lives has been the intransigence of Sinhalese ultranationalists and chauvinistic Buddhist monks. Indeed, nationalists bur ned an effigy of the Norwegian peacemaker Solheim in front of the Norwegian embassy two weeks ago, denouncing his mediation efforts and shouting, 'Norway out.'
Both sides in Sri Lanka's long and merciless ethnic conflict have perpetrated atrocities. Both have contributed to a pathology of violence and vengeance. In this futile war without end, civilians have been killed and uprooted, and a country possessing the human and natural resources to partake in the economic progress of its neighbours has been left behind to stew in its own juices.
The Sri Lankan government will be acting in the best interest of all Sri Lankans if it responds to the recent gestures from Prabhakaran. Since he met Chandrika's political need for peace talks without preconditions, she should now respond to his suggestions for “”the creation of a cordial atmosphere and conditions of normalcy conducive for peace negotiations.' This means tamping down military operations and easing an economic embargo on the Tamil areas.
Most important, the government must come forward with an offer of confederation for the Tamil provinces, so that they may govern themselves within a Sri Lanka that retains its territorial integrity.
Editorial, “Boston Globe' I Dec.2000

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14 TAMILTIMES
serwear-a-wee---
Extradition: An Ate At Muddying the Wat
Shanthi Rajan
ow come the question of extradition of the LTTE leader PirapaOharan for plotting the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi has suddenly cropped up with a flurry of reports and comments in particularly Indian newspapers only to be picked up to be given currency in the Sri Lankan media? Not only journalists, the Indian political and security establishment would appear to have shown renewed interest in the subject which had remained un-raised for years.
Some say that events connected with the kidnapping of the Karnataka popular film actor Rajkumar by Veerappan, the notorious sandalwood smuggler and fugitive from justice, and the circumstances surrounding actor's eventual release had drawn the attention of Indian intelligence agencies to the "LTTE factor” in the politics of southern India.
Some others suspect that, in the context of the current efforts to resuscitate peace negotiations between the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE with Norwegian participation, the raising of the issue of extraditing Pirapaharan at this time is deliberately intended by certain sections of the Indian establishment to sabotage these efforts.
While on the one hand India seemed to be fully backing the Norwegian-European initiative for peace, on the other, there have been Indian inspired developments which gave the impression that India was peevish and playing some strange game.
It will be remembered that the last time the issue of Pirapaharan's extradition was overtly raised was when in late 1994, after her victory in the August 1994 election, Mrs Chandrika Kumaratunga paid a visit to New Delhi. This was the time the Sri Lankan government had commenced negotiations with the LTTE, and it is said that the way the issue was raised and the
importance and p in the India med leader a great dea he became grave the motivations of Delhi.
Advaniʼs Bombsh On this occas of extradition was a person than the fairs Minister Mr II ing to “The Hinc December 02, 20 the Indian Parliam that the Multi-Di ing Agency (MDM Lanka from 13 to and pressed for th LTTE leader whe Attorney-General General adding t the State Governi a close watch on LTTE and its sym those of Tamil Army (TNLA) an trieval Force(TNI erating in Tamil ) LTTE.
Until Advani' visit by the MD secret. However, a three-member C M.N. Thiagarajah Sivaprakasam we ten-day visit talk portant Governm State agencies.
The MDMA’ extensive invest aspects of the a former Indian P Gandhi. A call t had been made sion. Justice M larger conspirac Gandhi killing. I of Investigation Lankaʼs help tc tween several T.

် ပုံ : -
pt es
blicity given to it a upset the LTTE and from then on y suspicious about Colombo and New
ell ion the bombshell dropped by no less Indian Home Af, K Advani. Accordu' (International), )0 Mr Advani, told lent on l December sciplinary MonitorAA) had visited Sri 23 November 2000 1e extradition of the in it met Sri Lanka’s and the Solicitorhat the Centre and ments were keeping the activities of the pathisers, including Nadu Liberation di Tamil Nadu ReF), two groups opNadu known to pro
announcement, the MA had remained a t is now known that BI team comprising N. Mishra and S.V. re in Colombo on a ng to heads of imnt Departments and
work is part of an gation into political sassination of the me Minister, Rajiv probe such aspects y the Jain CommisC. Jain probed the behind the Rajiv dia’s Central Bureau CBI) has sought Sri establish links benil Nadu politicians
15 DECEêR 20
and the LTTE.
Mr. Advani's announcement in Parliament followed questions from Congress MPs as to what action the Government had taken on LTTE activities in the wake of reports of birthday celebrations of Mr. Pirpaharan un Tamil Nadu. The State government. Mr Advani said, acted promptly and removed posters depicting the LTTE leader, arrested people from Cuddalore, Thanjavur and Virudhunagar and also registered three cases in Chenna. in this connection.
Doubts in Colombo
India had asked Colombo for the extradition of Pirapaharan for the firs: time in June 1985 but had not pur. sued it. Speaking to The Hindu las: month (November), Sri Lanka's For. eign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamaexpressed confidence that India was no longer very interested in pursuins the extradition matter. "I have felt in vibrations at all about this question. The formal request is there, it's bee: lying there for years now. No gover I. ment of India has pressed us to d. anything, because it is not a possibl. ity, realistically Speaking. If talks wer: to begin, the possibility might arise but it is one of those hypotheses th& we have not yet explored. It is nic right to explore that. We are lettins things lie as they are at the moment. he said.
Doubts have been raised in Colombo whether in fact the India MDMA team raise the question i extradition. News reports in Colomb. quoted the island's Attorney Geners K.C. Kamalasabayson as saying th: Indian officials had not specificall asked for Pirapaharan's extraditic this time. According to the AG t. Indian team only wanted to intervie. a member of the Liberation Tigers Tamil Eelam (LTTE) identified as "Nixon' who is currently in police custody in Colombo for his role in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination and it was allowed to do so.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wikramanayake said in an interview to the Tamil language daily Thinakaran on that the LTTE leader would not be extradited to India. "We will not do such a dirty thing," he said. Mr Wikramanayake was answering a

Page 15
15 DECEMBER 2000
question as to whether Sri Lanka would hand over Pirapaharan to face trial in India as sought by India, when there were possibilities of peace talks with him in Sri Lanka. Strange Coincidence
Even the Interpol had by a strange coincidence been activated by some source. On 4 December 2000 on its website wanted notices on the LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and several other senior LTTE cadres were issued. Among them were Pottu Amman Selliah Navaratnam and Charles. The notices said that these men are wanted for murder, terrorism and terrorism conspiracy, and that the arrests warrants had been issued from Colombo, Sri Lanka and Madras, India.
The distinguishing marks and characteristics described on Prabhakaran states that he is very alert, known to use disguise and capable of handling sophisticated weaponry and explosives, hair combed back and stout build. Described as of Sri Lankan nationality and languages spoken as Singhalese, Tamil and English, his date of birth is given as 26 November 1954(46 years old) and his place of birth is given as Munil/ Uduwil, Jaffna.
The Interpol's notice and India's renewed demand for Pirabhakaran's extradition for trial by Indian courts have come at a time when Sri Lanka is seriously considering LTTE leader's offer of "unconditional' talks. Analysts say that Interpol's notice and India’s demand could hamper peace prospects in Sri Lanka.
Indian commentators say that it is undeniable that, so far as India is concerned, the LTTE problem has become more complicated because of India's own domestic political reasons. The presence in the ruling coalition at the Centre of a party which is openly supportive of the Tamil Tigers is evidence of the new factors that have come into play. It is not only the MDMK which espouses the cause of a Tamil Eelam, support for it has also been voiced by the Shiv Sena. While, arguably their presence in the ruling coalition compels these parties at least to voice their sentiments with some restraint, it also means that they can generally function with much
greater freedom by imity to power. Secessionist Grou
The issue has complex in the afte appan episode whi the presence of T groups in India.
Both the Tami Army(TNLA) and t eration Front(TNI "liberation of Tami edly separatist. The tant wing of the la
Now, there is a solely on the TNLİ chief, Maran. Open "Greater Tamil N. prises Tamil Nadu, parts of Karnata Pradesh, the TNLF sion', lists out the goals.
The TNLF's gc the website, are “si Nadu from the soion, reunification of ated Tamil Nadu, Kerala with liberate restoration of lost Tamil Nadu, includi lds, Maldives, Ma weep and Mauritius The website als ture of Maran and ha Tamil warrior' wh destroy the anti-Tam so-called Indian Ur appan is "not a brig gadier of the TNLF The evidently st is taking against a groups like the Tami tion Army, (TNLA Retrieval Troops an eration Front (TNR of their reported ( Veerappan's kidnap its impact also on duct of the Tamil N ter, M Karunanidhi warned pro-LTTE c against stretching t yond limits', he to December that his g not be averse to ba and TNRT. Though only a handful of ( sary we will recomn to ban these outfits,

irtue of their prox
ps
CCOC CV6C OT6C "math of the Veerh brought to light amil secessionist
Nadu Liberation
te Tamil Nadu LibF) stand for the Nadu” are avow - former is the mili
te. vebsite homepage, F and its "army" ing with a map of du' which comJaffna, Kerala and ka and Andhra ’s “research divioutfit's four-point
als, according to ecession of Tamil called Indian UnEelam with liberreunification of d Tamil Nadu and lands to Greater ng Kolar gold fieillnadu, Lakshad
o features a picails him as a "true o has "vowed to il activities in the ion.” And, Veerand, he is the bri
Front'. ern line that Delhi lleged pro-LTTE l National Libera) Tamil National Tamil Nadu LibT) in the context onnections with ing saga has had he political conadu Chief MinisHaving recently utfits in the State eir rhetoric "bed reporters on 5 overnment would nning the TNLA these groups had adres, "if mecesend to the Centre Mr Karunanidhi
TAMILTIMES 15
said. He also rejected MDMK leader Mr Vaiko's call for the lifting of the ban on the LTTE reiterating that there was no change in the DMK's policy of having lost all sympathy for the LTTE against whom the ban had been extended on the advice of his State government.
On the other hand, Tamil Nadu based political parties, MDMK and PMK, partners in the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) which is in power in Delhi, have exerted pressure on the government to withdraw a notice sent to the Sri Lanka Govern
ment for extradition of Pirapaharan.
impact on Peace Talks
In Colombo, however, the news
that India is pressing ahead with the
extradition request has caused con
cern among those who are advocat
ing talks with the LTTE and who see a glimmer of hope for peace after Mr. Pirapaharan's recent statement offering 'unconditional talks' with the Government. Particularly the Tamil political parties have expressed surprise at India's sudden interest on the issue of extradition of the LTTE leader at this juncture.
Commenting on the Indian request for the extradition of the LTTE leader, “The Island'' (Colombo) in its editorial on 2 December said that India; which sees itself as the regional policeman, may not like the West to broker peace in this region. Despite Norway's attempts to involve India in the peace process, India has indicated through its extradition demand that it is not willing to compromise its national interest to impress the world by helping the West broker peace. "It is asking for its pound of flesh in the form of Prabhakaran’s head. The signal it has sent to Norway and Britain is - you broker peace but hand over Prabhakaran to us,” the paper said.
Another Colombo newspaper, "The Sunday Leader" said, "The Indian minister's statement, coming on the heels of the internationallybacked Norwegian peace initiative, is viewed as a subtle move to thwart the peace process in Sri Lanka by sending a message to Prabhakaran that he will have to face a charge of murder if he enters the democratic mainstream and starts negotiations with the government." O

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15 DECEMBER 2000
Crisis Hits Sihala Urumaya
The extreme nationalist political outfit is hit by a major internal crisis with the resignation of its Deputy President Prof. A.D.V. de S. Indraratne who has accused the party's leadership, particularly its national organiser Champika Ranawaka of fraud, criminal trespass and violence.
In his letter sent to the party's Secretary and solitary MP, Mr Thilak Karunaratne, resigning from the post of Deputy President of the Sihala Urumaya and party membership, Prof.Indraratne giving several reasons for his exit from the party.
Among others Prof. Indraratne has disclosed a major fraud perpetrated by certain sections of the SU and the National Movement Against Terrorism, which is constituent of the SU. He has alleged that SU circulated an appeal to Sinhala expatriates in the UK and other countries for funds to be collected and remitted to the account of the NMAT office at Thimbirigasyaya. The letter appealing for financial contributions was purportedly in the name of and from the then party President S.L.Gunasekara, Secretary Thilak Karunaratne and National Organiser Champika Ranawaka. But neither Gunasekara or Karunaratne had knowledge of the appeal or approved it, according to Prof. Indraratne who alleged that this action was a major fraud perpetrated on Sri Lankans living abroad.
Indicating that the fraud came to light before the October parliamentary election, Indratne said in his letter, “You did not place it before the central committee as you "did not want to rock the boat before the election.' He has also alleged that the group led by Champika Ranawaka, the National Organizer, was working on an agenda different from the open, transparent and democratic one espoused by the party constitution.
Indraratne has said he joined the party when Thilak Karunaratne pleaded with him to join it and with
the belief that he of people with a mitment and sac cause of the Sin have been very ba two major parties. his joining the Sih mpika Ranawaka ; already in the pal know at that time tl ground of the gro
Indraratne has course of the last it became apparer ing the party Presi that the Champik own agenda and t was to get Champ liament at any cos Professor Ind been critical of til Thilak Karunaratne during the dispute nation of the party "To our dismay at not send to the Con tions the letter cor mous decision of on 12 October nom only (national list to win, and turned then your idol, joi oup. Reasons for now well known.' is alluding to the Karunaratne, with Champika Ranawa nated to become M Gunasekera. The d Karunaratne and F stood to be that the sign from parliame making way for thi cherished ambition for the rest of the p For the first tim a-half months aft which a lieutenant ( waka, Kamal Desha a mob of NMAT to residence, he desc the violence that w day: "Even after ( criminally trespas.
 

TAMILTMES 17
las joining a group eep sense of comifice to fight the ala people, who lly let down by the But at the time of la Urumaya, Chaund his group were ty and he did not le history andback
p. also said that in the election campaign |t to many includdent and Secretary a group had their hat their intention ika elected to Par
i. raratne has also he party secretary : who turned sides relating the nomi's national list MP. ld horror, you did hmissioner of Elecveying the unanicentral committee nationg SL for the )seat SU was able against SL, until ned Champika gryour actions are The Professor here fact that Thilak the agreement of Ka, was later nomiP in place of S L 2al struck between inawaka is underformer would rent after two years latter to fulfil his of becoming a MP arliamentary term. e, nearly one-andr the incident in f Champika Ranapriya allegedly led Prof. Indraratne's ibed in his letter is deployed on the hampika's crowd ed my house and
manhandled me, my wife and domestic maid, an ordeal the like of which I have never been subjected to, ever before, I was more concerned with the name and reputation of the party. That was the reason why I requested the police not to "pursue further with my complaint, for interview to the media in order to avoid publicity to the incident.'
Indraratne further states, "However, Champika group has engaged in a relentless vilification campaign with distorted versions of the incident itself and concocted stories leading to it, in an attempt to justify their action. Their intransigent, belligerent, self seeking nature was highlighted by their atrocious behaviour at the meeting on 16 October where they were using the most abusive and vituperative words at the party president and us who walked out with him. What hurt me most was your sitting there in acquiescence of all that."
• Deportation of Eelaventhan
M. K. Eelavendhan, a Sri Lankan Tamil, who had been residing in Chenai for more than a decade, was deported to Colombo on 4 December following a Union Home Ministry directive.
Eelavendhan, a former leading member of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) later to breakaway and form the Tamil Eelam Liberation Front(TELF) was picked up by intelligence officers for purposes of "enquiry', but without any further ado was put on a Colombo bound flight. Eelaventhan has been an outspoken advocate for the establishment of a separate state of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka, and hence was known as a supporter of the Tamil Tigers. His deportation is a clear signal by the Tamil Nadu government that pro-Tamil Tiger activity would not be permitted in the State, commented a journalist. But the official reason given for his expulsion was "his visa had expired and he had overstayed in the country,”
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi told the media on 4 December after a meeting of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) secretaries that his government was in support of banning pro-LTTE outfits like the Tamil Nadu Liberation Army

Page 18
18 TAMLTIMES
(TNLA) and the Tamil Nadu Retrieval Force (TNRF). The two groups are suspected to be behind the kidnapping of Kannada actor Rajkumar and are known to back smuggler-poacher Veerappan.
Though Eelaventhan's deportation was portrayed as a simple procedural action – Overstaying in the country - sans political connotations, the operation was undertaken with an element of duplicity. Immigration and Police officials in civvies went to Eelaventhan's residence at Arumbakkam in Chennai at about 5 am on 4 December. They informed him that he was to be escorted to the immigration uffice at "Shastri Bhavan' in Nunga-mbakkam. Instead, the team changed track to Meenambakkam where the Air Port is situated. Realising that he was about to be sent to Colombo, a terrified Eelaventhan sat on the floor protesting non-violently. The officials grabbed the frail, old man and bodily carried him to the Colombo bound plane. Two Indian officials accompanied him to Katunayake. After a brief "interview' officials in Colombo requested Eelaventhan to call over at a convenient time for further interrogation. They gave him fifty Sri Lankan rupees and asked him to "Go' home. A dazed Eelaventhan then made his exit from the Air Port.
Eelaven than is now reportedly staying with a sister and brother in law in the Colombo suburbs by day. At night he sleeps at the residence of a Tamil Parliamentarian. Since he has been wrongly depicted in the Indian media as an associate of LTTE leader Prabakharan, Eelaventhan fears action by officials of the state, non-LTTE Tamil groups and possibly Sinhala hardline factions. His future in Colombo is uncertain. Moreover his wife and two daughters are in Chennai. The eldest daughter is married to a lecturer at Madras Christian College.
Meanwhile some political forces in India began to act on Eelaventhan's behalf. Dravida Kazgagham leader K. Veeramani was the first to condemn the deportation. Ironically the deportation was in reality a sop to Jayalalitha Jayaram the AIADMK leader whose line Veeramani toes now.
Nedumaran and another Tamil activist Subha. Veerapandian also is
sued statements c tation of a non-vic who was in every Veeramani queried refugee would hav tion documents.
MDMK leade Prime Minister At directly in New De ported to have te Foreign Minister . Vaiko's presence rectives. One was Lankan High Com Bandaranaike of and to emphasis Eelaventhan in Col was to instruct th Colombo Gopalakr teract with Sri Lan ensure the protec than. Vaiko also obt that Eelaventhan's be deported.
As sections of have stated Eelav militant'. He is als persecution. If harr Lanka as a result New Delhi and C placed in an emb; The fact that Eela an emergency tri Chennai and the " preliminary inquir deportation was Lanka . Officials have co-operated i the earlier case of who was arrested destinely on a flig year. It is also in lombo to protec spite of the best i than's safety can in Sri Lanka.
It is also appal politicians in Tam surise the Central view the situation portation order. I vails in the Indial then Eelaventhan some future sta Chennai via a sa For this to C himself must ado tically low profil India. It is also i keep mum to avo

15 DECEMBER 2000
icing the deporcnt Tamil activist sense a refugee. s to how a Tamil proper immigra
Vaiko contacted Behari Vajpayee hi. Vajpayee is reephoned Indian as wanth Singh in nd given two dito inform the Sri missioner Senaka his development e the safety of ombo. The second : Indian envoy in shna Gandhi to inan authorities and tion of Eelavenained an assurance family would not
the Indian media enthan is a “Nono a refugee fearing n befalls him in Sri of the deportation, hennai would be arrassing position. venthan was given vel document in ight” nature of his y suggests that the no surprise to Sri of both countries h the exercise as in Soundaranayagam and deported clannt from Trichy last he interests of Co
Eelaventhan. In tentions, Eelavennot be guaranteed
:nt that some Tamil Nadu would presGovernment to reand revoke the desaner counsel precorridors of power may be allowed at e to slip back to
third country. cur , Eelaventhan t an uncharacteriswithout criticising his own interest to | unwelcome atten
tion. Steps should also be taken to Safeguard the man during his stay in Sri Lanka. The answer is not protective custody or forcible relocation to Jaffna. It is humanely imperative that the man be allowed to unite with his family. Eelaventhan is in every sense a political refugee with reasonable grounds to fear persecution in Sri Lanka. One can only hope that India appreciates this and permit him to retull T.
• One Leader for SLMC
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, which has been functioning with two co-leaders following the untimely death of its founding leader M H M Ashraff in a helicopter crash in October this year, is to have a single leader. The party leadership is at present shared by its General Secretary Rauf Hakeem, and the widow of the late leader, Mrs Ferial Ashraff, both holding cabinet posts in President Chandrika Kumaratunga's government. Mr Hakeem holds the portfolio of Minister for Internal and International Trade and Mrs Ferial Ashraff being the Minister for Development and Reconstruction for the East.
The unexpected death of the SLMC leader produced a leadership crisis in the SLMC. Being a crucial time in the run-up to the October elections, upon the death of her husband, Mrs Ferial Ashraff reached an uneasy truce with Mr Hakeem to serve as coleaders of the party her late spouse founded. The two however have continued to have disgreements over government portfolio's and internal party politics, splitting the SLMC into two fractious factions, with members taking sides.
The SLMC holds an important position in the country's political balance because of the fact that it provides the reguired majority for the Peoples Alliance coalition led by President Kumaratunga to remain in power. However the fractured SLMC has suffered considerable dent in its profile mainly for two reasons: one because of the demise of its onetime charismatic leader, and two by reason of its internal divisions.
Since the death of Mr Ashraff, Mr Hakeem would appear to have gained
(continued on next page

Page 19
15 DECEMBER 2000
Goading
the Como
the Talking Ta
Our Colombo Correspondent
Encouraging Signs
It looks the international community had succeeded in goading the combatants of the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict to the talking table. Constitutional Affairs and Industrial Development Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris told Colombo based diplomats on December 6 that the government is ready to “take the bull by the horns". Three days earlier Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake told three Colombo Tamil Weeklies that the government had asked Norway to act officially as a third party facilitator and to bring the parties in conflict to the negotiating table.
"If the LTTE is seen to be sincere the government is prepared to implement a program that would restore normalcy in the north and east in consultation with the UNP and other parties,' the Prime Minister said and added that it would be unethical to deport Pirabhaharan to India while the peace talks are on even if India made Such a request.
LTTE's advisor and chief negotiator Anton Balasingham told on December 2 a meeting held in London to observe the Hero's Week that they were considering seriously the Norw
(Continued from page 18) a grip on the party's organisation and many of its leading members taking advantage of the situation in which the late leader's widow finds herself. Mrs. Ferial Ashraff is unable to publicly function in office or take part in meetings of the Supreme Council or Politburo meetings of the party since she is still observing a compulsory mourning period of four months in accordance with her religious requirement.
Some members of the party sympathetic to Mrs Ferial Ashraff feel that Mr Hakeem has taken mean advantage of her absence enforced by her religious compulsions to take full control of the SLMC and become its leader. O
egian proposals fo. normalcy in the L Vanni and the east that is a must for t Norwegian prc lifting of the gove blockade and the ri tion of the release armed personnel i tody. The governi feels that the shar on the LTTE is to strengthened with attacks on targets and east including leaders and police personnel. It is be would decline tc request as that wo confining the confli ea St. Deep Distrust
There are many and substantial ma out by the facilitato ties to the talks. Th them would be th between the two r nayake repeatedly h stion of the sincerit In that he is only re of mistrust Sinhale Pirabhakaran’s inti the hard line Sinha ioning Pirabhaharar st daily. Has he give separate state of Ta ries in its editorials powerful Buddhist tions Pirabhaharan LTTE too doubts th Sinhala leadership, President Kumara aran in his Maweer ember 27 and Ba. London speech had givings. Tamil peop template on the his perpetrated on the hala leadership. Sinc nambalam Arunach, ership had let do S.W.R.D. Bandaral
 
 
 
 
 

TAMITMES 19
the restoration of
TTE held areas in and reiterated that alks to begin. posal involve the nment's economic ciprocal LTTE acof policemen and holds in its cusment, it is learnt, ed burden placed O light and wants a ban on LTTE's outside the north that on political and armed force lieved that LTTE accede to this uld weaken it by ct to the north and
more procedural tters to be sorted }r and by the pare most difficult of 2 mutual distrust i vals. Wickremaarked on the quey of Pirabhaharan. flecting the mount se entertain about entions. Divaina, la daily, is quest's sincerity almo'n up his goal of a mil Eelam, it queand features. The clergy too quess sincerity. e sincerity of the especially that of unga. Pirabhahur speech of Novasingham in his voiced their mise, in general, conory of deception amils by the Sine the time Sir Ponlam Sinhala leadwn the Tamils. aike and Dudley
Senanayake abandoned solemn pacts they signed with Federal Party leader S.J.V.Chelvanayakam yielding to Buddhist chauvinistic pressure. Pirabhaharan hinted at these historical events in his Maweerar Day speech and adverted to the harsh discriminatory measures President Kumaratunga's mother Sirimavo imposed against the Tamils - mediawise standardization for university admissions, and enactment of the 1972 constitution which enshrined the unitary character of the state and accorded foremost place to Buddhism. Balasingham referring to President Kumaratunga's acceptance of the fact that the Tamil people have grievances and her blaming foreign colonialists, rather than Sinhala racism for that adds: "She talks about solving the ethnic problem and then vows to destroy the Tamil liberation struggle. But the Tamil people began their armed struggle after the Ahimsa form of struggle was crushed by racial violence." He added: "She refers to the Tamil freedom struggle as terrorism.' Economic Embargo
This mutual distrust would make it extremely difficult to sort out the important problems of the dismantling of economic embargo and the declaration of ceasefire. Both are sensitive issues for both parties. Prime Minister Wickremanayake and Army Commander Lt. General Lionel Ballagalla have come out openly against the withdrawal of the economic embargo and the declaration of ceasefire. They argue both measures would benefit the LTTE. Wickremanayake opines that the LTTE is militarily weak and they are seeking the lifting of the economic embargo and the declaration of ceasefire to regroup, retrain and strengthen themselves for a fresh fight. He cites past experience in support of his argument. On 11 June 1990 when the LTTE resumed armed hostilities with the collapse of negotiations between the then President Premadasa's government and the LTTE, the Tigers surrounded the police stations and captured and killed over 600 policemen. On 19 April 1995, when talks with President Kumaratunga failed Tigers commenced hostilities sinking two warships anchored at Trincomalee harbour.
Tigers blame President Premadasa for the failure of the 1989-90 talks and President Kumaratunga for the col

Page 20
20 TAMILTIMES
lapse of the 1994-95 negotiations. In both cases, they charge, the rulers were deceitful. Bakasingham charges them with duplicity.
The imprints of these two failures are going to make the task of the Norwegian facilitators thorny. Wickremanayake and Balagalle assessed their strength on the basis of the advance the armed forces made in the five limited operations, named Kinihira, during the last two months. In these five moves aimed at recapturing the 12 kilometer long Kandy Road stretching from Ariyalai to Chavakachcheri the army had captured only 2 kilometers. Defence analysts question the usefulness of this operation on the ground of cost, destruction, benefit and speed. Concentrated bombing and shelling precede each operation, armoured units move forward under artillery cover and occupy a desolate, flattened stretch of territory, usually two kilometer broad and three kilometer long. The cost is phenomenal, material and manpower loss enormous, pace sluggish. “You will have to fight for another generation to recapture the lost territory in the Jaffna province," an analyst prophesied and added the country would have been sold by then.
Balasingham scoffs at Wickremanayake's claim that the LTTE is seeking peace because it is week. “The Sri Lankan Prime Minister says that we are coming for peace talks because we are weakened, he said. "We are not weak. We are still strong. We will not shirk from fighting; that is our forte."
Analysts doubt that the LTTE has been weakened. It is keeping the
35,000-40,000 strong army under siege
in the Jaffna peninsula. It is harassing three camps - Kilali, Eluthumaduwal and Nagarkovil - constantly. It
could pose threat to the army at will,
analysts say. It is reigning itself for other considerations, analysts aver. The daring October 23 land-sea-air attack on Trincomalee harbour had demonstrated LTTE's growing conventional fighting power. The newly formed Radha Air Defence Unit demonstrated its capability by shooting down MI 24 gunship. LTTE's Sea Tiger suicide squad blasted two ships and its Artillery Unit assembled two artillery pieces at two points and took them away before the army could reach that location.
Pirabhaharan ir speech said that th vented from libera ninsula because O support provided In April when Ele the Tigers pushed Jaffna city and be and Kankesanthu dent Kumaratunga ternational commu they rushed to hel ticated arms and went all out to pre army from meeting repercussions that rest of the country The internation not endorse the Prime minister and the army is strong is that the war is no the point they ma ment, including t Minister. Norwegi Solheim made tha ment leaders and t told them that the to a political solu sides that they s should talk witho conditions. Pirabh the message. He a the government w. any conditions.
When Solheim emanayake he coul told the Tamil pap he had asked Solh bhaharan again an was agreeable to tions. He said if So Pirabhaharan is w government withc it is the duty of launch some col measures, accepta
The measure ceptable most to removal of the e Economic blocka decade ago by th in the hope of de essential goods lik food. But the LT blockade and ha goods its wanted. man who is affec
Balasinghan economic block “This is a crucial “We have not ins drawals or ceasef

15 DECEMBER zano
his Maweerar Day Tigers were preing the Jaffna pethe international the government. hant Pass fell and o the gates of the an shelling Palali ai harbour Presiappealed to the inlity for help. And her with sophisarmaments. They ent the Sri Lankan a disaster and the would have in the
al community does ssessment of the the army chief that , Their assessment it winnable. This is de to the governhe hardline Prime an facilitator Erik t clear to govern) Pirabhaharan. He e is no alternative tion. He told both hould talk. They ut laying any preaharan understood greed to talk with thout laying down
told that to Wickrd not believe it. He ers that and added eim to talk to Pirai verify whether he alk without condilheim confirms that lling to talk to the ut conditions then he government to fidence building ble to the Tigers. that would be acthe Tigers was the onomic blockade. de was clamped a UNP government lying to the Tigers medicine, fuel and TE had beaten the obtained all the (t was the common 2d. aid the lifting the de was essential. tep for us,” he said. ited on troop withe as we have in the
past,” he pointed out. "But we insist that the severe hardships and attacks being endured by the Tamil people must cease before any meaningful talks. We can't talk with bombs falling.”
He pointed out that the Sri Lankan government's economic embargo had caused immense suffering. "The blockage of food, medicine and daily necessities, the ban on fishing, cement, etc has greatly affected the people. It has been going on for ten years. The real aim of the embargo is to break the people's desire for freedom and to make them stop supporting the LTTE,” Balasingham said. Cease fire
Similarly the LTTE is insisting on the declaration of a ceasefire. Pirabhaharan said they cannot talk while conducting a war. But a ceasefire is vigorously resisted by the army. "That would give the LTTE breathing space,” Balagalle said. “Ceasefire should come into effect after an agreement is signed,” he said. An LTTE spokesman said: "We are not insisting on a ceasefire. We are only saying that stoppage of fighting would help us to concentrate on talking. By Suggesting a ceasefire we are only denying ourselves the chances of grabbing some of the sophisticated weapons the government had bought.”
Current thinking is to work out a ceasefire halfway during the talks. "That suits us fine. We can manipulate the war to suit our bargaining position,” the LTTE spokesman said. New Constitution
With talks looming large on the horizon government's earlier promise of enactment of a new constitution. embodying the devolution proposals seems to have been shelved. The government earlier wanted to enact a constitution based on a governmentopposition consensus and then talk to the LTTE on that basis. Prof. Peiris told the diplomats that that position is being reviewed The Prime Minister went further and said that proceeding with the enactment of the new constitution would harm the proposed talks. The new constitution would be drafted on the basis of the agreement concluded with the LTTE.
“We would not do anything that
could be interpreted as hampering the peace talks. We will not present the draft constitution in Parliament,' he said.

Page 21
15 OECEMBER 2000
Basis for the solution
The Prime Minister declined to answer questions concerning the basis for a solution. "That is what we are going to talk with the LTTE,” he said. The basis for the solution is slowly emerging. Solheim briefed Pirabhaharan that it should be within a united Sri Lanka. And it should meet substantially the aspirations of the Tamil people. How it would be done should be left for the negotiators to evolve. British junior Foreign Minister Peter Hain who was in Colombo on November 22. suggested that a solution on the lines of the Northern Ireland formula be considered. Hain preseinted to Prime Minister Wickremanayake a docket on the Northern Ireland solution. The Prime Minister promised to study it. An autonomous administration to the North-east is the solution that is emerging. The actual form the Solution should take would be left to the negotiators to work out. The international community is aware that working out a solution on
the lines of the would be not th hardline Sinhala pose any en har given to the Tam his effigy burnt fo process. Hain's el promoting Irish the Tamil region. etary of State fo Inderfurth, was S United States, Si Tilak Karunarat Inderfurth's exce country's training Sri Lankan soldie Inderfurth wa this honour. He il ment and the opp ntry backed Nor and the type of p. tain had suggeste. to assess the exte to Nowegian fac Speaker Anura whom he called "Over 90 percent,
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North Irish accord t easy. Extrermeist huavists would opced powers being is, Solheim had had initiating the peace figy was torched for ype of autonomy to But US Under Secrr South Asia, Karl bared that indignity. nala Urumaya chief ne, explained that tion was due to his programme for the S.
not enamoured of formed the governbsition that his couwegian facilitation ylitical solution Bri. He made inquiries nt of the opposition ilitation. He asked Bandaran aike on on November 30. 'replied Anura Ban
AMLTIMES 21
daranaike. Then, at a tea party US ambassador Ashley Wills organised he probed about the extent of the Sinhala resistance to a political solution. JVP and Sihala Urumaya are known opponents. "What is the position of the Prime Minister'?' Inderfurth queried. The question was passed on to Fisheries Minister Rajapakse who had just arrived. "I don't know," dotched the Fisheries Minister. TULF general secretary R. Sampanthan interjected: “There are many like the Prime Minister." According LTTE's Balasingham, the very structure of the Sri Lankan government would hamper the peaceful resolution of the conflict. "The government comprises Sinhala supremacists, Buddhist nationalists and Tamil traitors. How can such a government give justice to the Tamil people? Sinhala Buddhist supremacy was responsible for the protracted ethnic war.... The Maha Sanga opposes any concessions towards Tamil aspirations. Don't give any
thing to the Tamils, they say.”
(continued on page 22)
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Page 22
22 TAMILTIMES
S everal leading academics, professionals and human rights activists have called upon the Government of Sri Lanka to appoint a "commission of inquiry, with adequ-ate investigative powers and resou-rces, to fully probe into the Bindu-nuwewa massacre. The mandate of the Commission should cover the identification of all those who were responsible, directly and indirectly, for the instigation, organization and carrying out of the killing of the inmates of the rehabilitation camp."
The statement issued by the signatories on 28 November said, "The cold-blooded massacre of 26 Tamil inmates at Bindunuweva Rehabilitation camp is a major set back to Sri Lanka's human rights situation a swell as inter-ethnic relations. The tension that developed in the Nuwaraeliya in
(Continued from page 2l)
Despite the mountain of distrust and apprehensions why did both parties decided to talk’? The government desperately needs foreign finaincial and economic assistance to sustain and manage the island's economy which has been crippled by the scale of resources it had to devote for the continuation of its war with the LTTE. The government is under pressure to engage in peace talks as a condition for financial aid.
The LTTE is also facing tremendous pressure in many countries where its functioning, funding and propaganda work have come under greater scrutiny in the recent past. Governments of these countries have also put pressure upon it to enter the negotiating process. The LTTE would have preferred any peace talks to commence following its declared alim of recapturing Jaffna.
The government and the LTTE cannot hope to dodge the talks now. The international community is tightening the peace noose.
BindunuWewa Massacri For Commission of
the immediate after event also indicat efforts are needed tions for inter- eth the backdrop of a c communalist mobil "Four weeks h this killing of reha who were under th Yet, no systematic this gruesome crim been launched. W ficers who guarde been blamed for di actual forces and were responsible still remain uniden prevent the repeat crimes of this nat important that thos sible, directly and fied and brought to emerged so far sug ing ofunarmed you rehabilitation camp action instigated interested parties. "In this context the government tha manded by the hu identify and brin who are responsib inmates who were tive custody of the lar massacre occu Welikada prison, the day willfully There have not b tions into anti-m lence of 1958 and became passive bringing perpetr political crimes t sage given was th enjoyed impunity tection of the stal present governm unfortunate tradi We, therefort ment to immedia mission of inquir
 
 
 

15 DECEMBER 2000
nath of this tragic d that concerted to Sustain condinic peace against ontinuing war and zation. ave passed since bilitation inmates, e charge of state. investigation into e appears to have ile the police ofd the camp have ection of duty, the individuals that for this massacre tified. In order to of grave political ure, it is crucially e who are responindirectly, identijustice. Evidence gests that the killng men inside their was a pre-planned by some unknown
we wish to remind it it has a duty demanitarian law, to g to justice those e for the killing of under the protecstate. When a simired in 1983 in the he government of avoided inquiry. en state investiganority ethnic vio983. Once the state its own duty in ors of communal justice, the mast they, the culprits, s well as tacit pro... We trust that the nt terminates this
O.
urge the governly appoint a comwith adequate in
vestigative powers and resources, to
fully probe into the Bindunuwewa
massacre. The mandate of the Commission should cover the identification of all those who were responsible, directly and indirectly, for the instigation, organization and carrying out of the killing of the inmates of the rehabilitation camp."
The signatories to the statement are: Jayadeva Uyangoda, Laksiri Fernando, Amal Jayawardena, M.G.A. Cooray, Tissa Abeysekere, Jayantha Senaviratne, Siri. Hettige, Stanley Kirinde, Kumari Jayawardena, Sumila Abesekera, Indrani Munasinghe, V. Nandakumar, Tissa Vitarana, Rev. Kaburugamuwe Vajira, C.S. Amaratunga, Udaya Kalupathirana, Sunanda Deshapriya, Jagath Senaratne, Sharmini Boyle, Shiral Laktilleke, Tharanga Jayawardena, K.C.J. Ratnayeke, Ranjith Perera, Vidya Abhayagunawardena, Ariyaratne Ethugala, Navaratne Bandara, Mario Gomez, Ajith Jayathunga, Rohana Lakshman Piyadasa, Sumansiri Liyange, Dharini Rahasingham-Senanayake,
Human Rights Watch
Berates Govt and Tigers
Intensifying civil war in northeast Sri Lanka has resulted in displacing some 250,000 people during the past twelve months, bringing the estimated number of internally displaced persons islandwide to more than one million, says Human Rights Watch, a New York based international HR organisation. In its eleventh annual report, it criticises both the government forces and LTTE rebels for continuing human rights abusing in island nation with nearly eighteen million inhabitants.
"Emergency government powers, in place almost continuously since 1983 and enhanced from May to September by additional regulations, have granted broad powers to security personnelto arrest and detain suspects, restricted freedom of association, and authorised media censorship. The LTTE was implicated in a series of suicide bombings that killed and injured hundreds of civilians. It continued to recruit and deploy child

Page 23
15 DECEMBER 2000
soldiers and to physically attack and intimidate critics in the Tamil community.”
The report also critical of the governments way of handling the media. Human Rights Watch is highly critical of the governments decision to close Udayan and Sunday Leader newspapers. Murdering jaffna journalist Mylvaganam Nimalarajan at his home in high security zone of Jaffna, may have been linked to his reporting on vote-rigging and intimidation during the October parliamentary elections, it says.
"Due to government restrictions, Tamil civilians were often unable to reach work sites to earn a living, attend schools, or seek urgent medical care. In eastern Sri Lanka, army and police units continued to impose forced labour, demanding that civilians work without pay building sentry posts, cutting wood, and cleaning military camps. In mid-July, villagers north of Batticaloa were reportedly forced to construct a sand bulwark around an army camp; some were beaten for refusing to comply,
On October 25, a mob in Bandarawela stormed a government-run rehabilitation camp housing, among others, suspected LTTE supporters and former LTTE child soldiers, killing over twenty-five. According to initial reports, those killed ranged in age from fourteen to twenty-five. After the attack, police briefly detained more than 250 suspects from the majority Sinhalese community,
while Tamil community leaders alleged
police complicity.
The LTTE committed numerous and gross abuses. Bombings of public places in the north and east, and suicide bombings in Colombo on December 18, 1999, January 5, 2000, March 10, June 7, September 15, and October 19 killed more than one hundred civilians and injured many more. Beginning in April, the LTTE engaged in increasingly aggressive recruitment drives in the Vanni, including recruitment of children as young as ten years old for combat.
The LTTE imposed restrictions on civilians wishing to leave areas it con
My dear Periya I was very bu ing my friend ( brother who is si nary Level exami girls are continu working hard foi You will be surpri students secured in the August Adv nation. From last three papers and paper instead of
Fortunately fi the rumbling sou creased in recent now conducting advancing in smal tured six square ki on December 5 t their control 2 ki road to the west c rous agricultural v earlier operations way towards the was under Tiger c concentrating on trol of the Kandy I chcheri to Jaffna v focusing their at siege of Nagarkovi Main Supply Rout tle of the MSR iS 1
Pirabhaharan speech is the curr
trolled and forced a areas to join its civ LTTE attacks and what it referred to in the Tamil comm effect on dissent.
were members of ties holding posit ernment. Between three members of councils in Jaffna
dentified gunmen. number of political oners of war, but
and details of conf vailable,' the repc
 

AMILTIMES 23
Annah, sy these days helpta-nesh's younger ting his GCE Ordiation. Our boys and ng the tradition of the examinations. sed that 37 of Jaffna three straight A's anced Level examiAugust they sit only general knowledge our. )r the OL students nds of war had deweeks. The army is limited operations | steps. They recaplometers in Nunavil nus bringing under lometers of Kandy if that once prospeillage. In a series of the army inched its Kandy Road which ontrol. The army is wresting the conoad from Chavakawhile the Tigers are tention on laying l by interdicting the e (MSR). This batar away. s Maweerar Day nt topic of talk. It
ll villagers in some ilian defense units. ntimidation against s “quislings” withinity had a chilling Particularly at risk amil political parons in local govfanuary and May, pcal administrative vere killed by uniThe LTTE held a prisoners and prisccess to detainees
menent Wcre uait also states. O
had rekindled the hope of peace. The people here are willing to grasp any straw that seem to promote peace. They are encouraged by the uttering of Britain's Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Peter Hain, and US As- ' sistant Secretary of State for Asia, Karl Inderfurth. The British stand that a solution similar to Good Friday Agreement which brought about an end to the fighting between the IRA and the British army in Northern Ireland could be worked out in Sri Lanka is really pleasing.
People have begun to talk again about the light at the end of the tunnel. I do not want to sound pessimistic. If peace dawns it will be wonderful. Then, we can return to our sweet heme. I yearn so much to be back in our home, to be on the shore, amidst the boats and the swirling waters.
Three of our MPs were with us for five days beginning November 28. TULF parliamentarians- Anandasangari, Mawai Senathirajah and Mathimugarajah - were here to thank their voters. We must be grateful that they came at least after one and a half months after the election. Others, including the Minister for Northern Development, are yet to sight this place.
The three MPs visited every electorate and enquired from the people the problems they face At the Jaffna meeting an old man summed it succinctly: Our problem is to live. "Why are you sounding so dejected?' Anandasangari asked him.
The man's story was pathetic. He was a peasant from Palai. War had reached his door in the mid of the night. They ran away seeking safety. He clutched his infant grandson as he ran. Three days later he found that the rest of the family had perished. Now, with his grandson, he has no place to live. With about a fourth of Jaffna peninsula's half million people displaced, resettlement and rehabilitation is the major problem. Almost the entire

Page 24
24 FAMILTIMES
people of the Thenmarachchi division had moved to Welligamam and parts of Vadamarachchii. People of eastern Vadamarachchi have moved into its populous west and northern sections. Resident of the eastern portions of the Jaffna town too had moved out.
Fishing, the livelihood of the coastal people, is restricted to a few daylight hours when the catch is poor. "We don't earn enough to make the ends meet," Philip Sebastian told his woe to the MPs who promised to take it up with the army and the President. Sebastian pretended that he was satisfied with the MP's assurance though he knew that the army is the final authority in these matters and they are not going to listen to anyone. Jaffna peninsula that supplied fish to southern Sri Lanka is now unable to meet its demand.
In agriculture, the situation is different. Cultivators produce in excess to the demand and without transport to the south they find it difficult to market their produce. "We just can't sell our produce," moaned Sellathurai who cultivates onion, chillie and bananas. With the high cost of fertilizer and insecticides and the low farm gate prices he lost heavily the last two seasons. His request was to induce the government to transport the Jaffna produce to the other parts of the country. But the problem is there is no land route by which such produce could be transported. The only means of transport is by air, but the needs of the continuing war make the transport of the Jaffna farmers' produce a very low priority.
Education, employment, health services and transport are the other major problems affecting the people in the Jaffna peninsula. School text books are not distributed in time thus placing the Jaffna students at a disadvantage. Some of the schools have been shifted to safe areas. Displaced students do not have schooling facilities. Almost all schools are short staffed. Employment is scarce and is peddled by government supporters.
Hospitals are run w cal staff and even v not available. As y most of the qualif Jaffna have eitherg a better life, or have to engage in privat port is Scanty.
These are know the MPs who wer longer period to do paign should hav them. But they wen tions to impress th they are caring for porters dutifully w. to electrify their lea
This type of dec among the youth a organized three pr( the Maweerar wee despite the massi police and the arm prevent any observ army commander V of ordering temple, not to ring the bells week beginning No points and minica and cordon and S proliferated. But th three processions, with Maweerar po and rang temple b{
The first of thc November 21, th Maweerar week. I ians of the boys custody under the rorism Act took ou Jaffna Prisons to They walked sho not want their rela those kept at Binc ded to the Jaffna K. Shanmuganath which requested open a High Cou the cases in respi They handed the the memorandum dent and the ot Minister. A legit indeed and the ai

depleted mediLl medicines are very well know d doctors from e abroad to lead one to Colombo practice. Trans
h problems and
in Jaffna for a eir election cam
been aware of through the moir supports that nem and the supnt through theirs ders.
2ption was absent ld students. They cessions to mark k. This they did we measures the ed forces took to ance. The Kopay vent to the extent and church priests during the entire vember 21. Check mps mushroomed earch operations a youth conducted lastered the walls ters, lit oil lamps lls.
se processions on
first day of the arents and guardind girds kept in Prevention of Tera procession from Jaffna Kachchri. ing that they did ves massacred like nuwewa and hanrovernment Agent n a memorandum he government to in Jaffna to hear of the detainees. A two copies of one for the Presir for the Justice ate demonstration or the police did
15 DECEMBER 2000
not venture to stop it.
The second procession, held next day, was by the Jaffna University students. Over 2000 of them walked in pouring rain from the Jaffna University campus in Tinnevely to Jaffna Kachcheri shouting slogans against the government and the EPDP. They shouted: End the State of Emergency; EPDP- Quit TamilEelam; Bring the killers of Nimalarajan to justice; In 1983 Welikade Massacre, in 2000 Bundunuwewa Killing; Army should not enter the university campus., etc. The procession was stopped at a sentry point near Jaffna Kachcheri but the students insisted on proceeding to their destination. .
The soldiers relen-ted and permitted the processionists to proceed. They held a meeting opposite the kachcheri and burnt the effigies of President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and EPDP leader Douglas Devananda. Then they handed to the GA a memorandum to be sent to the President.
The third was on November 24 when students of the Jaffna Technical College took out a procession tó Jaffna Kachcheri demanding the release of one of their student Sri Ranganathan who was arrested by the army. The army released the student a week later.
On the Maweerar Day, November 27, the police and the forces ordered that the shops be kept open, schools function normally and buses ply their normal service. Shops were kept open, schools were in session and buses plied normally. But the shops were without customers, schools were without student and buses ran empty. Posters saluting the fallen heroes sprouted from nowhere and the army mobile unit was kept busy removing them. Temple bells tolled in some kovils. Parameswarar temple inside the Jaffna University was one of them.
With love.
Younger brother
Anthony

Page 25
15 DECEMBER 2000
Why Advani & Should Go
Mani Shankar Aiyar
omorrow, December 6, is the doleful anniversary of the most shameful event in independent India, the destruction of a place of worship by a fanatic mob of hatemongers, organized and led by the gentleman who is today the home minister of India.
This is not a political statement, it is a judicial finding. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has kindly undertaken a very readable translation into English of the verdict delivered in Hindf by the additional sessions judge, Jagdish Prasad Srivastava, on September 9, 1997. What follows draws from that judgment (with the English corrected when the communists' grasp over the grammar of this strange tongue fails them. Given their loyalties, they would have no similar difficulty with Chinese).
Please note the date of the judgment. It was delivered when Lal Krishna Advani was not the home minister. He assumed office a few months later. The case has not moved forward a millimetre since then. Coincidence? Technically, the case has not moved forward because some of those indicted have moved a criminal revision petition, no.255 of 1997, in the Lucknow bench of the high court, praying that "the impugned order" be set aside, and that till a decision is taken on this, the proceedings in the session court be stayed.
The list of those who have gone in appeal does not include Advani. Nor does it include two other ministers of the present government - Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti. Technically speaking, therefore, they have accepted that the prima facie charges laid against them by the additional sessions judge (Ayodhya episode) - to give him his full title - are warranted and to be considered further in the trial court.
But, of course, they do not accept the technical point. Outside of the courts, they have proclaimed their in
nocence. Moreov ssed their deep re pened ("saddest ( so on) and distanc all the shameful Black Sunday eigl all their tears can of the judicial fin The case num no.. 344/94. Amon the three ministe filed by the Centr tigation against fences under sev sions of the Indian is a related case Mahant Avaidya which is covered ment but does no ministers under st umn). It may be investigation tool before being brou the additional sess The court took ne arrive at its concl tal judicial rectitu throughout the pl The prosecuti the three ministers ers, "committed a c through the perioc 6 December 1992 of desecration, sa "it was decided Masjid to the grou concert with three - the Bajrang Dal, Parishad and the plans to demolish ture of the Babri "a suicide squad C was "trained' to que “in the Chaml Next, "on 5 De the prosecution, was held at the h Katiyar” (the BJP ment for the are tended by Shri La at which "a final d
 

TAMILTIMES 25
Co.
ir, they have expregret over what hapay of my life” and ed themselves from happenings of that ut years ago. But not wash out one word dings against them. ber is sessions case g the 40 accused are s. The chargesheet al Bureau of Investhem includes ofen different provipenal code. (There no. 749/96 against nath and others, by the same judgt refer to the three crutiny in this colnoted that the CBI k well over a year ght to the court of ions judge in 1994. arly three years to usions. Clearly, tode was maintained oceedings. on submitted that along with 27 othriminal conspiracy' "October 1990 to . Among other acts d the prosecution, to raze the Babri nd”. “The BJP' (in other organizations the Vishwa Hindu Shiv Sena) “made the disputed strucMasjid”. Moreover, f the Bajrang Dal” lemolish the mosal valley'. ember 1992', said 'a secret meeting use of Shri Vinay member of parlia) "which was atKrishna Advani' cision to demolish
the disputed structure was taken". The party to that "final decision' is today the Union minister of home af. fairs (god bless his soul - or what remains of it). It was also the prosecution's contention "that when the disputed structure was being pulled down Shri Advani asked Kalyan Singh" (the chief minister of UP) "not to tender his resignation till the disputed structure had been completely pulled down". As for the now chagrined Uma Bharti, the prosecution said she had "instigated the karsevaks” with slogans like “ek dhakka aur do, Babri Masjid thod do” and “khoon khraba hona hain, ek bar ho jane do'.
Uma Bharti in court argued that "she had made no speech instigating anyone to pull down the masjid”; on the contrary, she had "asked them to climb down'. On behalf of Advani and Joshi it was contended that no criminal conspiracy had been hatched, they had not made any "instigating speeches" and the report of the observer, Tej Shauker, "is silent about the accused persons, Shri L.K. Advani and Shri Murli Manohar Joshi'. More important than these denials, however, was the argument made by the advocates of these two present cabinet ministers that "thé present case is not a fit case to be tried by the court of sessions". It is this argument which is being used to justify their continuance in the council of ministers.
The judge, Srivastava, said, "The court has to see whether there is any evidence available on record to sustain the chargesheet and whether there is a just basis for the framing of charges. "On the basis of what the law calls the application of the judicial mind to the evidence tendered and contested before the court, the judge held that "it is clearly established that the accused person (Advani) acted in the demolition of the disputed structure'.
Moreover, said the hon” ble court, "it is crystal clear" that the BJP, in cohorts with the Shiv Sena and the Bajrang Dal, “hatched a criminal conspiracy due to which the disputed structure was pulled down”. Thus, "on the basis of the evidence available on challan', the court found that

Page 26
26 TAMITMES
“prima facie evidence under section 120-B is established” against 38 of the 40 persons accused, including our three honourable ministers (and so are they all, all honourable men - excluding, of course, Uma Bharti who is no less honourable but not a man).
The court further found that "prima facie offences' under six other sections of the IPC, read with section 149 IPC, had been made out "against accused persons Shri Lal Krishna Advani' (the first named) and, inter alia, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti. The court also found "on the basis of evidence produced by the prosecution” that the three ministers, in addition to several others, had also committed “a prima facie offence under section 120-B” read with five other sections of the IPC. Therefore, concluded the hon’ble judge, "they are charged under the aforesaid offences” and "directed to be presented in the court for the framing of charges'.
The high court has reserved its orders on whether the case is to go forward in the sessions court. Therefore, as of now, the charges as laid by the additional sessions judge stand. In exactly the same circumstances, Harin Pathak, the BJP's former minister of state for defence production, has resigned or been made to resign. The BJP insisted on the resignation ofRameshwar Thakur, the former Congress minister of state for revenue, when the joint parliamentary committee on the securities scandal made a passing reference to a minor indiscretion on his part. Parliament was held up for 13 consecutive days. Now, when the boot is on the other foot, it seems not to pinch the BJP and its NDA allies.
Parliamentary decorum, the principle of responsibility and accountability to Parliament, and the independence of our investigating agencies, government prosecutors and the judiciary, all demand that the three ministers step aside and present themselves for trial. If they are found innocent, we can look forward to seeing them back on the front rows of the treasury benches. And if they are found guilty, we can look forward to seeing them in jail. Satyamevajayate. The Telegraph, 5 December 2000
P opular Kanna was released i of November after deal in the jungles, The governmer and Karnataka ha ing through the m brigand Veerappan Not many take th ously though and s eyewash to appeas ses and the courts But the questi bated, especially in whether the gover or sincere or even v would be appreher crisis came to be si
Why, for what the brigand and his nationalist associa to give in when no demands were met Was the LTTE uevres? Why was R.R.Gopal sideline At the end of the various players sta tions, riddles, my also innumerable convincing. Some made by Rajkuma release only seeme issue further.
Rajkumar and ates were abducte house in Doddag Nadu on the night ( led by Veerappan. left behind an auc incing Rajkumar's anti-Tamil riots ir cember 1991.
Subsequently another cassette ( point charter of de an undertaking f comply with the in Cauvery tribunalti ond official langu Some of them unrealisable, as th
 

15 DECEMBER 2000
SRelease Riddled
th. Mysteries
TNGopalan
a actor Rajkumar the second week 108-day-long or
ts of Tamil Nadu e since been gootions of nabbing and his associates. ; operations seriay that it is all an e the middle clas
on furiously deTamil Nadu, is not ments are serious whether Veerappan ded, but how the olved in the end. consideration, did ; new-found Tamil tes finally choose one of their major
behind the manoNakkeeran editor, 'd in the process? day, what did the nd to gain? Quessteries abound as explanations, few of the statements himself after his i to compound the
hree of his associfrom their farmanjanur in Tamil f July 30 by a gang At that time he had io-cassette denounvolvement in the Karnataka in De
he passed across ontaining his tenlands ranging from om Karnataka to terim award of the making Tamil secge in that state.
were unrealistic or demand for higher
minimum wages for the plantation labour or higher procurement price for tea leaves.
But easily the most striking was the demand for immediate withdrawal of all cases against 127 tribals prosecuted under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) in Karnataka.
While 76 of them are out on bail, the rest are still in detention in Mysore prisons, languishing there for over seven years now. Veerappan also wanted five Tamil nationalists detained under the TADA in Tamil Nadu to be released.
While the two governments were only too willing to concede those two demands, the Supreme Court came in the way.
Coming down strongly on both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka for "caving in to the demands of a bandit" and expressing concern over the "growing nexus' between the terrorists and anti-national elements – read Veerappan and company on the one hand and the LTTE on the other - the apex court struck down the decision of the two governments to withdraw the cases against the alleged accomplices of Veerappan as also the Tamil nationalists.
All the same P.Nedumaran of the Thamizhar Dhesiya Iyakkam and two civil rights activists P.Kalyani and G.Sukumaran had little difficulty in securing the release of Rajkumar. And thereby hangs a very mysterious tale. The official emissary of the two governments, Nakkeeran Gopal had made as many as four trips by himself - only one of the hostages and an aide of the actor, Maradagi Nagappa, was set free during his mission. Even he had escaped, it is put out, and Gopal had claimed that the escape proved a terrible set-back to his efforts. It was at this stage, at the instance of the Veerappan and his Tamil nationalist comrades - belonging to the Tamil Nadu Liberation Army (TNLA) and

Page 27
15 DECEMBER 2000
the Tamil Nadu Retrieval Troops (TNRT) - Nedumaran and two others were deputed for the :) -- iti: atory mission.
During their very first trip. Govindaraj, a son-in-law of Rajkumar, was set free. In their next undertaking after a fortnight or so, the actor and the other remaining hostage. Nagesh, were also released.
Gopal had gone with them the first time. But he was kept out of the climax. Even as he was cooling his heels in Chennai, the other three had gone inside the forests and secured the release of Rajkumar and Nagesh.
It proved a huge embarrassment for the publicity-hungry Gopal. The man who had been strutting around as if he had the sole authority over Veerappan and was surely making a lot of money too in the process was left sucking his thumb at the end of it all. He got his deserts perhaps.
The Tamil nationalists were very angry with Gopal for his cashing in on Veerappan and hence their invitation to Nedumaran and company.
But what raised many an eyebrows was the involvement of yet another trio - Kolathur Mani, a known LTTE-conduit, Dr. Bhanu mathi, a Bangalore-based doctor-turned-quarry-operator and A.P.Shanmugasundaram, president of the Karnataka Tamils' Federation, another LTTE supporter.
Mani had been interrogated in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and detained under the National Security Act (NSA) for nearly a year. He was let off the hook by the Special Investigation Team - reportedly in exchange for some valuable leads he supplied - but the Jain Commission had cast strong doubts on his dubious role.
Subsequently too when there was a mass escape of LTTE-sympathisers from the Vellore Special Camp, some of them were staying in the groves owned by Mani when the police closed in on them. He has been quite brazen about his LTTE connections. It is inconceivable that such a person would involve himself in anything which does not promote an LTTE agenda. The LTTE lobby now seeks to put it out that Mani had been campaigning on behalf of the victims of the Special Task Force set up to nab Veerappan. But such claims have few takers.
While Shanmugasundram too is
known as another porter, it is Bhan who is providing rumourmills. Orig Tamil Nadu, she quired a medical up her practice f clear and get into In his first n Bangalore after hi had said that Bha into the forests t condition advised in order to make and force the pact played along, and was released, the also called her D akthi” and introdu the mediapersons. ply that Nedumal party to such a dr Predictably th ruckus. Nedumara reports, and the ne a statement from that he had ever : Bhanu promptly v (Incidentally Rajku that he had been treated while in ca. Then the Karna connection came in family members ( quoted as saying her granite busine near the Karnatak fered greatly, she visit the actor in th when his health v
COCC.
Another to go v was R.Ramkumar, partner and a son o General of Police of ding to Bhanu, Ned ily friend of the re lingam and that it she decided to jo wanted a Bangalo check Rajkumar's vince Veerappan c to release the acto in an interview.
However, accc was the other LTT Mani who had sc Shanmugasundara services of Bhanu. Everyone of th tans from Bangalc of a granite busing sides being sympa

staunch LTTE supalias Bhanumathi lot of grist to the nally hailing from claims to have acegree, only to give r reasons not very quarrying. ws conference at release, Rajkumar nu who had come check his health nim to feign illness is captors nervous of his release. He soon thereafter he actor had said. He r Bhanu * Mahasced her proudly to He seemed to iman was himself a
a. s created a lot of angrily denied the kt day he produced Rajkumar denying said such a thing. vent underground. mar also admitted very honourably ptivity.) Ataka granite lobby to the open. Some f Dr. Bhanu were that only because 'ss in Krishnagiri a border had sufreadily agreed to e forests at a time las causing Some
with the emissaries Bhanu's business a retired Director Karnataka. AccorLumaran was a famtired DGP Ramawas at his instance in the team. "He e-based doctor to
health and conf the urgent need ' Bhanu had said
rding to some it -conduit Kolathur ught the help of m to rope in the
pse good samarie has some kind is connection beetic to the LTTE
TAMILTIMES 27
cause. A.P. Shanmugasundaram is a big-time lorry operator and Bhanu hires lorries from him regularly.
A final piece in the jigsaw puzzle is the information that Dr Bhanu had actually scouted around for a house to serve as a safe hide-out for an LTTE-man in Bangalore after the Rajiv assassination. Incidentally she has been charged by the Bangalore police with cheating an Italian businessman to the tune of several lakhs of rupees.
That apart quarry operators on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border imave been paying protection money to Veerappan's gang for years now. Puneet Rajkumar, a son of the actor, is himself a quarry operator. Some even had it that only because he refused to pay up Veerappan, his father was abducted to teach him a lesson.
Yet another interesting piece of information was that the Bangalorebased team was there in the forests already, waiting for Nedumaran, the second time and that Veerappan handed over Rajkumar and Nagesh to the emissaries without any further ado. "The deal had been clinched much earlier,' the source said.
The story possibly then is that a huge ransom money raised by the granite lobby - feeling the pinch after Rajkumar's abduction - plus the LTTE diktat paved the way for the release of the actor. But then what does the LTTE stand to gain is a relevant question.
Consider the following: following a severe crack-down, the Veerappan gang is reduced to a rump a few years ago, and at this juncture the TNLA and the TNRT youth join hands with the brigand, converting him to the Tamil nationalist cause in the process. As per the latest information available there are around 35 persons with Veerappan inside the forests.
There is bound to be a fillip to the Tamil nationalist movement now thanks to the Rajkumar affair. Would not the devotion of these ranks to the Tamil cause and their admiration for Prabhakaran help generate an atmosphere in which the LTTE could flourish once again in Tamil Nadu ?
Nedumaran and company strongly deny all LTTE angle, and swear that it is purely out of humanitarian considerations that they took upon the mission. But whoever could be(continued on next page)

Page 28
28 TAMITMES
SAROJA: An Emotional Thund
Reviewed by Prof. Carlo Fonseka
f you have tears prepare to shed
them when you go to see Soma
ratne Dissanayake's film “Saroja”. It is a film about an innocent, helpless, cute, seven-year-old Tamil girl called Saroja and her Tigerish battle-wounded father, who come to be befriended, willy nilly, by an innocent, helpful, cute, eight-year-old Sinhalese girl called Varuni and her father and mother.
For their trouble, Varuni and her parents come to be branded as traitors to the Sinhalese nation and are hounded and banished from the village where Varuni’s father works as a school teacher. The villagers are educated enough only to believe in myths about their tribe, religion and homelands sanctioned by centuries of tradition. The story of Saroja is full of incidents that aroused in me pity and fear, especially pity and pity's natural expression, tears.
The rush of emotion I felt when watching the film surely exemplifies what Aristotle must have meant by "catharsis'. While I watched it, the film purged me of the feelings of pity regularly aroused in me by the suffering of people entrapped in the fratricidal conflict wounding our country during the past few decades.
It did so by arousing in me feelings of pity for the suffering of the
two little girls anc picted in the film those feelings upor of the film I had t been "wrung dry” for my reactions to the cinema, my res duce a handkercl tears.
I am not a prof and to write abou Saroja I have to ha resources of the ol studied in some d man physiology. Ti tool of the science the stimulus-respc my aim here is to tI physiological term to the film in the w: those who are seeki isal of the film in art need not read t As it happens, nayake has a deg Medical Radiograp rsity of London. H raphy in Australia, adoption, until he ey to practise his r making - in the co Make no mistake, just a radiographs world of cinema, Degree in film dire
(Continued from page 27) lieve that the LTTE supporters are indeed bothered about any kind of human rights violations anywhere except in the North and East of Sri Lanka?
The fact also remains that never in the past any of these emissaries, including Kolathur Mani who hails from a region frequented by Veerappan, had ever bothered to lift a finger for the STF victims.
That apart the TADA detenus and those enlarged on bail, but still made to trek to Mysore periodically as per the bail terms, continue to suffer. The Karnataka government has now con
stituted a special c TADA trials. One ( fingers crossed.
The media and now egg on the ty go after Veerapp him and his friends a word of thanks having been so de umar and finally ) stalling possible Karnataka. Not a for the TADA unt In such a tops any wonder that like to pass off as champions?

15 DECEMBER2O
erbolt
their parents deand discharging them. At the end e sense of having On being asked Saroja when I left ponse was to proief drenched by
ssional film critic È my reactions to ve recourse to the nly subject I have epth, namely, huhe basic analytical : of physiology is inse concept, and y and figure out in why I responded ly I did. Therefore, ng a critical appraterms of cinematic his any further. Somaratne Dissaree in Diagnostic hy from the Univee practises radiogthe country of his aves enough mon:al vocation - filmuntry of his birth. however, SD is not r let loose in the he has a Master's >tion from the Uni
urt to expedite the an only keep one's
the middle classes 'o governments to n and apprehend at the earliest. Not to Veerappan for ent towards Rajkleasing him forenti-Tamil riots in word of sympathy 2r-trials.
turvy world, is it edumarans would great human rights
versity of Sydney. He has certainly mastered the technique of conveying a message by exposing us to a carefully structured sequence of moving images. And what is the principal message of Saroja? Not that war is hell, but that the Tamil Tigers are fierce, vicious and ruthless. As if we didn't know that already! Reiterating it serves no purpose and is ultimately unfair to the Tamil people in our country. The Tamil Tigers were Tamils first and became Tigers afterwards. They were not born congenitally vicious. During the period of British rule in Sri Lanka, the Tamils may well have had good reasons to feel congenitally superior to the Sinhalese and in that sense they may even have become racist.
After all, Anagarika Dharmapala (1864 - 1933) himself relentlessly lambasted the Sinhalese for being "beefeating, trouser-, coat-, tie-, shirt and shoe-wearing, whisky-drinking, language and custom abandoning males, and pudding-eating, straw-hat, high-heel and short-dress-wearing, "this erotic thing called novels" reading women'. He characterised the Sinhalese as being lazy, time-wasting, slothful, unable to make (or conserve) money, given to pleasure and superStition, and ignorant of Buddhism. On the other hand, according to Dharmapala, every other ethnic group in the country was intelligent, committed, hard-working and true to its own customs. So who can blame the Tamils if they had felt superior to the Sinhalese? And is it any wonder in the light of Anagarika Dharmapala's diagnosis, that the Tamils as a group achieved comparatively more worldly success than did the Sinhalese ?
The long digression above was called for because the context of Saroja is the ongoing war between the predominantly Sinhalese armed forces of the country and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Letus not forget that war, as Clausewitz astutely observed, is "the continuation of politics by other means'.
Being a war film, Saroja necessarily embodies a political judgement and the judgement is that the Tamil Tigers are fierce. Was it Bernard Shaw who once said that when a man kills a tiger he calls it sport; but when a tiger kills a man he calls it cruelty? However that may be, of what use is the political judgement implicit in the film that the

Page 29
5DECEMBER 2000
Tigers are fierce and vicious and ruthless? So would some Sinhalese have been, I dare to think, if their ethnic group had been systematically humiliated, assaulted, iooted, murdered and even burnt alive in 1956, 1958, 1977. 1979, 1981 and 1983 for whatever reaS011.
Why are the Tigers fighting with such dogged perseverance and commitment? It must surely be because they have persuaded themselves that in order to ensure the survival of the Tamil people they must carve out a safe haven somewhere in the land of their birth where they can hide when they come under fire next time. And who is the prudent living Tamil who does not expect to be under fire anytime at the hands of Sinhalese with the mind-set of the villagers in SD's film? Varuni's family is not typical. It is truly exceptional.
And heaven knows how her father, for all his liberalism, multiculturalism and humanism, might have behaved if his very livelihood depended on the will and pleasure of those Sinhalese villagers (In the film he doesn't lose his job because of his views; he is only banished to another school). Or again, if Varuni's father had been a politician excessively greedy for power would he, for all his liberalism, multiculturalism and humanism, have prevented his bloodthirsty goons from beating the daylights out of Saroja? Indeed he may even have encouraged them to do so in pursuit of his ambition. He himself, or course, is too gentle a man to have done so with his own hands.
These are some of the issues submerged in the film and despite his professional training in the use of X-rays SD only scratches the surface of these issues. What he mainly concentrates on doing is demonizing the Tigers. A serious war film cannot ignore the politics of war because recourse to arms can be the last resort of people who feel oppressed.
If the film is politically so lame and impotent, as I have construed it to be, why did I respond to it with a rush of emotion and a flood of tears? Because SD knows film craft. Because the players he has cast for the different roles are superb. He has induced Tamils to play the Tamil roles and Sinhalese to play the Sinhalese roles. That itself will contribute significantly to communal reconciliation. The little
girl Nithyavani plays Saroja proba acting ability, the Shirley Temple of ough her sensitive een she may havec tate communal recc calculated stump o professional politic eshan who plays til father may well ha the line for so cont the fascist nature o' Pramudi Karunara Varuni provides a into the natural bel unspoilt by avaric and love of power.
It was of such said the Kingdom ( Janaka Kumbukag key role of Varuni' with a nobility that of the finest flower enlightened Sinhal is essentially a B. fancy that he portra role that Vijaya Ku in real life, knowin self to danger and rnando cast for the mother, in yet ano formance, seductiv that her heart has r reason knows noth least, Mahendra Pe Sirisena displays quality of the produ of elementary edu better equipped to age than in the 21; that all. Given his p arity with the basics and physiology, Sl part of the human ates emotions (limb ferent from the part mediates analytical tex). For simplicity these two parts the and the rational bra
The emotional more quickly than it springs into actic considering what it is why we sometim asking about the V haved in a given si earth did I do that? asked by the ration awakening to the s emotional brain has it is clear why I re.

TAMITMES 29
Kandasamy who bly excels in sheer famous child Star bygone age. Thrbehaviour on scrone more to facilinciliation than the ations of assorted ans. Mervin Mahle role of Saroja's ve laid his life on incingly exposing current Tigerism. hne's portrayal of charming insight laviour of humans e, rivalry, Vanity
children that Jesus f God is made of. s's playing of the s father is imbued provides a glimpse ing of unbetrayed, ese culture which Iddhist culture. I ys on celluloid the maratunga played gly exposing himworse. Neeta Ferole of Varuni's her dazzling per'ely demonstrates easons which her ing of. And, not rera's superlative for all to see the icts of our system cation. They are live in the stone it century. Nor is "ofessional familiof human anatomy D knows that the rain which mediic system) is difof the brain which thought (neocor's sake let us call emotional brain in respectively. rain responds far he rational brain; in almost without is doing. Which es find ourselves ay we have beuation; "Why on That question is al brain which is Iimulus after the responded. Thus ponded to Saroja
with tears. SD has consciously and deliberately loaded the film with stimuli which act on the emotional brain and - in the jargon of physiology - my emotional brain responded by causing my lachrymal glands to secrete. Or to call a spade a spade by making me cry.
A final remark is in order. It is the duty of rulers to rule their countries during times of peace and during times of war. That is why Nero the infamous Roman Emperor has been justly censured for having fiddled while Rome was burning. But what should fiddlers who fiddle during times of peace, do during times of war? They have no choice but to continue to fiddle because that is the only thing they know to do. The most cogent justification known to me about the role of artistes during times of war was articulated by Somerset Maugham, a doctor who abandoned medicine for art. In his book called "The Summing Up' he says "... some of us are so made that there is nothing else we can do. We do not write because we want to; we write because we must... We must go on though Rome burns. Others may despise us because we do not lend a hand with a bucket of water, we can't help it; we do not know how to handle a bucket. Besides, the conflagration thrills us and charges our mind with phrases..."
The conflagration in our country has impelled Somaratne Dissanayake to make a film which is an emotional thunderbolt. Perhaps he thinks that our emotions or passions rather than our reason are the real springs of action. If so, he is in high philosophic company. It was David Hume who soberly declared: "Reason is and ought always to be the slave of the passions”.
[ Up to October 2000, “Saroja” had won 7 international awards including: Dhaka International Film Festival (Bangladesh) * Audience award, * Best Asian Film(Netpac); Houston International Film Festival(USA) "Bronz a ward, Pyongyang International Film Festival (Korea) * Special Festival award; Singapore International Film Festival(Singapore) * Silver Screen award; Farabi International Film Festival (Isfahan-Iran) * Best Director; * Best Child performance, Chicago International Film Festival( USA) * Liv Ullman Peace award. ] O

Page 30
30 TAMLTMES
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groom in good employment.
Hall, Colombo 6, Sri Lanka.
23rd SCOT Annual General
Meeting
The Standing Committee of Tamil Speaking People held its 23rd Annual General Meeting on 28th October 2000 at The Robert Joy Centre in Putney, London SW 5.
Dr. N. Poopalasingam was re-elected president for the year 2000/2001.
The following office bearers of The General Council were elected. Vice Presidents: Mrs. R. Sriharan & Mr. Sri Kanthan, Secretary: Dr. S. Balakrishnan, Asst. Secretaries: Mr. Ratnajothy & Ms. D. Kumarasamy, Treasurer: Miss A. Sankaralingam; Asst. Treasurer: Miss V. Sankaralingam; Project Officer: Miss. K. Pathmaseni. Four trustees, sixteen council members and two past presidents were also elected to the General Council.
The president in his address reiterated the Commitment of SCOT to relief and rehabilitation work in the north and east of Sri Lanka. SCOT had another good year of fund raising with a total of £22,000 available for disbursement for various projects mainly for those displaced and dispossessed Tamils, whose basic needs of food, clothing and shelter have to be met.
The meeting was a speaker Mrs. Mary Medical Foundation victims. She gave an asylum seekers and Lanka. She also po government does n Tamils to be a perse the expatriates in U sure on the present reConsider his deciSi
A resolution cond innocent Civilians i detention camp was posed that each me, fact sheet regarding by the General Coul Members of Parliam UK government to ta the resolution of the Lanka.
Swara Violin Vidwan, Mr. sented a program, 2000" in Which Ove and 20 dance Stud Shanteeban took pa Hayes on 29th Oct programme accordir to give confidence
 

15 DECEMBER 2000
IN MEMORAM
Seventh Death Anniversary of Mrs Gnanambikai Perumal Pillai Wife of late Dr. C. Peruma Pila
(4th July 1924 - 12th December 1993)
Amma Seven years have drifted by, since you were taken from our midst. Your loving care and gentle guidance still strongly missed. In your peace we find Solace.
Your children, Ravi, Usha, Jeeva and Ranjit and families.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Jan 1 Feast of Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.
Tamil Welfare Group (SLTWG) Drop In. Tel: 0205423285. Jan 7 Pirathosam, Feast of Epiphany of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Jan 8 Feast of Baptism of the Lord. Jan 9 Full Moon, Thiruvenbavai ends. Jan 12 Sathuirthi. Jan 14 Thai Pongal. Jan 19 EekathaSi. Jan 20 6 p.m. Skanda Varodaya College Old Students' Association Annual General Meeting, Reunion Dinner and Variety Entertainment at Manor Park Hall, Malden Road, New Malden, Surrey KT3 6AU. For tickets and details telephone 020 8651 6f29/8657 3312 - SLTWG Pongal celebrations. Tel: 020 8542 3285. Jan 21 PirathoSarm. Jan 23 Amavasai. Jan 25 Feast of the converSion of St. Paul. Jan 27 SLTWG Women's Front meetS. Tes: 020 8542 3285. Jan 28 Sathurihi; Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas. Jan 30 Shashti.
Jan 6 Karthigai EekathaSi,
tddressed by a guest Salinsky from the UK for the Care of torture insight of the plight of torture victims in Sri nted out that the UK pt Seem to COnSider cuted group and that K should bring presSecretary of State to )ր,
mning the killing of the Bindune Wewa passed. It was pronber of SCOT take a the incident prepared cil to their respective 2nt and persuade the ke some active role in ethnic conflict in Sri
aya 2000
... Kothandapani prehe titled 'Swaralaya 60 young musicians ents of Snt Subatra tat the Beck Theatre, )ber. The airm of the g to the producer was the youngsters and
Vaikunda South London
Jan 31 Feast of St. BOSCO.
John
nurture their talents. It was a delight to see the beginners play the violin, a difficult instrument, with confidence.
Sutharshan gave a remarkable solo recital on the violin accompanied by Senthuran on the mruthangam. They presented the Kapinarayani piece "Sarasa sama thana”, a Thiagaraja Composition made popular by Madurai Mani Iyer, with knowledgeable confidence.
The orchestra Nadha Manjari was the main item of the evening. The melody and rhythm of the two pieces Kamaranjana and Mathyamavathy were ecstatic. The creativity of the conductor and the artistry of the pupils were excellent. Six pupils of Smt Malini Thanabalasingam gave a very impressive veena item.
The dance item, an abridged version of the production “Brema Tharshani” by the Kingston. I. T. C. Fine Arts was presented by Smt Subatra Shanteeban. The dancing was very good but it was lacking in the original lustre due to absence of live music and propS.
The producer Mr. L. Kothanapani and the children should be congratulated for their efforts and the parents can be proud of the achievements of their children.
Hindolan.

Page 31
15 DECEMBER 2000
Little Wł
Space dedicated to the Tamily By Miss Jal
"I do not agree with a word you say, but I'll defend to yet emphatic words, still bring a smile to my face, wi ty to their meaning. They make the same impressior eral years ago on the Editorial page of the Tamil Tim issue to date,
Yet how many of us can honestly repeat those wo we know, that would say that to us? Perhaps howeve to express our views, honestly and unsuppressed an ily our parents but other members of the community.
These issues could be related to life's big controve However, more commonly perhaps, how many of us ( with our parents and other members of the older ge question such as: 'Is it acceptable for two people t Answering yes to this question, does not mean we party to a scandalous way of life, it is simply a view avoid shocking or disappointing or being overheard are the more personal issues behind the closed doo arranged marriage, late nights out (clubs, bars, drink opposite sex in public, achieving bad examination re doubt, a lot of readers will be able to relate to some (
Having spoken to many other young people on this many Tamil teens believe that they have the most stric their parents believe that they have the most trouble from those of us studying medicine at Oxford right decided against further education and perhaps enter after school. But again this is another issue, why shou in the spectrum of Tamil youth.
Perhaps another spectrum by which the range' of Tamil" each one of us is. After a cw many of us h person is so uncultured" or alternatively "That person a big issue of our generation. A person can at one e time being old fashioned and un-cool, while at the ot uncultured 'coconut' (brown on the outside, white on A century ago such confusion would never have arise white people lived anong their own kind. Whatever c Within races themselves, or otherwise, this inner Cul now, 100 years on, here we are brown people living pro-creating and bringing up a new generation, surro, a foreign culture, leaving this new generation with an ... or just 'how' to be. This is an inner conflict that fac community, outside their homeland.
Homeland. Sri-Lanka. Is that really home? In that c last 10 or 15 years. How many of us have ever been to be the soil we have spent most of our lives on to de of us?" is it a far arc s "an s : island which we ca can't wait to return to Jr is, s.rply nothing more the tect us from the outside while on transit in the middle about Sri Lanka? How do you feel about the present cal discussion, but to provide a platform for personal
Following the opening article of Little Whispers in with responses and we are very grateful to those who Little Whispes is officia', 'arched including a reprint tributions. ", - - is a and Jeyasangar who think about. e aga. ge anyone who wants to ex or simply respond to a response' appearing here, ple: finger to keyboard and write to us at Tamil Times Ltd.
 
 
 
 
 

AMES 3
ISpe S outh of the new Millennium, a Winal
the death your right to say it. Voltaire's succinct len I think of the depth and moreover the beau
on me as they did, when I first read them seves, where they still have pride of place in every
ds and mean them? And how many people do r, the real issue is, how many of us are allowed d without fear of judgement from, not necessar
sies, religion, racism, homosexuality, drugs etc. 'an say that we share the exact same viewpoint eration on for example the commonly debated p live together before or instead of marriage?" have the intention to do it, nor does it make us point, yet how many people simply say 'no', to and judged by other Tamil people'. Then there rs of many a Tamil family, the pros and cons of ing etc), talking/socialising with members of the sults, the pros and cons of a good" degree. No or all of the above issues.
matter, one begins to realise a trend, while so it and unreasonable parents than all their peers, some and rebellious children. This is the Case through the spectrum to those of us who have ed straight to employment or otherwise straight ild our educational background dictate our place
Tamil youth could be displayed, would be how ave heard the various Cornments such as "That is so well behaved and so traditional'. Identity is xtreme be described as traditional at the Sanne her extreme a person battles between being an he inside) and being modern and westernised. !n, because, to put it crudely, brown people and ther conflicts that may have existed at the time tural identity complex wasn't a forerunner. Yet in a predominantly white land. Living, working, Inded by a foreign colour and more importantly nability to be sure exactly who to be, how to act es much of the younger generation of the Tamil
ase how many of us have visited home' in the "home' at all? How many of us consider home te? What exactly does Sri-Lanka mean to each in relate little to? Or conversely, is it a place one in the four walls of Katunayake airport, that proof a holiday to perhaps India. How do you feel situation? It is not proposed to provoke a politiviews of the younger generation.
he September issue, we have been inundated have taken the time to Contribute. In this issue, of the opening article and a selection of the concertainly have given our readers something to ress an opinion, air a grievance, sing a praise Ise don't hesitate to put pen on paperor indeed P.O. Box 121, Sutton, Surrey SM13TD.

Page 32
32 TAMILTIMES
ldentity in Crisis. By Sentheesan Yogarajah Whenever I am introduced to someone, f am always asked the question "Where do you come from?"With initial comical answers such as from the womb' and
just round the corner 1 arrive at the truth, which is that I come from Sri Lanka. More importantly that I am a Sri Lankan Tamil. Now what does this exactly mean? You see I have been living in this country for the past sixteen years, through the most influential periods for my growth. From pre-pubescence to pubescence to final adult hood. The years where the core Of my character and personality have formed to make me the man I am today. Now where in my personal history does being a Sri Lankan Tamil fit in, and how has this accident of birth helped to shape ne? From the age of seven I was sent to a Tamil school and taught my language and alleged culture. But in all this schooling am still left in doubt. How can you teach something, which by its very nature is rOf static but constantly evolving? Culture is something that is being created frOrn moment to moment through the interaction of people with the society that they live in. It is only with the pleasure of hindsight can we observe culture, and When we do obscene it we must call it by its other name. Heritage.
The schools of today focus on a curriculum consisting of the language and music of our country, but what they fail to do is teach and explain the history. It is like learning to drive without knowing What a car is. By doing. this they make the Subject detached from the present reality. It becomes fantastical, illusionary and frighteningly unimportant. After all Who Wants to learn a language that seems to have no relevance, and who wants to study a subject without understanding why? We are simply fed millions of bits of inforration without being told the significance of it, There is no knowledge in what we learn, and hence it is soon forgotten and eventually discarded.
There are in my opinion two things !faf make a person, his personal history and his racial history The former is composed of his own experiences as he has grown up in this world. This communal history is the history that comes as a right of birth. It is the heritage that is handed to him because of the race that he is born in to, in short, his ancestry. There is a sense Of pride that comes from knowing what your forefathers did in carrying their glories and in accepting their mistakes. By knowing our history, it gives us, a sense of space in this ever-growing world. It gives us a focal point from which to go forward. As Newton said "I see further by standing on the shoulders of giants'."
Sadly we are not taught our heritage. When questioned we are given some garbled answer about a war and the idiocy or wonderfulness of it all. We are not given facts but opinions, which can be eXtrenne
ly confusing, as they ar I can understand that tic our history is still being Lanka, it is in all aspec one. But there are still war that can be taught vance of Ravanna in th how we came to settle Better still why not te What can be so horrific around the issue and r ashamed of it? is it be deep in our hearts that have stayed and fough brothers, instead of lea for the comfortable life some suburbia?
We are facing a crisi generation but also in ation, which brought u have lost our identity. more frightening beca, through their own cho cowardice. For my gei handed down to US a it but this gives us an happen if the war in S Do you honestly think comed back with ope try that we abandone most needed its child At present sent Wha ation is an avid acce: tures, we are looking seeing where we can parallel. We are findi Afro-Carribbean COIT certain aspects of the can identify with. Cer societies it does not you are as long as y Saif Tre.
My generation is fa holds no limits. We a ry every day that we becomes a racial his seen. My fear is that when my heritage is ing extinct. Are we, cation and loss of a slowly killing our rac the Same aS SOrne á wandered the jungl to be spoken about obscure university ( My friends say tha irrelevant to their ev choose to ignore it, in vain. In many Wa the reasons why the Iives have become much so that there even to think. TheS discarded or rather a long queue. My q what will happen W. for the chronicleS O able to provide an á we, like our elders the issue?
These days we a globalization the W

15 DECEMBER 1998
e never the Sane, a lot of people fought out in Sri is a relatively new Oeriods before the Such as the relee Ramayana, or On Such an island. Illus about the War? ? Why do we slide nake it as if we are 2ause we know
maybe we should it alongside our aving, hence opting in the obscurity of
s, not only in my the previous generShere. Both of us For the later it is use they have lost it ice and maybe even neration it was ld we had no say in excuse for What will Sri Lanka is rectified? that we will be wellin arms to the Coundyears ago when it rer? it see in my generofance of other Culoutside Our race and
find Some form Of ng that in Indian and
munities there are ir heritage that we tainly in the Indian ruly matter what race pur religion is the
cing a future which re creating our histolive. Whether this ory still needs to be I am living at a time in danger of becomhrough lack of eduense of community ? Will we become Cient tribe that Once s of the Aztec? Only
a lecture in an
ጋUዘfS6, these questions are ryday lives. They nd happily carry on I can understand do this. Sadly our (tremely hectic, so often no time left questions have been Shed to the back of stion to my peers is in Our Children ask our skin? Will we be Curate answer, or will merely slide around
told that through d is becoming one
big community. Maybe this is where our future lies, not as a citizen of Sri Lanka or England, but as a citizen of the world.
OUT OF THE PAN INTO THE FIRE
By Jeyasangar Jeyanathan
The world that we as a community have adopted, is of no comparison to the world that wades alone in the Indian ocean some millions of un-thought miles away. However, the truth we may hide from, and the necessary appreciation we can deny. But no matter how fê away we are, a nightmare for hundreds and thousands of people, we could and perhaps should have been, unfolds its devastating never-ending story. The younger generation that swim in the Cushioned glory of a money pleasurefun-driven world, can claim no merit for their presence and existence to this day it is but God's Grace and mercy we all have SCurried a close escape. The question 1 pose is, to what have we escaped to? The proverb "out of the pan and into the fire" seems to cunningly identify itself
The views I am expressing, are in response to the thought provoking article written for the launch of the "little whispers" column by Miss J. Wimal. The world at large has a severe imbalance in wealth. - Where a Young man of my age in Sri Lanka fights for his food, here a young Tamil of similar age fights to get an upgrade on his old Nokia 3210 mobile phone. Where the same young man would be thriving to cloth himself to salvage some dignity, here his famil twin fights with his parents to get two Mosquino shirts instead of one, fetching beyond hundred pounds!
in this spoilt world, one could choose to be unemployed and the community will provide food, clothing a comfortable home, not to mention some spending money. This leads the further troubling question, 'why should one study and go to university, thus Creating an uneducated, unemployed, and fun seeking offspring resorting an aimless lifestyle leading topremature ill-health. The fight in this world is for short cuts to more and more fun and pleasure, and our community has been forced to evolve to these different priorities presented. This world has discarded its religion, whether it be guilt and fear of God, or simply just forgetfulness. There are families here that are so nuclear, that marriages are of just 2-5 year spans. This leaving children and single-parent families, for which the government is willing to compensate for. There are sonne Children who are in this situation. They don't know who their father is, and in a fair few cases, even the mother isn't sure who is either. Loose parenting creates a lost pleasure-seeking breed of children. The "Little Whispers' launching article brought up an issue of Tamil parenting being unnecessarily strict, thus hinting our community should resort to the modern form of loose parenting! It is
continued on page 33

Page 33
15 DECEMBER 2000
continued from page 32 vide parenting which offers genuine guidance and timely advice, forever. Children should respect this sincerity, and must be absolutely obedient for the successful moulding of their lives. This is all but fundamental law of naturel Our families are not plutonic like some families here which are like nuclear bombs with expiry dates perhaps of 2-3 years, usually involving casual relationships, and disastrous consequences on children that are unexpectedly and accidentally produced.
Animals in a herd casually mate, where the female members may have bared children from several members of the herd. Man too evolved from this set-up, togenerate a one man, one woman relationship, bonded together in marriage producing children, living and flourishing as a single unit. Now in this western World, man is attempting to go back to its herd like nature, by having casual relationships regularly, with the production of children who are growing to do as their parents did. is this what we as a community look to
become. The versé Bharathi, ironicallys
பாமரராய் வில உலகனைத்தும்
பான்மை கெட்டு நாமமது தமிழெ வாழ்ந்திடுதல் ற
The reason for our is our ancient cultur is the accumulated tors generated over years. Forus Tamils, and Oceans of inhé Thirukural is one of Sets the ethics for u. a Code of Conduct , has stood the test years. As we were "homeland" in Such take all our precious tradition, and by rule treasure mine of k, been forgotten and f
YOUR DONATIONS MAKING SCOT's assistance during 1999-2000, mainly to the displaced, disposses
beneficiaries are listed below :
1. Jeeva Jothy Children's Home, Batticaloa: Cultural education for 80 2. Jesuits Refugee Service, Batticaloa-Colombo: legal assistance to
assistance to young detainees and children of detained parents. 3. Life Voice School For Deaf; YMCA, Batticaloa: Support for 22 boy 4. Pyantha Children's Home, Kalkudah: Food and water supply for 21 g 5. Rehabilitation Society For Resettlers, Mylambaveli: income gene
- Cadiu nut processing 6. Social Welfare Organisation, Amparal: Nutrition for children in 12 pre 7. Thirunavukarasu Nayanar Gurukulam, Thambiluvil: Skills trainin 8, Vipulananda Children's Home, Kathiraveli: Basic household goods 9. Vipulananda Children's Home, Thiruppalugama: improve sanitatio 10. Vipulananda Students' Orphanage, Akkaraipattu: Running cost of
Total for Batticaloa Region 11. Caanan Children's Home, Irupalal: Running cost of the home 12. Grace Home For Children, Cheddikulam. Overcome the food shorta, 13. Hindu Council Of Sri Lanka: Dry rations and basic needs for refugees 14. Jaffna Diocese Of The Church Of South India: Food aid, medicine 15. Jaipur Foot Programme, Chundikuli: Artificial limbs, care and rehabil 16. Kinochchi Assn. For The Rehabilitation Of The Disabled: Artifi
victims (Donation from Canada) 17. Sri Durga Devi Devasthanam, Tellippallai: Food and care for womer 18. Sri Ramakrishna Sarada Sewa Ashrama, Pt. Pedro: Lakspray mik 2000 school children, two sewing machines for self employment for girls and Total įQn 19. Hindu Samaya Abhivritti Sabha, Trincomalee:
a) Books, bags and utensils for 374 students b) Carpentry training in Thambiluvil & Kaluthavali c) Hand operated tricycles especially for elderly disabled (Donation of £1250 for tricycles and books etc from MIO) 20. Sri Lanka Evangelical Action Team, Trincomalee: Dry rations, milk
the Madhu victims. 21. Trincomalee District Development Association: Self employment fo 22. Trincomalee District Refugee Welfare Association: Education of 1
tal for mal ion 23. Other - Medical Foundation, London: Treatment, counselling and car
SCOT is very grateful for donations, however small they may be. Pleases Road, London SW184PB. Your donations will be duly acknowledged.
Many Thanks
THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE
U.K Registered Charity 274

of Sri Subramaniya uit this plight.
குகளாய் இகழ்ச்சி சொலப்
னக் கொண்டிங்கு ன்றோ சொல்லீர!
success and harmony and tradition. Culture Visdom of Our ancesseveral thousands of we have several texts rited art and Culture. the main texts which Tamils, and gives us or healthy survival. It of time, some 2000 forced to leave Our a hurry, we could not gems of culture and of evolution, the vast nowledge has nearly ence abandoned.
TAMILTIMES 33
This artificial, muterial world consumes both the western world, the creators of this monster, and its unfortunate foreign victims, including us as a community. We fled from war only to contract an infectious insidious disease that has blinded us by its tempting beauty. But like the forbidden fruit, some things should be left untouched and some rules should just be followed. We have such wise and wonderful knowledge and wisdom in our culture, we must
feel proud of it, seek to study it and abide by it,
not forget and oppose it, for we too will attempt to go back to our animal, herd-like level. Let us move forward (Is a community, not back.
密带球带球来球球球球球料
TAMIL TIMES
Wishes all its readers and wellwishers a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.
漆淑球球球球球球球球
A DIFFERENCE TO LIVES sed, orphaned and widowed population amounted to E19268. 68. The
orphans
detaineus and educational
and 2 girls (aged 3-14yrs) firls and 9 boys ration scheme for widows
b-schools.
y for 35 girls - Batik and Fabric printing
and effects.
n and hygiene. the orphanage
ge dueto embargo. n Kilinochchi and Vavuniya.
and basic items for the displaced families.
tation to land nine victims
iaf firmbs for land finire9
, children and priests
powder and worm treatment for he running cost of a medical clinic,
E 500
E1000 E 500 E 500
E1000 E 500
E 250 E350
150
E 500
E5250
E 500
E 500
1000
E2000 E1000
418.68 E1000
1500
E7918.68
1500 E 500 750
powder, mats, pillows & clothing to
widows-sewing, gardening & rice pounding } OL, 15 AL and 6 University students.
for torture victims,
1500
1000 E750
6000
E 100
ind your donations, payable to SCOT, to 107 Coleman Court, Kimber
AMIL SPEAKING PEOPLE (SCOT)
499, Founded in 1977

Page 34
34 TAMITMES
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Page 35
15 DECEMBER 2000
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