Malin Abeyatunge

Are the Tamil parties on a Hidden Agenda? Yes they are.

Since of late we see some Tamil political parties and Tamil politicians have pledged to support Sarath Fonseka (SF) who claimed himself and army alone defeated the scourge of LTTE terrorism. Among them are most prominently TNA, Sellsamy, some members of the political parties representing the up country Tamils and Mano Ganeshan. No doubt that TNA is the other side of the LTTE coin. They, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ until the LTTE was defeated claimed that LTTE is the sole representative of the Tamils. They made every effort to stop the war operations against LTTE during the last few weeks by galvanizingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the Tamil Diaspora and thro that the international community of the western block. Now all of a sudden , they have pledged to support Sarath FonsekaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s candidature. IsnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t this an act of revenge against President Rajapaksa for having defeated LTTE despite all the pressures from within and the western block of International Community? The text below very clearly and openly states why TNA is not supporting President Rajapaksa who refused to tow TNAƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s line.

This is what the TNA MP K. Thurairetnasingam reported to have said in an interview with Vasanthan FM:

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarian K. Thurairetnasingam yesterday said the party is extending its support to Sarath Fonseka at the Presidential election after getting him to agree to a number of conditions.

He reiterated that Fonseka and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe signed this agreement and the copies of this agreement were sent to the foreign representatives too. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We have already informed about this agreement to diplomats and the foreign Governments,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ he said.

He said the TNA will never deviate from its policy of establishing an autonomous regime for the Tamil speaking people. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We do not want the 13th Amendment. We have no confidence in the 13th Amendment.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ He stressed that they want an autonomous regime with all powers. Thurairetnasingam said: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-The President did not comply with our conditions and therefore this Government should be overthrown.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

He said the party requested the President to stop the war on terrorism, but he refused to do so.

Thus, there appears to be a subtle ploy by the Tamil parties and some Tamil politicians to resuscitate LTTE ideology of Eelam by destabilizing the present Government and defeating President Rajapaksa. TNA stalwarts have ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ made statements that they support Sarath Fonseka because President Rajapaksa has categorically rejectedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and refused to accede to their 14 demands among them are remerge of North and Eastern Provinces, release of hardcore LTTE terrorists in custody, dismantle of HSZs and autonomous regionƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  for the Tamils. Although SF has mentioned at many press conferences that he would go beyond 13A plus, the TNA wants an autonomous region for Tamils in the agreement alleged to have signed. How are they going to reconcile this issue is a big question. In other words TNA has not discarded Eelam as their member K. ThurairetnasingamƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  has mentioned to Vasanthan FM. However, TNA -the LTTE proxy has been successful in getting the DNF and presidential candidate Sarath FonsekaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to agree to TNAƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s 14 point demands among them areƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the remerge of N&E, dismantle of HSZs, release of hardcore LTTE terrorists, total rejection of 13a instead an autonomous Region for Tamils etc,.

In 2002 February 22, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Ranil with the connivance of Norwegian piece facilitator (not peace) Eric Solheim and Prabhakaran brought death knell to the Sri Lankan sovereignty by signing the infamous CFA. Thanks for the coordinating effort of the tri forces, STF and the Police and the strategy by defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa with the able leadership of Rajapaksa , we have ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ defeated the LTTE and regained our lost sovereignty.

It was reported in the print media (7/1/2010) that Ranil on behalf of his clowns including SF has signed another betraying ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ agreement with LTTE proxy ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sampanthan to retain the pre war situation in the East and the North. Accordingly, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ SF has agreed to re-merge North & East, (now ably supported by former CJ Sarath N Silva who demerged the North and East on a supreme court judgment and the JVP who brought the case to the Supreme Courts); dismantle of HSZs, release of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ all hardcore LTTE terrorists who are now in custody; an autonomous State for Tamils to name a few salient promises. The very person who claims that he alone and his army defeated LTTE after sacrificing over 28000 personnel from all forces has agreed to bring the countryƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  back to square one by being a party to the TNAƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s alleged agreement signed by Ranil on behalf of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ DNF and TNA leader ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sampanthan.

However, TNA MP ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ K.Thurairetnasingam.. has categorically mentioned that the Tamils want an autonomous monolithic State and will not agree for anything short. If thatƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s the case, it implies that SF if elected as new President, he will handover Eelam to the Eelamists.

SF has already betrayed the Army and his subordinates earlier and now he has agreed to betray the whole nation by making room and space for the Tamils to resuscitate LTTE and its ideology with the support from the Tamil Diaspora. Another question isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the main string puller of Puppet SF, how is JVP going to compromise the remerge of N&E as they were the very people who fought the case in supreme Court and got the supreme Court decision to demerge as the merger was unconstitutional and illegal. The same legal luminary former CJ Sarath N Silva sings a different tune now after giving the above verdict when he was CJ. So the winner is not Sarath F or Mahinda Rajapaksa but the LTTE activists and apologists.

The hidden agenda of TNA and the other Tamil parties who have pledged to support SF appears to be to defeat President Rajapaksa by hook or crook for having given the right and courageous leadership to decimate LTTE. ItƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s an act of revenge than safeguarding the rights of the Tamils at large. The other hidden agenda is that by destabilizing the Government, they believe that they can revive LTTE again now with SF agreeing to release about 10000 hardcore terrorists who are in custody.

The Tamil Diaspora and TNA led the ordinary Tamils in the Garden path placing them in dire misery. The ordinary Tamils in the N&E were under the LTTE tyranny for almost 30 years. They were living in fear not knowing when the LTTE will come and abduct their sons and daughters and ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ conscript them to the LTTE fighting cadres. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ While the ordinary Tamils were suffering in the N&E, the Tamil Diaspora was financing the LTTE war engine and living in luxury in the most affluent countries and giving the best of education to their children. Do the ordinary Tamils in Sri Lanka deserve another period of misery where the Tamil Diaspora is still trying to resuscitate LTTE?

Where were the TNA MPs when their own brothers and sisters living in misery under the jackboots of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ now dead Prabhakaran and the gang? TNA MPs have been living in Colombo and enjoying all the entitled benefits for MPs withƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  security provided 24 /7 whilst the Tamils in the N&E were suffering and living in fear of LTTE. LTTE hierarchy was leading a luxurious life before they were defeated while the Tamils living under LTTE tyranny were suffering. TNA and many ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ other Tamil politicians want this cancer of terrorism to continue and flourish for their survival at the expense of the ordinary Tamils.

Do the ordinary Tamils in the N&E want to go back to pre war situation and live in misery by following the direction given by TNA and the other Tamil parties who have pledged to support SF or look for a better future for a dignified life as equal citizens in a united Sri Lanka under President Rajapaksa? The choice lies with the ordinary Tamils who suffered for 30 years but now enjoy life without fear.

Malin Abeyatunge

11/1/2010