NO TALKS before LTTE terror stops

Shenali Waduge

It is most baffling why the international community should choose to take the side of LTTE terrorists while not a word of sympathy is expressed for the families of the armed forces personnel who face the onslaughts of the tiger terrorists. Aren’t these armed forces personnel also human?

We need to all remember that the Armed Forces of any country comprise of men and women who join to safeguard the nation’s territorial integrity and safeguard the people of the country.

Terrorists on the other hand are people who take authority into their hands by force using the gun to wage fear & terror on anyone that goes against their line of thinking. Thus, they have no love for people not even their own other than those that think and act like them. Their modus operandi is always do or die.

Two dastardly blows have dealt severe damage to the armed forces. The Muhamalai miscalculated attack left over 129 soldier’s dead and more than double that amount injured. The Habarana attack goes down as the worst suicide attack living over 103 sailors dead and scores more injured including innocent civilians. That the attack was on unarmed sailors in a territory outside the warfront leaves no room for the imagination of LTTE brutality. Investigation should look into hypocrites and enemies within as well.

With all this happening, it completely surprises the public why the international community still wants that the Government flies off to foreign climes to sit across a table and have chit chats with murderers? The catch of course is always a promise of increase of grants and loans or some other perks that may sway the Government of Sri Lanka’s decision to actually fly off for talks just to please the international community. But where will it finally lead, have the previous talks held got us anywhere near a solution? India demands that our solution must be through talks and not through military means – true, but this is wishful thinking. We question whether India has resolved the Jammu and Kashmir issue through talks yet.

But, the Government of Sri Lanka should remember that they are an elected body by the people and they owe the People accountability – we do not want to see any more children without fathers, we don’t want any more mothers weeping for their lost sons, we don’t want men and women to live disabled for the rest of their lives. This tragedy must come to an end.

That the North-East merger was found illegal gives some hope that LTTE stronghold would diminish as they would soon lose the reign they have of the East. 2005 estimates reveal that only 1.1 million people actually belong to the Northern Province while over 1.5million belong to the Eastern Province.

No one wants a military solution. Military onslaughts on guerrilla terrorists who cowardly disguise themselves as civilians always mean that we compromise the lives of our armed forces. But if there is to be a solution the LTTE must enter a democratic framework sans their illegal purchase of guns and weapons.

For all reasoning purposes, is there any purpose in having talks if every day the tigers are shooting someone or the other – be it an innocent civilian or a member of the Armed Forces.

No talks should be held until the LTTE confirms they will not fire a single shot and that they are ready for a settlement outside of a Tamil Eelam? That is pretty much to ask from a man whose desire is to have his own country to rule as he so pleases? There is a vacancy now for the Governor of the Northern Province.