MODERATE TAMIL POLITICAL LEADER SAYS THE LTTE SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF THE TAMIL PARLIAMENTARIAN

(By Walter Jayawardhana)

Tamil United Liberation Front leader V. Ananda Sangaree, the moderate political leader of the Tamils alleged that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE) should be held responsible for the deaths of Sri Lankan parliamentarian K. Sivanesan and his driver K. Maheswararajah who died in a a road side explosion inside the rebel held territory in Wanni. Criticizing the accusation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) the proxy party of the LTTE that a Deep Penetrating Unit of the Sri Lanka Army killed the parliamentarian inside the Tiger held territory Ananda Sangaree said, “I do not want the TNA Members of Parliament to fool everybody. They had fooled the Tamil People long enough and they can’t continue to do so.” “This incident had taken place,” said Sangaree, “about 2 miles from Mankulam on the A9 road and about 190 miles from Colombo. Of this 190 miles about 170 miles fall within the Government controlled areas and therefore under the army’s control. No man with any sense will say that the penetrating unit went into the LTTE held areas to a distance of about 20 miles from the defense line to plant the claymore mine, when they had 170 miles of the highway under their command. It is by this type of silly accusations that the LTTE and the TNA Members had lost their credibility. No one believes their stories because their political honesty is questionable.” The following is the full text issued by the President of the TULF: “I very strongly condemn the most brutal manner in which Mr. K. Sivanesan Member of Parliament for the Jaffna Electoral District and his Driver Mr. Maheswararajah, were killed. I express my deepest sympathies to the wives and children of these unfortunate victims and to their friends and relations. I am one who always pray that even my worst enemy should not face death in this manner and I had been always condemning death by violence. Neither I condone such killings nor rejoice at it. “This unfortunate incident had taken place on Thursday afternoon and a section of the Tamil Print Media irresponsibly carried this news the following day morning accusing the Government Forces of using their penetrating unit to target the M.P. with a claymore mine. Even the TNA Members of Parliament in their statement had recklessly charged that the Government should take full responsibility for this incident. “I do not hold a brief to anybody. But I do not want the TNA Members of Parliament to fool everybody. They had fooled the Tamil People long enough and they can’t continue to do so. The said Member had attended Parliament on Wednesday the 5 th and left for Mallavi in Vanni through Mankulam. This incident had taken place about 2 miles from Mankulam on the A9 road and about 190 miles from Colombo. Of this 190 miles about 170 miles fall within the Government controlled areas and therefore under the army’s control. No man with any sense will say that the penetrating unit went into the LTTE held areas to a distance of about 20 miles from the defense line to plant the claymore mine, when they had 170 miles of the highway under their command. It is by this type of silly accusations that the LTTE and the TNA Members had lost their credibility. No one believes their stories because their political honesty is questionable. “I am very deeply concerned about the safety of the innocent civilians in the LTTE held areas. The entire Kilinochchi Electorate and portions of Mullaitivu Electorate in the Vanni were represented by me in Parliament. The LTTE and the TNA Members are trying to bury a big pumpkin in a plate of rice as a Tamil proverb goes. Obviously the LTTE is trying to make the International Community believe their story and the TNA is supporting it. The claymore mine at Kanagarayankulam had really been planted by the LTTE cadres itself targeting some of their leaders. For whom it was targeted one will never know but certainly not targeting any Member of Parliament. “If we assume that the penetrating Unit of the Army did it, then no LTTE leader or any Member of Parliament is safe in the Vanni, a strong hold of the LTTE. It is very clear now that the LTTE’s net work of intelligence had completely broken down and have made their position most insecure in the areas under their control, leaving the only option for them to surrender honourably and save the lives of children without sacrificing more and more innocent children of poor parents recruited compulsorily and sent to the battle front with just 2 – 3 weeks training. “The whole world is weeping for Mr. Sivanesan and condemning his killing. I too am weeping for Sivanesan and condemning his killing but not shedding crocodile tears like the TNA Members who as claimed by many were never elected at a free and fair election but handpicked by the LTTE and sent to Parliament through a defunct political party, the Federal Party, as their proxies. When one of the prospective candidates was killed just a couple of days before nomination they kept quiet without condemning the LTTE. Mr. Kingsly Rajanayagam who was taken under threat by another Member of Parliament to hand over his resignation from Membership of Parliament was assassinated by the LTTE soon after. Then too the TNA kept mum. Every day some service personnel along with some civilian get killed by land mines and claymore mines planted by the LTTE cadre targeting the Forces. No one weeps for them or condemn the LTTE for causing the deaths of innocent civilians. Even yesterday a soldier died in a claymore mine attack in the South and some more injured. Neither the TNA nor the Tamil media had condemned it even after this incident. “I plead with the LTTE to stop planting claymore mines any more. The LTTE Leader’s honouring the dead with titles like “Great-man” or “Mamanithan” will not give satisfaction to the victim’s kith and kin because they know that it is real mockery and will never bring the dead back to life. “At this stage I want the TNA to tell the world, the country and the Tamil People in particular, whether they accept a statement made by one of its Members in Parliament during the budget debate on 14.11.2007 that, “IT IS FOOLISH FOR ANY ONE TO THINK THAT THE LTTE, THE TAMIL PEOPLE AND THE TNA ARE DIFFERENT” DENIAL OR ACCEPTANCE OF THIS CLAIM IS VERY RELEVANT AND APPROPRIATE AT THIS JUNCTURE FOR THE PEOPLE TO PASS THEIR JUDGMENT. “Even now it is not late for the LTTE to call for a ceasefire, if necessary even unilaterally, and go for talks with the Government, for which all including the International Community will give full backing.