Ilankai Tamil Sangam
Association of Tamils of Sri Lanka in the USA
The European Union and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
by Thinakural editorial, September 30, 3005
translation by M. Thiru
At
a
time
when
Sri
Lanka
is
immersed
in
the
excitement
of
the
Presidential
Election
campaign,
the
European
Union
has
reprimanded
the
LTTE,
accusing
them
of
continued
use
of
violence
and
terrorism,
and
has
banned
LTTE's
diplomatic
delegations
from
visiting
EU
member
states
until
further
notice.
The
EU
also
has
announced
that
they
are
seriously
considering
whether
to
formally
declare
the
LTTE
as
a
terrorist
organisation.
The
political
administrator
of
the
LTTE,
Mr.
S.P.
Thamilselvan,
convened
a
press
conference
on
Wednesday,
the
day
after
the
E.U.
announced
its
ban.
In
that
press
conference,
Mr.
Tamilselvan
requested
the
EU
to
reconsider
its
decision.
S.P
Thamilselvan
mentioned
that
the
European
Union's
support
was
the
main
reason
for
the
LTTE
deciding
to
go
for
the
peace
talks
with
the
Government
of
Sri
Lanka.
Furthermore,
he
has
expressed
his
grief
that
the
EU's
decision
will
give
moral
support
to
the
Sinhala
Buddhist
supremacist
forces,
who
are
hell
bent
on
not
going
forward
with
the
peace
process,
and
are
raising
their
war
flags.
Being
a
co-chair
to
the
Tokyo
Donor
Conference
(Sri
Lanka)
in
June
2003,
the
EU
has
been
expressing
its
stand
and
expectations
on
the
Sri
Lankan
crisis.
During
the
last
one
and
a
half
years
the
Cease
Fire
Agreement
came
under
serious
difficulties.
Therefore,
to
prevent
the
peace
status
from
further
deteriorating
and
to
ensure
continued
peace,
the
EU,
together
with
US,
Japan
and
Norway,
has
been
advising
both
the
LTTE
and
the
Government
of
Sri
Lanka
to
fully
implement
the
CFA.
Finally
on
the
19th
of
September,
in
the
statement
announced
by
the
Co-Chair
of
the
Tokyo
Conference,
requests
were
made
that
both
parties
not
get
involved
in
any
matters
that
will
jeopardize
the
efforts
toward
finding
a
peaceful
solution
to
the
ethnic
issues
after
the
presidential
elections
and
that
both
parties
must
carry
out
constructive
talks
with
the
Norwegian
special
representative
to
find
practical
ways
to
fully
implement
the
CFA
when
he
visits
Sri
Lanka
in
October.
As a co-chair of the donor countries, such has been the position of EU in reflecting the concerns of the international community on the Sri Lankan crisis. Why is it that the EU has been insisting, from that co-chair position, that the two parties involved in the peace process must quickly create an environment that is conducive for the resumption of peace talks, yet has - all of a sudden - turned around and is now taking such drastic steps against the LTTE?
The
EU
in
its
statement,
which
was
released
last
Monday
(
26/09/2005),
has
condemned
the
killing
of
former
Foreign
Minister
Lakshman
Kadirgamar.
The
co-chairs
of
the
donor
countries
analyzed
the
situation
in
Sri
Lanka
after
the
assassination
of
Laksman
Kadirgamar
at
the
meeting
in
New
York
last
week.
Although
they
condemned
the
killing
of
Lakshman
Kadirgamar,
they
avoided
accusing
the
LTTE
directly.
However,
in
the
EU's
statement
about
the
travel
ban
on
the
LTTE
delegations
to
EU
member
states,
it
is
clear
that
Kadirgamar's
killing
was
the
main
reason
that
influenced
the
EU's
decision.
Even after the assassination of Kadirgamar, the Government of Sri Lanka came forward to resume the peace talks with the LTTE. Nevertheless, it has been going all out to campaign for the international community to put pressure on the LTTE, by making use of the death of Kadirgamar who was such a prominent figure to the outside world. The speech by President Chandrika Kumaratunge at the UN General Assembly and the Government Peace Secretariat director general Dr. Jayantha Dhanapala's campaign efforts in the international arena in recent times has revealed the Sri Lankan Government's agenda clearly. There is no doubt that Britain, the current Chair of the EU ( which is based on rotation), has exerted its strong influence in the decision of the travel ban against the LTTE.
The consequences of the EU's actions are of paramount importance in a period when the Presidential elections are going to take place. The approach that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse is adopting is pushing the Southern polity of Sri Lanka to colder feelings regarding the ethnic crisis, that will result in a dangerous situation. What is the message the EU is sending by imposing a travel ban on the LTTE during such a time when the Sinhala Buddhist supremacist forces (who are rallying behind PM Mahinda Rajapakse) are vehemently opposing any compromise or meaningful relationship with the LTTE by the mainstream Sinhala polity and when terrorism can be used as an excuse to achieve the political agenda of the Sinhala Buddhist supremacists?
The Sinhala Buddhist supremacists have always accused the western countries of being influential and biased towards the LTTE in the peace effort facilitated by Norway with the full support by the EU. The supremacists have always demanded that the involvement of the international community in the Sri Lankan ethnic crisis must be reduced. However, one is able to see that, when the EU banned the LTTE delegations visiting member states, the same Sinhala Buddhist supremacists have welcomed that decision and are celebrating it. It is clearly evident from this that such a ban will be used by the forces that are against the peace efforts and against any reasonable political aspirations claimed by the minorities. Therefore, what is the message the European Union is trying to give to the Tamil people of Sri Lanka by such actions?
We strongly believe that the steps taken by the EU has created an unhealthy situation which will make the Government in Colombo believe that, even if it does not go forward with the peace process for a solution to the ethnic crisis, the international community will ensure that the LTTE does not go for war again. The Sinhalese polity will further believe that it can drag the time indefinitely without granting any solution to the Tamil people and can continue carrying out their political business as usual.
###
Posted October 8, 2005