Monday, 25 April 2005

 

The Deputy Minister of Defense Mr. Ratnasiri Wickramanayake must deliver his promise to bring the LTTE atrocities to the attention of the international community without delay

SPUR Urges Immediate, Concrete Action

 

The Society Peace Unity and Human Rights of Sri Lanka (SPUR), a 10-year-old human rights organisation operating from Australia congratulates the Hon Deputy Minister of Defense Mr Ratnasiri Wickramanayake for his public statement to launch an international campaign to expose the recent atrocities and violations of the ceasefire by the Tami Tiger terrorist. If the Government puts it’s words into action, the Tamil community living in the North and East of Sri Lanka would applaud the most as they would then begin to see a bit of light through the Iron Curtain (the words of the TULF leader Mr Anandasagaree) laid by the LTTE.

 

While thanking the Deputy Minister for proposing the timely initiative, SPUR urges him to consider the following facts when planning the global strategy.

 

1. The LTTE has taken the maximum advantage of the marathon foreign tour arranged and funded by the Norwegians to build up a constituency for its political goals in Europe, to attack the Sri Lankan government, discredit security forces and spread misinformation.

2. Despite the fact that LTTE being a proscribed terrorist organization in several leading countries in the world, the Norwegian succeeded in brokering appointments for the terrorists to meet high-ranking politicians including ministers and officials in most of the European countries and in South-Africa .

3. While intensifying their killing spree since the Boxing Day Tsunami and abducting children affected by the Tsunami (over 1600 children according to UNICEF), the LTTE terrorists are making use of every opportunity that comes their way to shed crocodile tears to attract the world’s sympathy.

4. Perhaps, the LTTE has become the luckiest terror group in the world, as no other proscribed terrorist group (to our knowledge) has the audacity to traverse the Globe with tacit support from the home government and be accepted with open arms by democratically elected Governments.

5. This outrageous injustice is happening whilst Tsunami relief workers both local and international can not gain access to areas occupied by the LTTE to provide much needed relief.

Hence, SPUR supports the Minister’s initiative to educate the International community including Governments, NGO’s, funding agencies, advocacy bodies and the European Parliament and impress him to seek action from these do-gooders to put an end to LTTE’s atrocities, ceasefire violations, child abductions assassinations and blatant violations of human rights.

SPUR recommends the following steps to translate the Minister’s words into action.

1. A parliamentary delegation comprising members from democratic Tamil parties such as EPDP, TULF, and members representing JVP, SLFP and JHU must tour the countries visited by the LTTE. The delegation should also extend its tour to cover the USA, UK, Canada and India.

2. Incidents brought to the attention of the world community must include:

 

• Ceasefire violations

Cease Fire Agreement violation by LTTE is numbering over 2,700. The recent attacked on a navy boat injuring a truce monitor and damaging the vessel is one of the more recent major violations.

• Using child solders and abducting children affected by Tsunami

Abduction of more than 1600 innocent children affected by the Tsunami as child soldiers, as documented by UNICEF

• Abducting and assassination of political opponents, service personnel, government servants and civilians

The assassination of Mr. A.K Thavarajah and Mr. T. Kailanandan (both senior government servants) are among hundreds of killings since CFA was signed.

• Torture of civilians

The recent incident where LTTE illegally detained two British citizens of Sri Lankan Tamil origin is among hundreds of reported incidents by Amnesty International.

• Ethnic cleansing

Recent actions by the LTTE - Sinhalese from Seruwila and Muslims from Galamuna (Kalmunei)

• Human rights violations

Details of incidents reported in UTHR and EPRLF reports

 

Partiality to the terror outfit by the Norwegian facilitator, Scandinavian monitors, NGO’s like the National Peace Council and some of the countries in the international community has obviously emboldened them to carry on with their dastardly acts with impunity. It is ironic and disappointing to observe some countries treating legitimate governments like 'terrorist groups' (by ignoring even UN resolutions on terrorism) whilst entertaining a ‘blood thirsty’ terror outfit like the LTTE as a legitimate entity. The hypocrisy is unfortunately breathtaking.

 

To say the least, the task Mr. Wickramanayake has in hand is indeed challenging. He has to put his words into practice to prove that he is a gentleman politician worthy of believing in a world full of people cynical of politicians.

 

SPUR has no political affiliation and has no reason yet to be cynical of what Mr Wickramanayake said. It does not want to be put in a position lending it to believe the words of the Minister just to be rhetoric and a smokescreen put in front to camouflage the clandestine ‘Joint Mechanism’. This we understand is soon to be put in front of the people as a ‘dead set non negotiable given’.

 

We urge the honourable Minister to act in earnest before the horse bolts. We also request the Minister to seek funding for this noble activity from the Norwegians.

 

 

Yours faithfully,

 

 

Dr D Jayasuriya

President

Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights in Sri Lanka (SPUR)

Reg No. A 003 07777 M

PO Box 4066

Mulgrave    VIC 3170

Australia