(World
Alliance for Peace in Sri Lanka)
(World
Alliance for Peace in Sri Lanka)
PO Box 4066, Mulgrave VIC 3170, Australia
Phone:
+61 3 9548 0276 Fax: +61
3 9584 0276
Email:
ranjiths@spur.asn.au,
Website: http://www.spur.asn.au
Tuesday, 02 November 2004
We thank the Hon Stig Moller, the
Minister for Foreign Affairs on his statement on the LTTE in the Danish
Parliament on 31st Oct 2004. The Danish government's intention to include the
LTTE in the list of banned terrorist organizations and to urge the EU to have
the same list as the USA’s list of banned terrorist organizations is timely
and commendable.
The current ceasefire agreement
between the government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil LTTE has been violated more
than 3000 times since this agreement was signed in February 2002. According to
the Scandinavian peace monitors the majority of the violations have being
committed by the LTTE. The violations have included the killing of
democratically elected Tamil politicians and of civilians who do not share the
same ideology as the LTTE. To date 171 such individuals have been killed in
cold blood. Other than Tamils of whom the LTTE claims to be the sole
representative, they have killed more than 150 civilians who belong to
non-Tamil ethnic groups and have kidnapped an even larger number of civilians.
All these acts are gross violations of the said agreement and of Sri Lankan
and international law. Furthermore in violation of UN resolutions, the LTTE has
forcibly conscripted more than 2000 child soldiers during this period.
It is important to note that seven
senior members of the LTTE including it’s head Prabhakaran and it’s
intelligence chief Pottu Amman are wanted by Interpol. Additionally
Prabhakaran and Pottu Amman are wanted men in India, charged with the murder
of the former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The leader of the renegade
LTTE faction, Karuna Amman has revealed to the press that LTTE has killed over
20,000 innocent Tamil civilians, mainly political opponents who refused to
accept their orders during the past 20 years, and it is tragic that this is
still continuing.
During the ceasefire period they have
built new camps, smuggled in arms and established infrastructure to function
as a separate state. Even though Norway appears as a facilitator to the
outside world, as per information given by WAPS to the international community
it has been proved that Norway is working hand in glove with the LTTE, with
the aim of strengthening them. Therefore it is meaningless to expect that the
Norway facilitated peace process will usher in a permanent peace to Sri Lanka.
The LTTE's spokesperson, Anton
Balasingham who lives in the UK has reconfirmed the LTTE position that
they are continuing with their campaign to create a racist, mono-ethnic state
in the East and the North of Sri Lanka. He has also stated that there was
no OSLO Declaration about which Norway, the helpless Sri Lankan government and
the International Community including Denmark based their optimistic
expectations.
Therefore the further appeasement of
this most ruthless terrorist group by the EU will only lead to the break-up of
Sri Lanka, which will lead to incessant border wars between the two warring
parties and instability in the South Asian region. Such appeasement will also
portray the EU as a safe haven for terrorists and international criminals.
We take this opportunity to state
that Balakumar, one of the trainers of the LTTE suicide brigade visited
Europe including Denmark to carry out propaganda and to instill fear among the
Tamils in Europe who do not toe the LTTE line.
Therefore as a responsible member of
the international community we request you to take urgent action to stifle
groups such as the LTTE who use terror to further their political political
objectives. While
thanking Danish Government, the Prime Minister and yourself for the clear
stand taken on
Dr.
D. Jayasuriya
President,
Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights of Sri Lanka (SPUR) Victoria
For World Alliance for Peace in Sri Lanka (WAPS)
President -
Sri Lanka United National Association of Canada
President
- Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights of Sri Lanka (SPUR) Victoria
President -
Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights of Sri Lanka (SPUR) NSW
President - Western Australian Society for Peace Unity and Rehabilitation (WASPUR) in Sri Lanka
President -
Sri Lankans Against Terrorism- NSW
President -
Sinhala Cultural and Community Services F. Vic
President -
Apey Shakthi- New Zealand
Coordinator -
Hela Muthu Ketaya, New Zealand
President -
Canadian Association for United Sri Lanka-Canada
President -
Sri Lankan United National Association-Canada
President -
Sinhala Centre- U.K
President -
The International Campaign for the Liberation of the Sinhala Nation-
U.K
President -
Sinhala Association of Sri Lankans in the U.K
President -
New York Society of United Sri Lankans-U.S.A
President -
United Sinhalese Association in Italy- Rome.
President -
Pacific Alliance for Peace in Sri Lanka, Vic (National Office),
Australia
President - Alliance Against Tamil Domination, UK
President - Veera Parakramabahu Foundation (VPF), NSW, Australia