Sunday, Apr 27, 2003
Sunday, Apr 27, 2003 |
| International | ||
|
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | International
By V. S. Sambandan
Justifying the move as a ``fair and rational form of protest'', the rebels said the unilateral suspension was ``to provide time and space'' for Colombo to implement agreements reached during the last six rounds of direct talks. ``We have intentionally created an interregnum for the Government to take immediate and constructive measures to address urgent humanitarian issues faced by the Tamils'', the LTTE's chief negotiator, Anton S. Balasingham, said last night. In an interview to the TamilNet, his first public statement since Monday's move, Mr. Balasingham reiterated that the Tigers ``have not terminated the negotiation process''. When Mr. Balasingham wrote to the Sri Lankan premier, Ranil Wickremesinghe, suspending negotiations ``for the time being'', it was evident that the Tigers were pursuing the known rebel tactic of brinkmanship. This position was maintained in Mr. Balasingham's response to the U.S. envoy, Ashley Wills' criticism over the unilateral suspension of talks, but without taking an overtly antagonistic tone against the U.S. ``There is an element of misunderstanding with regard to our position'', Mr. Balasingham said. There was no climb-down on the crucial issue behind the present impasse — the LTTE demand that de-escalation precedes re-settlement of displaced civilians in the northern High Security Zones (HSZs). ``I don't think Mr. Wills has understood the frustrations and enormous suffering of the uprooted Tamils'', he said. Moreover, visible signs of conciliation were absent with the Tigers sticking to their guns on the points made. Emphatic that they were ``representing the interests'' of the Tamils, Mr. Balasingham said: ``as representatives of our people, we reserve the right to express our displeasure if decisions at the talks are not implemented and bilateral agreements not fulfilled''. ``The language may have been softer, but there is no change in the basic position'', a former Tamil militant, familiar with rebel phraseology, told The Hindu. On the call that the LTTE should renounce violence and terror, made by the U.S. since last November, Mr. Balasingham maintained the known position that as the ``ethnic conflict is not yet resolved'' and the ``threat of Sinhala military aggression of Tamil lands not yet over'', the ``de-commissioning or abdication of arms is non-negotiable''. This January at the end of the fourth round of negotiations in Thailand, Mr. Balasingham ruled out de-commissioning as ``suicidal'' and said its military strength was its ``main bargaining power in the negotiations''. Far from making a commitment on de-commissioning, Mr. Balasingham took the rebel position to Washington, saying he ``sincerely'' hoped that ``the Americans will appreciate and understand the aspirations as well as apprehensions of a people who have faced genocidal oppression from State terrorism and violence''. At the core of the LTTE's latest position is the refusal by the Sri Lanka Army to de-escalate the northern HSZs. Given the primacy of controlling the Jaffna peninsula, for both the Government and the rebels, in the decades-long conflict, Colombo will find it difficult, politically and militarily, to reduce its Army presence there. At a broader level, Mr. Balasingham continued to emphasise the ``immediate (civilian) problems'', a consistent rebel distinction from the ``core (political and military) problems''. Given the backdrop that ``failure to address immediate problems'' was cited as a reason for collapse of previous talks, the LTTE's latest stance marks no difference from its earlier negotiation positions.
Printer friendly
page
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
|
|
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | Business Line | The Sportstar | Frontline | The Hindu eBooks | Home |
Copyright © 2003, The
Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu
|
