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Ceasefire in Jeopardy

International Federation of Tamils (IFT) issued a press statement yesterday, 29th of June 2005 from its Head Office in Geneva, Switzerland. The following is the full text of the press statement:

The International Federation of Tamils (IFT) wishes to express its shock and exasperation at the unholy silence observed by the International Community over the ceasefire violations dared by the Sri Lanka armed forces on 26, June at Bowatta, Welikanda, an exclusive government controlled area where an unarmed LTTE convoy escorted by the SLA and SLMM was claymore attacked.

LTTE cadres, numbering forty, were political activists allowed under the cease-fire agreement to travel from one LTTE district to another and also to conduct political work in government controlled areas. Their papers were in order. Their travel was in order. They were being escorted by the SLA and SLMM to the east from Vanni when the attack was made. Experience and ingenuity of the driver of the vehicle in which the LTTE cadres travelled had saved lives and averted an unavoidable warprovoking crisis.

Although this landmine attack demands an international outcry and strong condemnation, the foreign missions in Colombo have continued to maintain an eerie silence which makes bold the recalcitrant armed forces.

The cease-fire agreement needs to be strictly observed by the combatants. And it needs to be seriously guaranteed by the international community which vouched for it at its initiation. Almost a week has lapsed. Even the countries which hastened to welcome the P-TOMS, appear not to be concerned about the breach of the ceasefire agreement. There is an outcry among the Tamils.

It was in the same Welikande area, three months earlier, that the vehicle in which a regional political head of the LTTE, Lt.Col. Kowshalyan travelled was attacked and five LTTE cadres including Kowshalyan and a peace activist, Chandra Nehru were brutally gunned down. On that occasion, the Sri Lanka military spokesman pointed out that the massacre could have been avoided had a prior arrangement been made with the government security authorities.

According to the statement issued by S.P.Tamilselvan, the Political Head of the LTTE on 27, June, 2005, travel arrangements of the LTTE cadre were finalised in consultation with the SLA and SLMM well before the commencement of the journey. But, in sharp contrast to the arrangements, the SLA escorts had travelled in separate vehicles, while the vehicle in which the LTTE cadres travelled, about which the SLA alone had privy to, was isolated for the mysterious claymore attack.

Although the attack is blamed on the paramilitary groups, the responsibility should be placed fairly and squarely on the shoulders of the government security forces and the Executive President of Sri Lanka required by the cease-fire agreement concluded in 2002, to disarm the paramilitaries and shift them to areas outside the north and east.

Violation of cease-fire agreement by the Sri Lanka security forces bordering provocation of war is on the increase. High Security Zone shield still continues to prevent thousands of Tamils returning to their ancestral homes. Sri Lankan military camps in the Tamil areas are continuing to be extended and strengthened. The extreme Sinhala nationalist elements are whipping up communal emotions among the Sinhala masses. Still the International community which eloquently preaches human rights to the world is silent. Why?

01 July 2005

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