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Human chain demonstration in Chavakachcheri

A human chain public demonstration took place in Chavakachcheri yesterday, Monday 20 December 2004 protesting against actions of the government and the military that weaken the confidence of the people in the peace process and total absence of initiatives in implementing the CFA to bring about normalcy.

People in protest (photo:Tamilnet)

Hundreds of thousands of civilians from Thenmaradchi south of Jaffna converged in the town of Chavakachcheri in public demonstration through a human chain process, paralyzing normal life in Chavakachcheri. The demonstrators carried slogan placards with themes on the following lines:

• Right is precious than our life
• Let us strengthen Tamil solidarity and stop the war
• Pacts and agreements always provided facilities to the Sinhalese and deprived Tamils of their rights
• Prabakaran is our leader; let us strengthen his hands
• Talk to the Tigers and institutionalize the ISGA
• International Donors! Your donations may buy weapons to kill us
• Chandrika, don’t ever think of starting a “war for peace”
• Tamils cannot be the scapegoats in the Sinhala power struggle

In a meeting that followed the demonstration, presided over by Mr.S.Arunthavabalan, President of the Confederation of Civilian Based Organisations (CBO’s), TNA legislators N.Raviraj, K.Sivanesan and Ms.Padmini Sithambaranathan addressed the gathering. At the end of the meeting, people marched towards the Divisional Secretariat and handed over a memorandum to the Secretary for onward transmission to President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.

Excerpts: Peace talks should recommence on the basis of the ISGA proposals submitted by the LTTE and if the government fails to do it and instead force a military solution, the Tamil people are prepared to face such an eventuality.

The cease fire agreement LTTE entered into with the Government of Sri Lanka is now three years old. The focal point of the agreement is the alleviation of hardships of the war affected people and entering into meaningful negotiations to resolve the Tamil National problem. Expectations were very high when this agreement was signed by both the parties with international facilitation.

Normalcy that the Tamil people looked forward has not dawned as yet in spite of the various time frames stipulated in the agreement to bring about normalcy without military harassment. Hundreds of thousands of civilians displaced two decades ago from their habitats due to military operations are still denied access to their own lands and carry on with their livelihood by the arrogant denial of this right under the guise of military High Security Zones (HSZ) to accommodate an occupying military. Military harassments still continue and the government continues to dilly dally with the agenda for the recommencement of negotiations.

Making use of the CFA period, the Tamil people collectively opine, that the government is engaged in a subtle program of undermining Tamil solidarity. It has been statistically established by military analysts, both locally and internationally that the government is openly flouting the understanding reached in the matter of military equilibrium and making procurements of military hardware and expanding the military establishment. An astronomical and unprecedented allocation of over 700 million in the 2005 budget for Defence is a matter for serious concern for the Tamil people.

A major coalition partner of the UPFA government, the JVP notwithstanding, the Sri Lanka freedom Party, the President’s own party itself is engaged in an anti Tamil propaganda campaign. The government media carries on a slandering campaign against the aspirations of the Tamils and their representatives the LTTE. Aided and abetted by the government, the Tamil quislings are conducting a program of vilifying and discrediting the LTTE intended to dilute Tamil solidarity.

All actions of the government in its propaganda against the LTTE compel the Tamil people to conclude that the incumbent regime is actively engaged in a program of preparing the military and the Sinhala people for a war effort. To repress democratic protests through military means and subjugating the Tamil people, the collective Tamil thinking dictates, seems to be the political agenda. It is the historical experience of the Tamil people that all their democratic and non-violent protests against discrimination and injustice were repressed by successive governments exercising state terrorism through their strong arms of the law.

We still remember the deceptions Tamil people met with in the history of pacts and agreements with the ruling elites. All pacts and agreements since independence met with natural demise after unilateral abrogation under the pretext of Sinhala opposition. We are also aware of the various communal pogroms orchestrated by the extremist political forces resulting in mass killing of innocent Tamil civilians and destruction of their properties. The only choice open to the Tamils then, was to take up arms and fight against state terrorism.

As a civilized nation of people with an ancient heritage, we detest war. At the same time, we are resolute and determined in winning our political rights. We strongly condemn the government’s attitude in marginalizing the freedom movement and force another war on the Tamil people.

The message that we wish to convey to the government and the international community through this mass demonstration is that if the government elects to militarily resolve the national problem rather than sincerely and meaningfully engage in peaceful negotiations, taking cognizance of the urgency of humanitarian needs, the Tamil people are prepared to face it courageously.

It is therefore requested that immediate steps are taken to recommence talks with the LTTE on the basis of the ISGA proposals and bring about normalcy and lasting peace in the life of the Tamil people.

21 December 2004

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