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“We stand committed to commence political discussions on CFA”

In a meeting with the Norwegian Special Representative and Former Head of SLMM Major General Trond Furhovde today 13 October 2005 at the Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi, Mr.S.P.Tamilselvan, Head of the Political Division reconfirmed the LTTE Leadership’s firm commitment to start talks at the highest political level to attain full implementation level of the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA).

At the outset the Special Representative stressed the need for political discussions between the parties in view of the mistrust, cross allegations and increase of violence and killings, all being attributed to the failure to attain full implementation of the CFA. The former Head of SLMM reiterated the necessity to take extra-ordinary initiatives to begin with political discussions and requested Mr.Tamilselvan to explore all avenues open to break the ice.

Excerpts from Mr. Tamilselvan’s response to the Special Representative:

“There isnt any pre-condition as such to start political discussions on the implementation of the CFA. All that had been agreed upon by the parties at the time of signing the CFA, and not given effect even after the expiry of three and a half years, need to be examined with an eye on ground realities. Since the SL military is the instrument with which GoSL exercises its implementation commitment, there is an absolute necessity for political decisions to be taken at a higher level so that the military would be tasked to fulfill its obligations.

At a stage when there was widespread disillusionment over the CFA and the peace process, it was Norway’s suggestion that made the LTTE to accept the proposal to start discussions on the implementation of the CFA. We do not see any sensibility in the adamant attitude of Colombo in the selection of a venue for talks. Security situation in all locations other than Kilinochchi is very vulnerable and that is why we accepted Oslo as a neutral venue for both the parties. After closing all the doors for us to present our case vis-à-vis the CFA and its fragile state as one party to the CFA, it is unfair to apportion the blame on us.

Prioritising clause 1.8 of the CFA relating to prohibition of armed groups in the proposed political discussion is only because that is directly linked to the prevalence of violence and killings in the military occupied areas, and putting an end to this phenomenon alone can first salvage the CFA from the grave risk it is entangled in now. We have credible evidence to the effect that several armed groups and hirelings are ‘kept’ by the SL military intelligence wing for sabotage work and this has to be discussed at the political level for us to expose these elements for scrutiny by the SLMM, facilitators and the international community.

The past week has seen two attacks on the LTTE in Batticaloa and in the first one the attackers when retaliated by our cadres ran into the SL military complex for refuge. This clearly indicates SL military complicity and the clandestine deal the armed groups have with the military. After withdrawing our members engaged in political work in the military occupied areas for reasons of security, we notice a steep increase in violence and killings in those areas. Two academics have been gunned down during this week in the Jaffna peninsula and the law enforcement authorities have failed to apprehend the culprits. The blame is simplistically apportioned on the LTTE by attaching an anti-LTTE tag to the victims, a modus operandi to discredit the LTTE as a partner in the peace process.

Our leadership’s commitment to the CFA, the peace process and the international community’s concern, had been amply demonstrated in the restraint exercised in the midst of vicious propaganda and malicious acts of SL military that violate the CFA, the bedrock of the peace process. We are equally concerned about the violence and killings that take place in military occupied areas, meticulously manipulated by elements with a political agenda. We do have the democratic mandate of the Tamil people to represent them and are perturbed over the fate of the unfortunate Tamil population decreed to live under military occupation and thereby subject to violence perpetrated by a hostile military in connivance with armed groups. It is our political message to the international community through you, the Special Norwegian Representative, that we stand firmly committed to restart talks first on the implementation of the CFA and the government must respond to the Norwegian initiative to break the ice.”

Major General Trond Furhovde assured that he would convey the sentiments expressed by Mr. Tamilselvan to the Norwegian Foreign Ministry with a view to pursue GoSL on the urgency to start talks.

13 October 2005

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