Having read S. Thambiraja’s letter entitled cardboard Prabhakaran and bankrupt politician in the

Island of 29/3/2002 pertaining to a matter that is of some concern to many, it seems desirable to go deeper into it.

Despite several loopholes in the MoU, the peace process seems to be going on smoothly with many countries supporting it, specially the USA which, in no mistakable terms has stated that it should be without the division of the country and with no claim for Eelam.

The government on its part is evidently keeping more than to the spirit of the MoU in contrast to the LTTE, overlooking many of its flagrant violations like the abduction of children, extortion, etc., which have even been brought to its notice by the Human Rights watch dog and further, not intervening when it was brought to its notice that arms shipment had been brought and unloaded in Mullativu and other parts of the east coast.

Besides these, it has been reported that the LTTE has forcibly captured fishing boats and equipment worth over USD 5000 from some Muslim fishermen. On top of it all this, it has been organizing mass demonstration-marches with the participation of thousands to promote what they call Pongu Thamil or Tamil reawakening carrying in front large pictures cut-outs of Prabhakaran shouting, Eelam, and a map of it. The last has been at Trincomalee where again, fearing reprisals schools had to be closed, children brought to the streets by the teachers, shops closed and people made to join with the government providing vehicles and ferry services for children and adults to join in the procession carrying the usual pictures and cut outs of Prabhakaran shouting Eelam and displaying their map. But in this instance also declaring Trincomalee, the Capital of Eelam

In tandem the Tamil coordinating committee in London had organized a mass protest rally in Geneva in front of the UN Head quarters against those who oppose Eelam.

To crown it all, a leader from an upcountry region estate who had gone presumably for advice and inspiration to the Wanni and Batticaloa, held a "Thamil Pongu" in the same manner with a big crowd in Nuwara Eliya.

The irreconcilable difference being that this procession was led with a large picture and cut out of Prabhakaran alongside with his own, apparently wanting to be a miniature counterpart and ally. The only reawakening for the estate labour as far as one could see is statelessness of the past. What really is necessary for these not so educated helpless people is what Thambyraja has knowledgeably stated in his letter instead of dreaming of a Tamilnadu and leading them up the garden path

To come back, the LTTE has every reason to impress on its people, specially the young ones, of their aspirations and at the same time have itself deproscribed.

It is expected the Norwegian negotiator and the team of foreign observers are alive to this disturbing situation.

Anyway, the upshot of this is that at a time Mr. Ranil Wickramesinghe with the support of the President and the opposition is going all out, regardless, in his quest for peace with the vast majority of people also supporting him, by this the LTTE is casting doubts about its intentions. The majority of the people in the North and East are now experiencing freedom feeling assured that they too would be treated as equals with those of the south would not want to go under the jack boot of a ruthless dictator.

There is no doubt that Ranil Wickremesinghe has many hurdles to clear bearing in mind the Boy Scouts’ motto "be prepared’: All that is now required is for everybody to be active participants even in a small but in constructive ways support him by rallying round him.

Tissa Amarasekera,
Kandy.