by Mallika Wanigasundara
The Jatika Sangha Sammelanaya (National Bhikku Convention) expressed its vehement opposition to the establishment of an Interim Administration or a structure for regulating the use of donor aid in the north and east, without a written Peace Accord with the LTTE, at a press conference last week.

It further stated that Prime Minister Wickremesinghe accept the concept of a Tamil homeland in the presence of the Tigers, but denies it before the Maha Sangha. The Sammelanaya stated that the Prime Minister has no fixed or certain approach to the question of the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. In this situation the Tigers are collecting arms and establishing a separate administration in the north and east.

The government has become a puppet in the hands of the LTTE, says a statement issued by the convention. The Jatika Sangha Sammelanaya is not opposed to the rehabilitation and development of the north or the signing of a Peace Accord with the LTTE, said Ven. Ellawala Medhananda who presided over the press conference held at the auditorium of the Dharma Vijaya Foundation.

"This is not a personal attack on the Prime Minister or President. We are concerned about the security and the future of this country," said Ven. Medhananda.

The MoU is not the result of a legal written Peace Accord. It has no legal validity. It was secretly imposed on the country without the signature of the President, said the Ven Athureliya Ratana. As it is the government has even exceeded the limits of the MoU, he said. Such an agreement should carry the endorsement of the Executive President, the Prime Minister, the approval of parliament, the Maha Sangha and the people, he added.

What the LTTE is doing is working towards a Tamil Lanka, and the Prime Minister is assisting it, and thereby violating the sovereignty of the country, the Ven. Ratana charged.

The government is acting unconstitutionally and illegally if it establishes an Interim Administration before the LTTE lays down its arms and renounces the demand for a separate state, said Ven Ellawala Madhananda. "If the government violates these conditions we may be forced to mobilise the people, national organisations and the Sangha to halt the division of the country in the guise of an Interim Administration dominated by the LTTE," he said.

"We would call upon the security forces and all patriotic persons to come forward to stop these unconstitutional acts", he said. Earlier the Ven. Athureliye Ratana said" We have to tell the security forces that when the PM acts illegally, they have to take upon themselves to act legally.

The sammelanaya spokesmen stated that the government was too weak to compel the LTTE to abide by the laws of the land. The Tigers continue to abduct, harass, kill people including opponents, recruit children, take ‘kappan’ and put in place heavy artillery, with supreme contempt for the laws of the land.

The Norwegian facilitators are quite aware of the depradations of the Tigers - they have killed 24 persons -

But the Norwegians are silent, said Ven. Ratana. He also expressed his appreciation of the president who has said that is totally opposed to the establishment of an Interim Administration in this unconstitutional manner.

But he made the point that while the President has extensive executive powers to carry out constitutional acts, she seems to be only bothered about the Development Lotteries Board. It is strange, said Ven. Ratana, that she does not use her powers in relation to other more awesome matters.

Ven Medhananda emphasised that this is the most crucial and decisive moment in our history. It could be the end of the nation, he said. What is this Interim Administration? He asked. No one seems to know what it is really, he said.

Only people with double tongues can say that we have peace. Only our side believes there is peace, while Karuna says that the Tigers are ready for war, he said.

The strength, dedication, and morale of the armed forces has been deliberately weakened, he said. The Millennium City operation was a secret intelligence operation. Due to the dastardly acts of one police official, the operation was blown, and now the Tigers come to Colombo and kill people, said Ven. Medhananda.

Norway has not entered into this peace process for altruistic reasons. It is here for economic gain and proselytisation, he said.

On the donor aid charity fair in Tokyo, Ven. Ratana said that the World Bank will make the decisions and the people of this country will have to repay the loans. At such international fora, usually there is only one representative for a country. Here we have the extraordinary situation of the LTTE being begged of, by government and donors to become a second representative.