Mr Izeth Hussain is encouraged by the clarification of Mr Sambandan’s which appeared in The Island on February 2. Although Sambandan now says that he never advocated a separate state, those who have not forgotten the past may remember that the TNA continues to act as a cat’s paw of the misguided diaspora.

Almost all of the TNA MPs were the voice in Parliament for the LTTE. They meekly visited Kilinochchi and followed the orders of Prabaharan.

The old guard must be withdrawn, and a young Tamil leadership must take charge of the TNA to build the North and East.