(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
The statements and questions of the local journalists at a meeting organized by the UN in Colombo are sharp and loud: the LTTE is too easy to escape. Hundreds of political killings have been committed during the ceasefire, and children are forcibly recruited by the Tamil tigers, especially on the east coast. The LTTE charges the population with extra taxes on top of taxes from the government. The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) does not do its job when the charges against the LTTE are not followed up.
The first to address the criticism is Icelandic Agnes Bragadottir, spokeswoman for the Nordic peacekeepers:
- SLMM has a limited mandate. Our strength of about sixty monitors from the Nordic countries has for a police mandate. We monitor the ceasefire and arrange meetings between the parties. Otherwise, civilians come to us with complaints about both the LTTE and the government army. We deal exclusively with matters related to the ceasefire and ensure that they end up with the respective political bodies at the local, regional or national level.
- Why do the police not deal with abuse of the civilian population?
- The police in Sri Lanka are not very operational. For example, they close the offices at 17 pm. This creates insecurity among the population, who, in general, have little confidence in the police. In this context, we have seen that many prefer to turn to the Tamil Tigers' police, who are far more effective, the spokeswoman said, adding that it is highly regrettable that serious abuses are not followed up. It helps to undermine SLMM's work.
Disagree about child soldiers
Also criticized in the Tamil Tigers headquarters in Kilinochi, south of the Jaffna Peninsula, especially the charges of political murders.
- We do not commit political killings, but it has happened that separate units within the army have acted on their own. Nor do we forcibly recruit child soldiers, but on the contrary are in the process of releasing soldiers under 18 years of age. So far, we have released 800 children who are cared for by UNICEF in their own transit centers, says a spokesman for the LTTE, Thaya Master. In the same breath, he admits that there are still child soldiers among the Tamil Tigers, which he apologizes for the fact that most of today's leaders in the LTTE began their careers as child soldiers.
- However, we are in the process of checking the birth dates of everyone. This also applies to the children who come to us daily and ask to fight with the Tamil Tigers. Those who are too young are sent home, claims Thaya Master.
But he does not mention in one word a report from the UTHR (University Teachers for Human Rights) in Jaffna which came out this month. It states, among other things, that the Tamil tigers again demand that families in the east give a child to the army, that they still carry out political killings of tyrants and political rivals, and that parents in the eastern area around the city of Batticaloa are scared of their children to be kidnapped.
Reason for federalism
In return, Thaya Master highlights the High Security Zones. No Tamil is allowed to return there, not even those who have been on the run in their own country for up to 20 years. There are seven thousand uninhabited houses, and the remaining houses, including schools and temples, are occupied by the army to military camps.
- Our towns and villages are heavily bombed. The government army does not protect our people. That is why we have to defend ourselves.
A quick glance out of the window is enough to note that Kilinochi is one of the most devastated areas in the north: bullet-hole dwellings without roofs and windows stand as silent witnesses of the twenty-year-long war.
- Will the LTTE accept federalism, or are you in favor of an independent state?
After a long break, it comes: – We have fought for independence, but today we are ready to accept a federal status, claims Thaya Master and adds that had it not been for Norway's participation, the process would hardly have come this far.
Confidence in President Chandrike Bandaranaike, on the other hand, is negligible: – We no longer believe in her. She says one thing one day, the opposite the next. She also accuses us of preparing for war and fighting for independence.
Under pressure
Within the government offices, with the Prime Minister's Secretary, Mr. Bradman Weerakoon, the tone is surprisingly conciliatory:
- The Tamil Tigers need time to transition from a military to a political organization. We want to give them the time they need to gain knowledge from others with similar experience, for example in South Africa and Ireland.
Time works for the peace process. Today, the Tamil tigers have been in contact with so many parts of the international community that they have to follow up on their own promises, or else they will lose credibility, states Secretary of State Weerakoon.
And he concludes by pointing out that the Sri Lankan government is also under intense pressure from the opposition, who believe they are too lenient in relation to the Tamil tigers.
