Cease fire when the war is over

“To me, the TNA is a mouthpiece of the LTTE. TNA denotes ‘Tiger Nominated Agents’ and they are thoroughly misled” – Devananda

When Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) Leader and Hindu Affairs Minister Douglas Devananda, a very strident critic of the LTTE, said the Tigers could be physically defeated, nobody believed him. Even now, with the near elimination of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), some are skeptical. But Devananda is firm. The Minister who is a prime target of the LTTE says Velupillai Prabhakaran has to either kill himself or escape. “Otherwise, he will be caught. He is in the jungles. Hitler committed suicide while Saddam Hussein was caught. It is interesting to know what is going to happen to Prabhakaran,” the minister, an arch rival of the Tigers, said. He also said, with the war coming to an end, the government will soon put out a political solution for the Tamils. He said the 13th Amendment to the Constitution Plus will be the best answer to the dragging ethnic problem in the island nation. “I have been advocating this for the past several years. The full implementation of the 13th Amendment will help heal our wounds,” he told The Nation in an interview. He also said that there should be a Tamil Speaking Unit within the Sri Lanka Army and added he has already informed the government about the establishment of such a unit

Following are excerpts:

Q: The Defence Ministry says the LTTE has been confined to an area of 4 sq. km. What is your information?

A: According to our information as well, the LTTE is confined to a very small area. This is a clear indication that the group is losing the battle, minute by minute. I have been saying this from the beginning that the LTTE could be defeated. And at last it is happening.

Q: Is LTTE Chieftain Velupillai Prabhakaran still living in the North? If so, would it be possible or easy to apprehend him by the security forces?

A: Our information is that the LTTE Leader is still living. And he is trapped in the area that is cornered by the government troops. It is very difficult to say whether he could be caught alive the way the government troops would want him captured. There are four options for him. He could surrender, which I strongly feel will not happen, and then he could die in the battlefield, or take cyanide capsule and kill himself or as the final resort could escape. Anything is possible right now. The whole world knows what happened to Saddam Hussein. Nobody even dreamed that he would be caught in that fashion. So, in a war, anything is possible. Whatever said and done, Prabhakaran should be dealt with severely. He has killed so many innocent people while living a luxury life in the North.

Q: Prabhakaran’s apparent capture has also generated another debate whether he should be handed over to India, as per the request India has made. What is your opinion?

A: Well, I think he must be legally tried in our Courts first for the atrocities he has committed to many people. Thereafter, he could be handed over to India. I think this is what the government is also planning to do.

Q: Some countries, including India, are pressing for a ceasefire to evacuate the people trapped over there. Do you think a ceasefire at this crucial juncture will jeopardise the military operation of the government troops?

A: Ceasefire? What bulls**t is that? No ceasefire. There can’t be a ceasefire until the war is over. Until Prabhakaran is captured, how can anybody talk of a ceasefire? The people can be evacuated. Most of those not willing to stay with the LTTE have already come out. And the others will automatically come out. There will be permanent ceasefire when the war is over.

Q: There is also confusion over the number of people still living in the safe zone. What in your view is the actual figure of the people trapped over there?
A: Around100, 000, according to my knowledge. The human tragedy is due to the LTTE’s foolishness. It is the LTTE that wanted to set up the human shield and forced the people to remain with them. It is very unfortunate. In fact, the people are prevented from moving out by a group led by one Pappa. He has been a longstanding member of the LTTE and is the one who killed my own brother. He is a very cruel man and is not letting the people move out. Whoever who attempts to jump out are beaten, shot at or killed and are harassed. Adding to the misery, the LTTE is showing a film titled ‘300’ to the people in order to brainwash them. The movie produced by the Hollywood is all about saving a powerful king by his supporters. The people are forced to watch the movie ‘300’ (see details in the box) and are told to sacrifice their lives for the leader. This is ridiculous.

Q: With the near elimination of the Tigers, what do you think should be the next step by the government?

A: A political settlement. There should not be differences between ethnic groups. A political solution should be implemented as soon as possible. And this political package will have to find a lasting solution to all the problems the people have been facing since independence.

Q: What is the solution you have up your sleeves for the people of the North and East?

A: 13th Amendment Plus. I was the first one to propose this and I will continue to maintain that this will be the ideal and ultimate solution, not only to the people of north east but to the entire country. President Rajapaksa is committed to the full implementation of the 13th Amendment which ensures substantial provincial autonomy. The 13th Amendment is already part of the Constitution and it is only a matter of fully implementing it. Due to the fanaticism of the LTTE, which rejected the Indo-Lanka Accord, the full implementation of the Provincial Council system could not be made a reality. So, now we must try to fully implement it.

“Around 100, 000, according to my knowledge. The human tragedy is due to the LTTE’s foolishness. It is the LTTE that wanted to set up the human shield and forced the people to remain with them. It is very unfortunate. In fact, the people are prevented from moving out by a group led by one Pappa. He has been a longstanding member of the LTTE and is the one who killed my own brother. He is a very cruel man and is not letting the people move out. Whoever who attempts to jump out are beaten, shot at or killed and are harassed. Adding to the misery, the LTTE is showing a film titled ‘300’ to the people in order to brainwash them. The movie produced by the Hollywood is all about saving a powerful king by his supporters. The people are forced to watch the movie ‘300’ and are told to sacrifice their lives for the leader. This is ridiculous”

Q: How about the findings of the APRC. Would not this in your view bring out a solution?

A: Well, the political pattern in Sri Lanka has been that whenever the government proposed something, the opposition opposed it, and vice versa. So, how are we to expect a clear majority or support in Parliament to implement any kind of proposal? I think we have failed to reach consensus on proposals of this nature. This is why I have been saying from the beginning that the 13th Amendment must be implemented. If that is done, then there is no need for any other proposal. Under the 13th Amendment, the Provincial Council system is already being exercised in other provinces. So, it is a matter of just implementing it fully.

Q: Is the government, in your view, serious in fully implementing the 13th Amendment?

A: We have started the process. In the East we held elections. I am sure this will be followed in the North too, as soon as the LTTE problem is sorted out. Once the North is cleared we can go for election and the people can elect their own representatives. The implementation of the 13th Amendment will also appease India because the 13th Amendment is the by-product of the Indo-Lanka Accord.

Q: While the government and even you are grateful for what India has done, the TNA has recently condemned India saying it has done little to address the suffering of the people in the North. What is your opinion?

A: To me, the TNA is a mouthpiece of the LTTE. TNA denotes ‘Tiger Nominated Agents’ and they are thoroughly misled. The comments made by the TNA are their own. They are entitled to their own opinion.

Q: How safe are the IDPs in the camps and when will they be able to return home?

A: They are very safe in the camps. There may be shortcomings. They may not be provided with everything what they deserve or want. But to a great extent, they are looked after by the government. It is not easy to look after tens and thousands of people at once. It is a huge task and the government, I must say, has so far done a great thing by looking into their immediate needs. They will return home soon. I would say within the next six months, they must be getting back home. But, it also depends on the situation. The climate must be conducive for them to go back.

Q: There is fear among the Tamils that the government could settle Sinhalese from the south in the areas that are now cleared in the north. Should this be a worry?

A: No, not at all. The government will never engage in this activity. There cannot be colonisation. They are only speculation. The Tamil people have been talking about this for a long time. But I have found out that there is no truth in this. I am sure that this so called colonisation will never happen.

Q: If it happens, would you oppose it?

A: It will never happen. But, if the State sponsored colonisation really takes place, then it is wrong.

Q: Should Tamils, in your view, worry over this, even if this happened?

A: No. I think Kandiah from Jaffna has all the right to settle down in, say, Matara and Punchi Banda from Matara has all the right to settle down in Jaffna. What is wrong in that? We have the democratic right to live anywhere we want to. There is no particular area confined to any particular community in Sri Lanka. This is why I said earlier that I am not one who will support a State sponsored colonisation. Because this is a forceful act on somebody against his/her wish. This becomes a violation. People must be allowed to live anywhere they want to. This is true democracy.

Q: Earlier you said if the north is cleared then there can be elections. But some parties fear to contest in Jaffna because of the presence of the armed EPDP. For instance, TULF Leader V. Anandasangaree says he cannot contest if the EPDP is going to be armed. What is your view?

A: If Anandasangaree says he cannot contest because of the EPDP then it is his problem. According to me, he cannot still contest because he is a weak leader and is rejected by the people. On the other hand, I must say that my party is not armed. This is a politically motivated accusation in which there is no truth. We kept saying that once we enter the mainstream politics, we will drop our arms and as we said, we have dropped our arms.

Q: Does it mean that the EPDP is unarmed today?

A: Yes. In 1987, in keeping with the Indo-Lanka Accord we handed over our weapons to the government. Then I went to India and after sometime I returned to the country to engage in local politics. At this juncture the government could not provide me with adequate security due to the significant threat on my by the LTTE. The government understood this fact and provided my group with arms to safeguard our own lives from the LTTE. Then during the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement, again in keeping with the provisions of the agreement we handed over our weapons to the government. And now we are depending on state protection. I do not deny the fact that we had arms. But it does not mean we still have arms. But some politicians are using this for their benefit. I think this is wrong.

Q: Recently, Karuna Amman in an interview to the media said that Daya Master and George Master should not be allowed to join the government. Do you see any justification to this statement?

A: I understand both these individuals have not held any senior positions within the LTTE and they were not high profile officials. Nevertheless, if they want to join the government, and if the government wants to give an opportunity for any LTTE combatant to join the government, I don’t think it should be blocked. Our fighting with the LTTE is one thing but making every attempt to rehabilitate and put such combatants to the best use for development is another thing that the government must be looking at right now.

Q: Is Karuna’s elevation as a minister and vice president of the SLFP a threat to you? It is said he could be even used for SLFP politics in the North. Is this a matter of concern to you?

A: Karuna will never do politics in Jaffna. I know it well. But I welcome him. On the other hand I am happy for his growth and development.

Q: Some TMVP cadres have already been absorbed into the Sri Lanka Army. How about the EPDP cadres? When will they be absorbed?

A: Well, so far we have not been taken into the Army. But our idea is not this. We only want to do politics and get out. But I insist that there should be a Tamil Speaking Unit within the Sri Lanka Army. I have already informed the government about the establishment of such a unit. Also, if the LTTE problem is sorted out tomorrow, I will quit politics. I have no intention of clinging on to politics. May be I will serve for another five years. That is all. My intention is only to engage myself in politics. Once I know that our people are safe from the LTTE, then I think, that is the time to say goodbye to politics.

Q: You are one Tamil politician who has been advocating, from the inception, the notion that the problems of the Tamils are not the problems of the LTTE and vice versa. Has this in your view been recognised by the present regime?

A: I think the present President has understood it absolutely well, than the past Presidents. Past Presidents J.R. Jayewardene, Ranasinghe Premadasa, D.B. Wijetunga and Chandrika Kumaratunga failed to realise that there was a distinction between the problems of the Tamils and the LTTE. This is why they could not either eliminate the LTTE or put out a substantial political package. Ultimately, nothing happened. They only passed on the problems to their successors. President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in my opinion, has correctly understood the problem and from the beginning has started to take the LTTE by their horns, the end result of which is seen today. I think the proper treatment for the LTTE is what is given today. But it does not mean that the problems of the Tamils are sorted. The government under President Rajapaksa is also keen to address that issue which will commence shortly after completely crushing the LTTE.