4.2.2008
In an interview with the Asian Tribune, Dr. Keliya Rambukkwella,
Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare and
Government Spokesman for Defence and National Security called
the latest suicide bomb attacks acts of treacherous terrorism.
LTTE has targeted incident civilians in a desperate move
he added. He also stated that the whereabouts of Velupillai
Prabhakaran are difficult to decipher.
The
full text of the interview is given below:
Asian
Tribune: What happened today?
Dr.
Keheliya Rambukkwella: Today there was one incident in
Dehiwela, of course it is a minor incident, there was
a grenade attack and it’s being investigated. We
really do not know up to now what the motive was behind
the attack and what happened in the morning. In the afternoon
in the attack on the Fort Railway Station is concerned,
it is a very clear that it was a terrorist attack. They
are trying to infiltrate into the city where activities
are taking place. A woman suicide bomber has set her self
up.
Asian
Tribune: It is a woman suicide bomber?
Dr.
Keheliya Rambukkwella: Yes. It clearly shows that even
if they have grievances against the armed forces, instead
of targeting the forces that are prepared to take up the
challenges they continuously targeting the innocent civilians.
So this is a clear-cut classical terrorist attack where
they, irrespective of children or women had been getting
into this activity of destruction. This is a global situation,
right across the globe you find this people. So therefore
it is very clear with the meeting in the North that we
think that in the North that Prabhakaran has lost his
bases and grounds on which he was trying to call himself
as an undisputed leader. And his position is diluted to
a very pathetic state. I believe that he is in a desperate
position and Prabhakaran is practicing what he believes
in and what he preaches and that is destruction.
In
so far as Government is concerned, we are celebrating
sixty years of independence as a sovereign nation. Out
of the sixty years, almost a half of it, almost 30 years
have been dominated by violence and terror and we have
experienced the violent and destructive activities of
terrorism.
As
far as this present Government is concerned, as Commander
in Chief, the President has decided to eradicate this
terrorism without leaving it to any other future heads
of state, if we don’t do this now, it will take
another sixty years. That is, we will not leave it for
the next generations to wipe out terrorism and terrorists
menace in this country.
It
is fortunate that people of this country has joined hands
with the Government and also with a patriotic Armed Forces
determined to eradicate the menace of terrorism, this
would provide an opportunity for the Singhalese Tamils
and the Muslims to live in harmony and it is a clear manifestation
we are eradicating LTTE , particularly from the East.
All this showed that people can live together and they
can aspire to have their future in the way they are looking
at and therefore there is no turning back on this. It
is known right across the globe, this is how the terrorist
operate and we are looking at eradicating this menace
which has been masked by these people for the last almost
half of the period we had Independence.
Asian
Tribune: Recently at Pandiviruchchan somewhere in Mannar
near Madhu Church LTTE it was alleged that the Sri Lankan
Army has detonated claymore mines and exploded a bus carrying
students and teachers. Subsequently Head of the LTTE Political
Wing, B Nadesan in a letter written to UN Secretary General
Ban Ki-moon, has urged to consider recognizing Tamil sovereignty
as a constructive approach to end the unending five decades
long, large scale, and serious rights violations against
the Tamil people in Sri Lanka. Nadesan also in the letter
called UN Secretary General’s attention to the massacre
of eighteen Tamils including twelve children traveling
in a bus. He alleged that Sri Lankan military Deep Penetration
Unit was responsible for the killings by attacking a civilian
bus on the Madhu-Palampiddy road in the Mannar district
on 28 January 2008 at 2.30pm.
Dr.
Keheliya Rambukkwella: There are three issues there. One
is that you know that they LTTE’s modus operandi
is very clear that they do this kind of thing and put
the blame on others. Number two is that they do not show
respect to the Madhu as it has been considered a sacred
place of worship and it has been declared a ‘No
War Zone.’ Government is capable of moving the forces
in the area and clear the area of terrorists, but due
to the great respect to the place of worship the Sri Lankan
Forces had not made any attempts there. This area, it
is under the control of the LTTE. They are abusing the
position while they have the place under their control;
Thirdly, as far as the international community is concerned,
we are informing them through our peace secretariat and
through the Foreign Ministry of the activities that are
happening to the relevant authorities.
But
on the other hand we do not want any kind of intervention
and interference into the internal affairs of this nation.
We are very careful of what we want from international
community when it comes to internal affairs of this nation.
Asian
Tribune: You haven’t tried to get the moral support
of the International Community?
Dr.
Keheliya Rambukkwella: If you look at the special envoy
Mr.Akashi’s statement and what he has said is that
both parties should work according to the 2002 Ceasefire
Agreement. But in so far as the Government is concerned,
Government has taken up a position that we will not compromise
with the National Security.
It
has become incumbent duty of the executive of the country
it has been given a mandate by the public to safeguard
them at whatever the cost and to safeguard the integrity
of the country. Therefore we will have to exercise that
part of it so in so far as Sri Lankan Government is concerned,
it is a legitimate Army, it legitimate force and it is
a country and the force is entitled in fact it becomes
part of the main focus and duties, and to ensure the people
are safeguarded. So on doing so, one can accuse them for
various other things, but the fact remains that it is
the vital part of their duty that are entrusted them to
make sure and to ensure that the sovereignty and the people
are safeguarded. So far as LTTE is concerned that it is
now clear that the world has accepted that they are the
group of terrorist who believes in destruction over a
period of time if you look at ever since 2002, after signing
the CFA their activities were very clear of their final
target what they want to achieve.
Asian
Tribune: Yes, sir you are correct and also do you think
that Prabhakaran is in the country?
Dr.
Keheliya Rambukkwella: Of course there are contradicting
reports, but the fact of the matter is that with the kind
of interception and intelligence report that we have,
he has gone underground, and I think there is no communication
what so ever and there are no orders coming from him and
I learnt that LTTE is running restless at the moment that
is what the information we had which indicates that either
the terrorist (Prabhakaran) is inside something, injured
or seriously wounded or his existence is within the Vanni
is not traceable.
Asian
Tribune: But there are rumors to say that he has left
the country. And we even carried earlier news report that
Norwegian special envoy Erik Solhiem has made arrangements
for Prabhakaran to go and live safely in Eriteria.. Eriteria
is a separate country that separated from Ethiopia sometime
ago and that country is also ruled by a leader who was
an earlier a militant.
Dr.
Keheliya Rambukkwella: You see these are all reports and
we are looking at them very carefully as far as we are
concerned, what we are trying to do is to get the innocent
Tamil people in the North cleared of this terrorist menace.
Asian
Tribune: You have not answered my question, there are
strong rumors to believe that he is outside Sri Lanka
and there are rumors to say that he is safely in Eriteria.
Dr.
Keheliya Rambukkwella: You see we have not got any confirmation;
fact is that if you look at the recent news items that
the Q Branch the Intelligence wing of the Tamil Nadu police,
India is looking for Prabhakaran in certain costal areas
in Tamil Nadu. These are one bits or another and whatever
it is, if that is the case we will take it at the highest
level
.
Asian Tribune: Sri Lanka has already established diplomatic
relationship with Eriteria now I think it is easy for
Sri Lanka Government to clarify and check?
Dr.
Keheliya Rambukkwella: It is limited to the Foreign Ministry
and these are things that came up in the last week or
so. You know so I believe that the diplomatic activities
will generally take the normal routines and follow the
normal procedures.
Courtesy - Asian
Tribune