1.5.2008
By Sumane Liyanaarachchi Sydney
The
International isolation of the LTTE may eventually force
it to abandon its campaign of terror and return to the
negotiating table. It also would send a message to all
terrorist organisations that Australia rejects terrorism
in all its forms, and that it applies the same uniform
standard when dealing with terrorist groups across the
world.
Dr
Dasarath Jayasuriya, President of Society for Peace, Unity
and Human Rights for Sri Lanka, writing to the Australian
Minister for Foreign Affairs Stephen Smith and Attorney
General Robert McClelland appeals the Australian government
to impose further sanctions on the LTTE and its front-organisations
by listing them under the Australian Criminal Code Act
of 1995, until it has given up terrorism in word and deed.
Full
text of the letter written by Dr Dasarath Jayasuriya ,
President of Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights
for Sri Lanka is given below:
“The
Society for Peace Unity and Human Rights for Sri Lanka
(SPUR) is writing to you regarding the escalating campaign
of terror waged by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) against the civilian population of Sri Lanka and
their elected representatives.
As
you are aware, the Tamil Tigers have carried out a spate
of suicide attacks and bombings on non military targets
including the public transport network of Sri Lanka over
the past few months. The most recent of these occurred
only a few days ago in Piliyandala where the LTTE blasted
a public bus carrying office workers and school children,
killing at least 26 people and seriously injuring scores
of others. This follows several other bus bombing massacres
including those at Kebethigollawa and Buttala, as well
as the suicide attack at a Colombo Railway Station, which
killed almost the entire multi-ethnic Baseball team of
a leading school in Colombo. A number of other bombs and
mines placed in highly populated areas have been detected
and defused due to the vigilance of the general public
and law enforcement authorities.
You
are, of course, fully conversant with the recent suicide
attack on the Sri Lankan Minister for Transport and Chief
Government Whip, Hon Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and several
others at an Athletics event to celebrate the Sinhala
and Tamil New years. Mr Fernandopulle, a Tamil Catholic,
was highly regarded by all Sri Lankans for his inclusive
approach towards all ethnic and religious groups, and
for his unequivocal condemnation of Tamil Tiger separatist
terrorism. His killing by the LTTE follows a familiar
pattern of eliminating all other Tamil leaders including
the former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamer as well
as a large number of Tamil Members of Parliament and several
Mayors of Jaffna who were perceived as a threat to their
claim of being ‘sole representatives of the Tamil
people’.
In
this context, we would also like to place on record our
appreciation of the Australian Foreign Minister’s
Media Release dated 07 April 2009, which unreservedly
condemned of this suicide bombing, and denounced the ‘terrorist
methods’ used by the LTTE.
As
highlighted by Travel Advices issued by the Australian
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, these indiscriminate
attacks by the Tamil Tigers pose a significant risk to
Australians of Sri Lankan background, who travel to Sri
Lanka for variety of ‘non discretionary’ reasons,
and also to Australian Business interests in Sri Lanka.
As
security analysts have pointed out, the LTTE employs its
international network to raise material and financial
support for its campaign of terror, often using deception
and coercion of both the Tamil Diaspora and the general
public of host countries. At least to some extent, this
is possible because the LTTE and its front-organisations,
which masquerade as Humanitarian, Rehabilitation, Women’s
and Youth Groups, still enjoy a degree of freedom in some
countries. In Australia, where the LTTE has not been explicitly
listed as a terrorist organisation, the Tigers have openly
celebrated ‘heroes days’ glorifying suicide
bombers, extorted funds from Tamil Businesses and Religious
Institutions, and bestowed the highest LTTE honour of
‘Mahamanthir’ (Great Man) on at least two
Australian residents for their contributions to promote
LTTE agenda in Australia.
Many
Western countries including the United States, United
Kingdom, European Union, Canada and Malaysia have designated
the LTTE as a terrorist organisation. India has also continued
with its ban since 1992 when a LTTE woman suicide bomber
killed former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The LTTE is
restricted in several other countries because of its listing
as a terrorist organisation under UN Security Council
Resolution 1373. The LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran
and intelligence chief Pottu Amman are proclaimed absconders
in India, and wanted by Interpol. Prabhakaran has been
also convicted by the Sri Lankan Supreme Court to 200
years imprisonment for killing 80 civilians by bombing
the Central Bank.
Earlier
this year the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
issued a Statement entitled ‘Taming the Tamil Tigers’
which outlined the international threat posed by the LTTE
and referred to the Tamil Tigers as being ‘among
the most dangerous and deadly extremists in the world’.
The FBI appealed to the public to be ‘careful with
your donations’, and warned that ‘the Tigers
have raised funds under a variety of cover organizations,
often by posing as charities’.
Our
Appeal
Like
many Sri Lankan Australians, SPUR believes that the LTTE
is not only the biggest impediment to peace in Sri Lanka,
but is also a player in the global terrorist network.
The
International isolation of the LTTE may eventually force
it to abandon its campaign of terror and return to the
negotiating table. Furthermore, it would send a message
to all terrorist organisations that Australia rejects
terrorism in all its forms, and that it applies the same
uniform standard when dealing with terrorist groups across
the world.
Therefore,
we humbly appeal to your government to impose further
sanctions on the LTTE and its front-organisations by listing
them under the Australian Criminal Code Act of 1995, until
it has given up terrorism in word and deed.
Like
many Sri Lankan Australians, we believe that the Australian
Labor Party and the Federal Coalition should adopt a bipartisan
stand towards Sri Lanka, and provide support for a resolution
of the conflict so that it satisfies the aspiration of
all Sri Lankans without compromising the Unity and Territorial
Integrity of Sri Lanka,
We
would welcome your response to our submission, and shall
be glad to provide additional information and supporting
material if required.”
Courtesy - Asian
Tribune