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We still don't
trust the LTTE, says EPDP chief The incidents
began on October 5, when the EPDP office which has been there for
about 12 years was attacked by the LTTE. As there was tension in
the area we were forced to close the office. On November
16 (Saturday) we returned to the island to begin our political activities
again. But on the same day the LTTE had organised an agitation campaign
forcing the people to join. The LTTE had also roped in some thugs
who were shouting and demanding that we vacate the office. We were
given several ultimatums. First it was the same day (Saturday) 9.00
p.m. Subsequently it was extended to 6.00 a.m. on Sunday and then
to Monday evening. But we stayed on after asking for police protection.
We have begun our political activities and we will continue to stay
on. There are reports that the LTTE is planning more hartals. But
we believe it is our political right to stay on. Just because about
100 people out of about 6000 on the island want us to leave, we
will not leave. I went to the island in 1990 and the people are
happy because our party has done a lot for them. * : Why
is the EPDP against the LTTE setting up office in the Delft? We are not
against it. We are for pluralism, democracy and human rights. We
believe that any political party has the democratic right to setup
office in the island. It is the LTTE that does not recognise other
parties with opposing views. * It is
reported that there are several groups demanding that the EPDP withdraw
from the Peninsula These so called
groups are none other than the LTTE and its agents. They came up
after the MoU was signed. They have no permanent addresses or registered
names and came up on the spur of the moment. * Do you
think setting up an EPDP office and an LTTE office would spark off
any violence in the island ? We have not
gone there to fight. We only want to carry out political activities.
We have offices in Vauvniya, Mannar, Ampara, Batticaloa, Trinco
and several other places. But we have never said that the LTTE should
leave. * So why
is there a problem in Delft ? Geographically
it is located in a strategic point and the LTTE can carry on with
illegal activities. The LTTE could have its own armoury there and
be involved in arms smuggling as well as keep an eye on developments
in India. They want us out of the island so that they could have
a free reign over it. The LTTE attacked our office in October to
show that it was the sole representative of the people. They never
expected us to regroup and return in a month's time. That's why
they started attacking us again. This is the history of the LTTE,
a group that never tolerated divergent views. * What is
the opinion of other Tamil parties over these incidents in the Delft? There's only
one other party. That's the TNA and that has no independent voice.
It is a mere front for the LTTE. * Do you
think that the LTTE instigated the protest which was held against
the EPDP ? Yes. they even
forced school children to take part in the protest. These students
hid their faces when they passed our office. * The LTTE
has asked EPDP to move out for a particular time period. Do you
think this is justifiable? No. The LTTE
has no right to ask us to move out even for a second. The people
of Delft voted for us and we have the political right to be here.
We are the members of the Pradeshiya Saba. * The EPDP
has always opposed the LTTE. Do you see a conflict between the two
parties in a future political setup. We have different
political agendas and we view the ethnic issue differently. But
the LTTE used violence to curb our political rights. We got arms
legally to defend ourselves. * The TNA
has called for the EPDP to be disarmed ? We are disarmed.
We gave up our weapons once the MOU was signed. It is the LTTE that
should be disarmed. We are given protection by the police. * Are you
satisfied with the manner in which the government and the SLMM tackled
the Delft incident ? The government
particularly the security forces acted impartially. But we are not
happy with the SLMM. I believe that during the protest, SLMM officers
on the pretext of talking to the demonstrators kept urging them
closer to our office. Although the head of SLMM told us after the
attack on Wednesday that we had the right to continue with our political
activities, when the attack occurred, the Northern SLMM representative
wanted us to temporarily withdraw till the tension defused. But
we said if we withdraw the LTTE too would have to withdraw. It is
also difficult to lodge a complaint at the SLMM district office
as there is an LTTE member in the committee and our people are afraid
to say anything. * The LTTE
appears to be strengthening its administration in the North and
East. How do you view this? I believe the
LTTE is forcing the state machinery to do what it wants. The people
in these areas fear the LTTE so they abide by its laws. * Why did
the EPDP vote with the government when the Interior Ministry budget
was debated? We still don't
trust the LTTE. We feel that the security of EPDP members and the
people can only be ensured by the police. * How do
you view the peace process ? The government is on the right track and its efforts are genuine. But we have our doubts about the LTTE. For instance, the LTTE's chief negotiator Anton Balasingham during the peace talks said other parties in the North and East would have the right to carry out political activities. But see what happened in Delft and other places? So how can we trust them? The LTTE should demonstrate its sincerity in deeds and not in mere words. |
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