LTTE says no talks, no new camps, but don't sabotage the peace
By Our Political Editor
Colombo will be blown apart by the LTTE. This is the Opposition's assertion. Mangala Samaraweera, the ex-media Minister said the government has absolutely no contingency plans to meet the threat of LTTE terror attacks in the city. He said LTTE suicide cadres had infiltrated Colombo, and have mapped out a plan to blow up strategic locations - and to go for economic and political targets, which is why the LTTE infiltrators have, according to him, done extensive scouting around the Parliament area.

This shrill alarm-call stems from the arrest of two LTTE cadres who were apprehended at the Omanthai military checkpoint, attempting to smuggle a remote control detonating device, and some other typical LTTE terror gear including cyanide capsules. Apparently the Opposition was going on reports made by the sleuths who interrogated the two arrested LTTE men, who had said that the cadres had "spilled the beans on the plan to blow up Colombo.''

The Opposition however didn't explain why the LTTE cadres got caught so easily. Was it because they had relaxed due to the prevailing laid-back security atmosphere of the ceasefire? Has the scrupulously careful LTTE which managed to infiltrate Colombo and get at the most improbable targets during the ceasefire suddenly gone mad and decided to reveal their hand when planning a terror operation in the city? An operation which was said to be a careful one that was aimed at creating widespread panic if the " government did not accept the LTTE's Interim Administration counter proposals?''

But on the other hand, was it one crazy instance when the LTTE's careful preparations went awry - - one instance where the cadres perhaps, did not obey the introductions on observing caution - - and got caught with their pants down in the process?

Whether it was a LTTE psych-ops tactic to scare Colombo into submission on the Interim proposals, or whether it was an Opposition plan to scare the government into a frenzy, or whether it was a genuine LTTE bungling of its plans - - the ''infiltration'' reports and the so-called suicide attack plans caused both mystery and panic.

But, the LTTE Interim Administration counter proposals, which were said to be the reason behind the unravelling "suicide plan'' were still under wraps at the time of going to press. But, there seemed to be little doubt according to all informed sources, that the LTTE was going for the maximum, and asking that an Interim administration headed by it should have control over Land, Law and Order and Finance -- as one analyst put it "the whole works.''

Cobra
When the Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen was in Kilinochchi last week, the speculation there among assembled journalists from the South etc., was at a fever pitch. Helgesen requested a meeting with Prabhakran, but while that was being considered, he certainly did meet Thamilchelvan, the LTTE's political wing- leader, now gaining prominence in international circles as the man who was known by the sobriquet of 'Cobra.'

Apparently, when the LTTE asks for Land, Finance and Law and Order, it does so in a counter proposal document that is argued to the last legal detail. In other words, the LTTE counter proposals are backed up by a whole corpus of legal arguments which are said to "substantiate the LTTE's claims'' for an Interim administration with such extensive powers.

But it is thought that the Norwegians, knowing that this LTTE position is tough as nails, sought to meet the LTTE and get its leadership to soften this stance.
This is said to be the real reason for Helgesen's visit to Tiger territory and to the heartland of the LTTE's power base.

Apparently, the LTTE however sees a nexus between the Norwegian involvement, the American warnings to the LTTE last week (issued by the State Department) and Norway's eagerness to get the LTTE to resume peace talks.

"It is unfortunate that this anniversary (of the talks) finds the talks in suspension," the Americans said in a statement, quoting a US State Department spokesman in Washington.

Abandon terrorism
"... we call on the Tigers to abandon terrorism, including political assassination, and to comply with the terms of the ceasefire agreement they signed."

Apparently the Norwegians in turn said that they clearly and categorically classify the continued LTTE killings as being in violation of the ceasefire. Both Helgesen and Norwegian peace envoy Solhliem had said this when the issue of ceasefire violations was brought up in the presence of civil society groups.

In all of this the LTTE sees an undue haste in getting them back to the negotiating table. Apparently, Velupillai Prabhakran who has studied the Norwegian brokered peace accord and its collapse feel that the Norwegians together with the Americans short-changed the Palestinians, who landed in a bitter soup due to the 'peace process'' which only gave them a half baked ''Palestinian Authority.''

Feeling that the Norwegian American nexus and the haste to get them (LTTE) back to the negotiating table is a way of getting them bogged down in a situation that's similar to the Palestinian Authority solution (which effectively has brought about a collapse of the peace process in the Middle East) Prabhakaran it seems has decided to slow down the process.

What the LTTE plainly told Helgesen was that there is no time frame for talks. If all the nicety is taken off that statement, it means that there will be no talks on the Interim administration counter proposals that will soon be handed over to the Sri Lankan government.

The LTTE feels that going back to the table to discuss the Interim administration proposals, is a way of getting it to cave-in to the Norwegian and American design. (As in the Palestinian instance.)

That's because the money will be released for the re-development of theNorth-East only if the LTTE returns to the negotiating table. But the LTTE's view seems to be that there is no point in getting tied to the ''money trap'' by returning to the negotiating table, because there is no effective mechanism yet developed for the LTTE to spend this money.

Fait accompli
If so, does it mean that the Interim administration proposals are a final fait accompli on the part of the LTTE which sees these proposals as strictly and totally non-negotiable?

Not so. All the LTTE wants, is to avoid getting caught in a trap of "discussing the Interim proposals at the negotiating table,'' which will effectively mean that the money will come for reconstruction - - with no effective mechanism for spending it. The LTTE wants to avoid that kind of situation at all costs, according to all information that this column can gather.

But the LTTE does not want the ceasefire to collapse - and neither does the LTTE think that its counter proposals are non-negotiable. All it feels is that there is no point going into talks on the counter proposals for reasons given above. But yet, instead of talks the LTTE wants an interaction on the counter proposals through ''written submission by the Sri Lankan government.''

The LTTE bottom-line is: No talks on the counter proposals, until there is an agreement on an Interim administration. How is such an agreement to be arrived at and how can the positions of government and the LTTE be reconciled to arrive at such an agreement? Through written correspondence.

As it has more often than not been, the LTTE is being tactically suave. It does not want the ceasefire and the peace process to breakdown, but it does not also want to get into a protracted negotiation which also gives the international community opportunity to say ''look you have taken our money" when in fact there is no effective administrative structure in place for the LTTE to spend that money. So the decision is -- let the Interim administration be in place first -- and then we will talk, and take the money at that time because then we will be in a position to spend it.

The LTTE made it very clear last week for instance with a very well targeted Public Relations initiative, that at least on the face of it, showed that the LTTE "wants the peace process to continue.'' (Mangala Samaraweera who says that there is a planned suicide operation in Colombo of course is not going to agree with that.)

Opposition's warning
In a direct counter strategy aimed at the Opposition's warning sounds on the ''13 LTTE camps in Trincomalee'' LTTE (Col) Paduman and Trincomalee political leader Tilak directly accused the elements "who want to sabotage the peace process'' and said "there has not been single LTTE camp built in the Sri Lanka army controlled areas since the beginning of the agreement.'' "You can ascertain this for yourself,'' they said.

They said the only issue on which there is any contention is the Kurankupanchan LTTE camp which was "due to a wrong determination by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission.''

PM plays hardball
It was definitely the toughest letter that the Prime Minister sent the President, and of course its text has already been carried in most newspapers. Basically, it said, "do not discuss sensitive Defense matters over the media - - your are doing that only because you want political mileage.''

The President was scheduled to meet Vidar Helgesen the Norwegian peace envoy early Thursday, and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe later last week. But both meetings were cancelled because the President was " indisposed'' with a mild flu it was said. But, the President finally disposed herself for the Ashraff stamp cancellation ceremony, at which the Prime Minister was present.

The Prime Minister apparently reiterated some of what was stated in his letter to the President at this meeting - - and you could say he had clearly got that issue off the chest even though we have still not been informed what the President thinks about it.

And on Friday the Prime Minister took wing to New York to address those UN sessions (who doesn't know about them by now?). He was accompanied by his wife Maithree - - but also the first stop will be Qatar where the Prime Minister and Minister of Consumer Affairs Ravi Karunanayake will have an audience with the Emir of Qatar in the capital of Doha.

The Prime Minister was flying out in a hurry, according to snide sources, because he couldn't bear to feel the searing heat of the Interim administration proposals which are coming. Digs of that sort aside, it is now clear that the President for her part, has marshaled her troops into the view that an Alliance with the JVP is futile on three grounds.

First, she said, after assembling SLFP parliamentarians to President's house, "the JVP does not want any devolution of power.'' That's untenable she said. Then, the JVP wants the Norwegian peace facilitators out, she said, and that's untenable too "because I asked them here in the first place.''

Then she said, the JVP wants portfolios including Education, Agriculture, Fisheries and Media, with some Ministries such as Higher Education also telescoped in the Education Ministry, with the result that it is asking for more that 4 Ministries. It is also asking for the Chairmanship of the Alliance.

She also said that the JVP wants the Deputy Ministry of Defense, which she said was the point at which she definitely decided the Alliance goes out the door. "Do you want an Alliance on this basis?'' she asked her troops, and there was a resounding no.

But there were voices of dissent. Mangala Samaraweera and a backbench MP said that there should be a spirit of sacrifice and compromise - - and of course what they didn't say was that they don't want to spend their entire parliamentary term in the Opposition. Anura Bandaranaike said that the SLFP is too strong to be put asunder by the JVP which is why the SLFP should strike out an alliance in the spirit of compromise.

But the President also however took the opportunity to make mention of turncoats such as Richard Pathirana (who recently joined the UNP) and that was the end of that…

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