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Home > Struggle for Tamil Eelam > Sri Lanka's Broken Pacts & Evasive Proposals > Chandrika - LTTE Talks: 1994/95 >Press Release by Political Committee of LTTE, 26 February 1995
Sri Lankan government engaged in a cosmetic exercise?
The Political Committee of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in a statement issued from its Head quarters in Jaffna yesterday (26.02.95) said that the Presidential Secretary Balapatabendi had written to the head of the LTTE political section Thamilchelvan stating that the government was ready to open both the Poonereyn Sangupiddy and the Elephant Pass routes for public use.
In pursuance of this, the government had decided to shift the forward positions of the army camp at Pooneryn 500 metres behind. The news added that the embargo on all items except those that could be put to military use would be completely lifted and that the Presidential Secretariat was awaiting a response to this from the LTTE.
In responding to this letter, Mr. Thamilchelvan said:-
"It would seem that this unilateral decision by the government while failing to concede the various requests that we have been placing before them, amounts to nothing more than a posture meant to lull the outside world into the belief that the government was very keen to take forward the peace process."
The fact is the government has been using its privileged position to brief foreign news agencies of various claims that are contrary to ground realities.
The assurances regarding the lifting of the economic embargo are only on paper. None of the items on which the embargo has been lifted reaches Jaffna in any appreciable quantity. The armed forces impose their own restrictions on various items like fuel, kerosene, motor spares, vehicles, fertilisers, radio batteries etc. Whenever we point these out, the government responds by giving assurances that are never kept.
.As for the opening of a safe route for public travel to and from the mainland, while not demanding the shifting of the 30 year old strongly fortified army camp at Elephant Pass, we suggested the removal of the recently set-up Ponneryn army camp. The government has refused to accept this.
We asked for the lifting of the ban on fishing in the north-east waters, so that our fisher folk can carry on with their traditional occupation. Even within the limited areas and hours conceded, our fishermen are unable to continue their fishing in safety. The naval authorities at Karainagar have recently arrested three of the fishermen at Araly waters.
Making unilateral announcements such as opening of both routes to the public, that are meaningless in practice, while failing to attend to the basic day - to - day needs of our people, begins to shake our confidence in a government on which we have placed trust from the beginning.
We even wonder whether supplying sunshine stories to the outside world is only part of the government strategy to throw the ball into the LTTE court all the time. Trying to win foreign aid for the apparent purpose Of reconstruction and rehabilitation of the war ravaged north-east, which could again be used for war purposes is certainly not the best way to win the confidence of the Tamil people.
