Letter from LTTE leader to Sri Lanka President

தமிழ்த் தேசியம்

"To us all towns are one, all men our kin.
Life's good comes not from others' gift, nor ill
Man's pains and pains' relief are from within.
Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !."
- Tamil Poem in Purananuru, circa 500 B.C

Chandrika - LTTE Talks: 1994/95

We have given careful and serious consideration to the contents of your communication in which we find positive elements of reconciliation to certain issues we raised. On that basis we have decided to extend our deadline to 19th April 1995. This space of time will help you facilitate the speedy implementation of your decision.

In your letter you have raised objections to the fixing of deadlines which you call ultimatums. This is unavoidable since we have our own compulsions to ensure that the peace process should be a productive exercise that promotes the interests of our people. Furthermore as a party in conflict involved in the negotiating process we reserve the right to set a deadline to terminate the peace talks if we are of the opinion that the negotiations have reached a stalemate without producing a constructive result.

We were compelled to set a deadline since the negotiating process reached an impasse without achieving any substantial result, on certain urgent issues that seriously affected the conditions of our people. Now that you have made a favourable response for some of these issues we have decided to extend our deadline for three weeks in the hope that you will implement your decisions and that the peace process can be advanced in a positive direction.

We are pleased to note that you have arrived at positive decisions with regard to lifting of the economic embargo including fuel and the removal of restrictions on fishing, While we welcome your positive decisions on the above stated issues we should insist that urgent and immediate action should be taken to implement these decisions without delay.

I need not emphasise that decisions, pledges and promises are of little or no relevance until and unless they are put into concrete practical implementation. It is to ensure that the implementation process should proceed without delay, we have set a deadline. I hope you will understand our apprehensions on this matter. In this context we wish to point out that one of your earlier decisions i.e.relaxation on the embargo on certain items has not been properly implemented because of the obstructions caused by the military.

You have suggested that the implementation of your decision requires mutual discussions with regards to some practical details. We welcome your proposal and suggest an earlier date of 1st April 1995 for such a dialogue.

We are disappointed to note that some of the other crucial issues we have raised are not addressed to our satisfaction in your latest communication. You are fully aware that an opening of a passage to Jaffna is of critical importance to our people. We have been insisting that the removal of Pooneryn Army camp would facilitate the free and unhindered movement of our people along Sangupitty causeway.

Your response to this issue is negative in the sense that you have only reiterated your government's old position of shifting the front defence lines of the camp to 600m. On the question of freedom of mobility of our armed cadre in the Eastern province your government has not so far made any conciliatory decisions.

You will appreciate that the resolution of these issues is of crucial importance for the stabilisation of conditions of peace, for the restoration of normalcy and for the promotion of peace negotiations. Therefore we suggest that your forthcoming delegation is empowered to discuss these crucial matters.

In your letter you have listed a series of actions as concessions or rather privileges accorded to the LTTE by your government to build up trust and confidence. According to you that action included initiation of peace talks without demanding the laying down of arms, declaration of cessation of hostilities, visiting of the government peace delegation to Jaffna etc.

It is wrong on your part to assume such actions constitute special privileges accorded to the LTTE. But rather they should be viewed as a necessary conditions to undertake the peace initiative.

Your perception of the LTTE as an armed group is predicated on a mistaken conception. We are a national liberation movement deeply embedded in our people, articulating the wishes and aspirations of the Tamil nation. Having opted for unconditional peace negotiations with the LTTE with the implicit recognition of its predominant role, it is improper to designate the prerequisite of the peace process as privileges accorded to the negotiating party.

Finally I wish to state that the speedy implementation of your positive decisions and the earlier resolution of other important issues will certainly help to promote the peace talks that includes political negotiations on the ethnic conflict.

With kind regards
Yours sincerely
V. Pirabaharan
Leader
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.