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Selected Writings - Dr. Victor Rajakulendran
An open appeal to the European Union
7 October 2005
Honourable Leaders of, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland (Republic of), Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom Re: The Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union condemning the actions of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam The above declaration made on the 29th September 2005 by the EU Presidency on behalf of your Nations has been received with suspicion and apprehension by the peace loving Tamils living around the globe. The Cease-fire Agreement of 2002 followed by the 6 rounds of negotiations between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan Government (SLG), with the help of the Norwegian mediators was based on the condition, accepted by all the parties privy to the peace process, that both the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government are to be treated as equal partners in this process. From the time the US tried to undermine this condition by not inviting LTTE to the Washington meeting the peace process ran into stormy waters. EU no doubt has become a major stakeholder, in this peace process as it has come forward to be a Co-Chair of the Tokyo Donor Conference. Until 29th of September 2005, EU has positively contributed to this peace process not only by it’s financial help but also by the neutral stand taken by it in exerting pressure on both sides to keep them on course vis-à-vis the peace process, whenever needed. Even as late as 19th of September 2005, after the Co-Chairs met in New York to discuss the situation in Sri Lanka, following the assassination of Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Kadirgamar, EU joined the other three members of the Co-Chair to caution both the parties equally. While the Co-Chairs asked the LTTE to immediately to put an end to political assassinations and to the recruitment of child soldiers the Co-Chairs underscored the responsibility of the Sri Lankan government under the cease-fire agreement to disarm or to relocate the paramilitary groups from the north and east. These statements demonstrate the fact that the LTTE’s alleged political assassinations and the failure of the government to disarm or to relocate the paramilitary groups are interrelated. However, within a period of 10 days the EU’s shift in its neutral position to one that is supporting the SLG has only confused the Tamil people and made them to be apprehensive. There were no major allegations against the LTTE during this 10 days period for EU to shift its position from neutral to a partisan one. Therefore it is obvious that there is some other force outside the EU has played a hand for EU to change its position. Although the Sri Lankan government has been complaining that the EU is lenient with LTTE and needed to act against LTTE, EU never acceded to this request. Then who is this external force that forced the EU to change its position? The answer to this question has come out from the horse’s mouth. A day after the declaration made by the EU Presidency, Christina Rocca, the US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs, in an interview to the Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka) said “the travel ban is a concerted message from the Co-Chairs –the US, EU, Japan and Norway – which strongly felt that a wanton act of terrorism of the nature of the assassination of foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar should not go unpunished”. Norway has publicly declared that they have nothing to do with the EU ban and they have no change in their role in the peace process. Japan is maintaining silence on this matter. Therefore it cannot be a concerted message from the Co-Chairs as Christina Rocca has tried to fool the world. Therefore it is obvious that the US only used its influence on Briton the EU Presidency, to change the EU’s position. US having failed to achieve anything it desired by all the possible pressure it has applied on either side, have now decided to manipulate the EU to achieve its purpose. |