Uncle Sam(Blake) negotiates for ceasefire with Tigers - LAKBIMA

Uncle Sam negotiates for ceasefire with Tigers

* GOVT. READY FOR 48 HOUR PAUSE, NOT TWO WEEKS

By Ranga Jayasuriya

Powerful countries were exerting pressure on the government to initiate a ceasefire at week’s end. Meanwhile, the government has agreed to halt military operations for a period of 48 hours if the LTTE will release trapped civilians in the ‘No Fire Zone’.
The ambassador for the United States in Sri Lanka, Robert O. Blake has told the government that the US had contacted the LTTE leadership through a third party and that the Tiger leadership was demanding a seven- day ceasefire if it was to release civilians.
However, the government has told Blake that if the US could guarantee that the LTTE would release civilians, government would halt military operations for a period of 48 hours only. “The LTTE is designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the US thereby preventing direct contact with the Tigers. Hence a third party was a requirement for negotiations. However, it is not known who the third party was, though some sources suggest that it may have been the peace facilitator, Norway”, military sources said. However, the Commander of the Army, Lt General Sarath Fonseka had vehemently protested against the ceasefire proposal warning that it is a ruse by the guerrilla leadership to flee the country, sources said.

The Commander had said “Escape by the LTTE leadership would mean the relocation of the command structure of the LTTE out of the country for the reorganization in the future, as most of the middle ranking leaders of the LTTE were killed in the recent military operations leaving its top rung leadership still functional”.

The five seniormost leaders of the guerrilla hierarchy- Prabhakaran, Pottu Amman, Nadeshan, Soosai and Swarnam were still operating from the ‘No Fire Zone’. In addition, Jeyam, Lawrence and Banu are surviving; the latter escaped with injuries during pitched battles in Pachcha Pulmudai in the first four days of this month.
(Please see Defence Diary for details).

MORE SINGHALA PROPAGANDA - AND COVER UP FOR THE USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS: -T4J

* Tigers ask for a week’s ceasefire through the US --- Govt. offers 48 hours

By Ranga Jayasuriya

Our page 1 story today reports the overture by the Ambassador of the United State in Colombo, Robert Blake to institute a one week ceasefire between the security forces and the Tiger guerrillas in order to facilitate the safe passage of civilians trapped in the ‘No Fire Zone.’ These developments are taking place in the backdrop of intense lobbying by the Diaspora Tamils representing not so covert front organizations of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. A series of protests in Europe and North America and Australia have posed a public relations dilemma to the Sri Lankan government.

However, the government arrogant and unresponsive has shown scant regard; that is perhaps the best strategy to deal with a people, nothing more than the caricatured modern day Shylocks insisting on the dismemberment of this country from one way or the other, one would argue. Is that the right strategy? The jury is still out. However, it would not be long before, that the centre of gravity of the Sri Lankan conflict would move from the No Fire Zone to Canada and Europe. Should Prabhakaran survive the current military onslaught, cash cows of the LTTE would continue to bankroll the guerillas’ armoury of artillery, missiles and suicide bombers. If the command structure of the guerrillas is destroyed, Diaspora Tamils would launch the next phase of Eelam war through a diplomatic offensive. What they could achieve is too early to forecast; but going by their past during which they helped build the LTTE’s war machine from scratch to a conventional army and their well coordinated protests all over the developed world at present they have proved their mettle.

That is why the appeasement of the Diaspora is important in the long term as much as the annihilation of the LTTE is. On the surface, the two goals don’t go together. But, it is a gross generalization to view every Tamil living abroad in the prism of bunch of Sri Lankan haters waving the flag of roaring Tigers.

Indeed the government is coaxing the Diaspora funding to rebuild the North-East. Last week, a delegation of Tamil Diaspora visited Colombo and held talks with the government officials.

However, it would be long before the two parties reconcile. What the third party through which the United States contacted the LTTE is not known, some sources told this newspaper it was the peace facilitator Norway. Indeed, Norway is in regular contact with the LTTE leadership.
Earlier in the week, the pro LTTE website, TamilNet reported that Norwegian International Development Minister Erik Solheim contacted LTTE political leader P Nadesan over the phone.

TamilNet reported that Solheim “conveyed the recent developments in the International arena regarding the Tamil conflict, especially with regard to the latest briefings at the UN Security Council”. “Solheim was briefed on the grave humanitarian catastrophe caused by the military aggression of the Sri Lankan armed forces.”

Ambassador Blake also spoke via video conferencing at a meeting also attended by Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher to a delegation of Diaspora Tamils demanding an immediate ceasefire.

Plight of civilians

A media communique‚ on the meeting issued by the US Embassy in Colombo stated that “Assistant Secretary Boucher and Ambassador Blake emphasized U.S. concern about the plight of civilians trapped in the “no fire zone” in northern Sri Lanka. They called on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to release the civilians”. “They reiterated that both the Tamil Tigers and the Government of Sri Lanka should stop firing into and from the no fire zone. They outlined the steps the U.S. has taken to support the civilians in the no fire zone”.

Following is an excerpt from the Pro-LTTE TamilNet website report on the meeting between the Diaspora representatives and Mr. Boucher and Ambassador Blake: “Tamil Americans asked for the support of the US administration to obtain clearance to any Diaspora initiative to take direct medical aid to the crisis zone. Ambassador Blake informed that the government of Sri Lanka now plans to resettle 80% of the IDPs within one year, and after clearing mines. Tamil Americans cautioned that the over emphasis of mine clearing operations can be a ruse by Sri Lanka to delay the resettlement while they engage on creating high security zones and colonization of Sinhalese in the Wanni area.”

“Tamil Americans continued to press for an immediate ceasefire. Ambassador Blake asked the Tamil Americans whether they can ask the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to let the Tamil civilians leave. APSL responded that the Tamil civilians are given a Hobson’s choice, and appealed for expanding the current safety zone and creating a demilitarized zone under the protection of the UN agencies. Only then the Tamil civilians can be asked to choose between staying with the LTTE, or leave for protected zone or distant IDP camps. Assistant Secretary Boucher then emphasized the need for a political solution to end the conflict.”

An incident which took place last week reinforced the government’s concern that the guerrilla leadership would flee the country. Military intelligence officers probing whether Charles Anthony, son of the Tiger leader fled to Malaysia on April 5 after a confession made by the guerrilla cadre, arrested during an aborted sea borne attack by the guerrillas in Kokkuthuduwai on April 5.