The international community shares the blame for Sri Lanka's renewed war, the Tamil Tigers charged this week, accusing international actors of bias and inaction which they say has left the 2002 ceasefire agreement meaningless.
“The international community's unhelpful engagement in the peace effort has had the effect of encouraging the Sri Lankan state to pursue a military solution,” the LTTE said in a statement issued overnight to mark the fifth anniversary of a now tattered Ceasefire Agreement (CFA).
“The international community's failure to take concrete action against the Sri Lankan state to stop serious breaches of the ceasefire agreement or its widespread and systematic human rights violations has contributed to war-like conditions.”
The LTTE’s comments were echoed by Sri Lanka’s largest Tamil party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).
“Although the Ceasefire Agreement came into effect with the strong support of the international community, the latter's selective engagement in the peace effort has had the effect of encouraging the Sri Lankan state in its pursuit of a military solution to the Tamil National question,” the TNA said.
“The international community's unreflective insistence on 'a united Sri Lanka' and its unwillingness or failure to take concrete measures to exert pressure on the Sri Lankan state to abandon its aggression in its pursuit of the military option has contributed to rendering the CFA meaningless,” the TNA said.
“The simultaneous international proscriptions of LTTE, imposed at the behest of the Sri Lankan Government, has also contributed to the resumption of the conflict.”
A simmering shadow war between the LTTE and paramilitary groups backed by Sri Lankan military intelligence exploded into open confrontations between both sides early last year.
Canada and the European Union banned the LTTE early last year and in July the government launched the first of a string of offensives against the Tigers in the east.
The government, emboldened by the capture of territory recognised as controlled by the Tigers under the terms of the truce, have since vowed to wipe them out.
The Tigers hailed the truce which they have described in the past as the ‘foundation of any peace process.’
“Even though today it exists only on paper, it remains a unique document in the search for an end to the national conflict,” the Tigers said.
However, Sri Lankan military aggression has rendered the CFA defunct and meaningless, they said.
Moreover, international bias against the LTTE had undermined the foundations of the peace process, they said.
“[Despite Sri Lankan offensives into our controlled areas] The international community chose to unfairly take punitive measures against the LTTE, seriously undermining the LTTE’s status as an equal party in the negotiation process and thereby weakening the peace process itself.”
“This international bias against the LTTE further strengthened the government’s intransigence and encouraged it to adopt even more hard line positions [at the talks],” they said, referring to the abortive meeting in Geneva last October.
The LTTE also condemned the international community’s failure to pressure the hardline Colombo government to rein in the state’s armed forces despite the widespread humanitarian and human rights abuses many observers are criticising the military for.
“The continued failure of the international community, despite the volume of independently gathered evidence, to take effective steps to curb the state's abuses, is turning the Tamil homeland into an Asian Darfur,” the Tigers said.
“The situation in the Tamil homeland is deteriorating rapidly and the humanitarian and human rights crises are deepening. People in the Tamil homeland are living in traumatic conditions,” the Tigers said.
Repeating its calls for the implementation of the CFA, the LTTE pointed out it had been extremely patient in the face of the state’s occupation of LTTE territory and human rights violations against Tamil civilians.
The Tigers warned Sri Lankan aggression and international inaction portended greater bloodshed in the coming period.
“The Sri Lankan military has conducted unprovoked offensives against our forces and occupied our areas in violation of …of the CFA.”
“Even under such grave circumstances we refrained from launching offensive operations and kept ourselves in defensive positions.”
“The Sri Lankan government's ongoing war of aggression, aimed at the subjugation of the Tamil people under the guise of 'war on terrorism' will add to the bloodstained pages of the island's history,” it added.
“It has also compelled the Tamil people to resume their freedom struggle.”
“The international community's unhelpful engagement in the peace effort has had the effect of encouraging the Sri Lankan state to pursue a military solution,” the LTTE said in a statement issued overnight to mark the fifth anniversary of a now tattered Ceasefire Agreement (CFA).
“The international community's failure to take concrete action against the Sri Lankan state to stop serious breaches of the ceasefire agreement or its widespread and systematic human rights violations has contributed to war-like conditions.”
The LTTE’s comments were echoed by Sri Lanka’s largest Tamil party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).
“Although the Ceasefire Agreement came into effect with the strong support of the international community, the latter's selective engagement in the peace effort has had the effect of encouraging the Sri Lankan state in its pursuit of a military solution to the Tamil National question,” the TNA said.
“The international community's unreflective insistence on 'a united Sri Lanka' and its unwillingness or failure to take concrete measures to exert pressure on the Sri Lankan state to abandon its aggression in its pursuit of the military option has contributed to rendering the CFA meaningless,” the TNA said.
“The simultaneous international proscriptions of LTTE, imposed at the behest of the Sri Lankan Government, has also contributed to the resumption of the conflict.”
A simmering shadow war between the LTTE and paramilitary groups backed by Sri Lankan military intelligence exploded into open confrontations between both sides early last year.
Canada and the European Union banned the LTTE early last year and in July the government launched the first of a string of offensives against the Tigers in the east.
The government, emboldened by the capture of territory recognised as controlled by the Tigers under the terms of the truce, have since vowed to wipe them out.
The Tigers hailed the truce which they have described in the past as the ‘foundation of any peace process.’
“Even though today it exists only on paper, it remains a unique document in the search for an end to the national conflict,” the Tigers said.
However, Sri Lankan military aggression has rendered the CFA defunct and meaningless, they said.
Moreover, international bias against the LTTE had undermined the foundations of the peace process, they said.
“[Despite Sri Lankan offensives into our controlled areas] The international community chose to unfairly take punitive measures against the LTTE, seriously undermining the LTTE’s status as an equal party in the negotiation process and thereby weakening the peace process itself.”
“This international bias against the LTTE further strengthened the government’s intransigence and encouraged it to adopt even more hard line positions [at the talks],” they said, referring to the abortive meeting in Geneva last October.
The LTTE also condemned the international community’s failure to pressure the hardline Colombo government to rein in the state’s armed forces despite the widespread humanitarian and human rights abuses many observers are criticising the military for.
“The continued failure of the international community, despite the volume of independently gathered evidence, to take effective steps to curb the state's abuses, is turning the Tamil homeland into an Asian Darfur,” the Tigers said.
“The situation in the Tamil homeland is deteriorating rapidly and the humanitarian and human rights crises are deepening. People in the Tamil homeland are living in traumatic conditions,” the Tigers said.
Repeating its calls for the implementation of the CFA, the LTTE pointed out it had been extremely patient in the face of the state’s occupation of LTTE territory and human rights violations against Tamil civilians.
The Tigers warned Sri Lankan aggression and international inaction portended greater bloodshed in the coming period.
“The Sri Lankan military has conducted unprovoked offensives against our forces and occupied our areas in violation of …of the CFA.”
“Even under such grave circumstances we refrained from launching offensive operations and kept ourselves in defensive positions.”
“The Sri Lankan government's ongoing war of aggression, aimed at the subjugation of the Tamil people under the guise of 'war on terrorism' will add to the bloodstained pages of the island's history,” it added.
“It has also compelled the Tamil people to resume their freedom struggle.”
