Reactions to the European Union’s condemnation of the Liberation Tigers and its bar on LTTE officials visiting its member states, have fallen on either side of Sri Lanka’s ethnic divide: whilst Tamils are dismayed, Sinhalese are delighted.
The EU’s harshly worded statement last Monday had been preceded by weeks of speculation in Sri Lanka that it was considering a ban on the LTTE.
Whilst Tamil media had urged the EU to desist, the Sinhala – and Sinhala-owned English language – media had clamoured for the ban.
Last week, although the EU stopped short of a formal proscription, it declared “delegations from the LTTE will no longer be received in any of the EU Member States until further notice.”
Each member state, moreover, would “take additional national measures to check and curb illegal or undesirable activities of the LTTE, its related organisations and known individual supporters” the EU said.
These curbs, along with the EU’s condemnation of “violence and terrorism by the LTTE” amounted to an effective European ban.
The official reactions from both sides were predictable. Sri Lanka’s government welcomed the EU ban while the LTTE criticized it.
The head of the LTTE’s Political Wing, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, described the EU move as a “serious setback to the peace process,” pointing out it would “appease and give moral support” to Sinhala nationalists.
On the other hand, the Sri Lankan government said the EU move would “influence the LTTE to resume the stalled peace talks” and claimed credit for lobbying several states to its side.
These official positions aside, the reaction amongst Sri Lankans was sharply polarised.
“The EU’s failure to hear our appeal for our rights and instead placing their confidence in the false propaganda of the [Sri Lanka] government and ban our sole representatives has shocked us,” the Jaffna University Student’s Union said, for example.
The dismay laced the atmosphere at the massive rally in Jaffna last week attended by over a hundred thousand Tamils from across the peninsula, with speaker after speaker denouncing the EU’s “one-sided punitive measures.”
Rather than contributing to a solution to the ethnic question during what Tamils see as a critical and historic juncture in their struggle, blaming the LTTE for the current state of affairs is unwarranted and a great tragedy, the Tamil National Alliance, a coalition of Sri Lanka’s four largest Tamil parties said.
Expatriate Tamils also decried the EU ban. The International Federation of Tamils, headquartered in Geneva, warned the Sinhala nationalists “are going to misconstrue the EU Declaration as a vicarious moral support for [them].”
The Sinhala reaction was exactly the reverse.
The Island, a staunchly Sinhala nationalistic newspaper gloated “it is a matter for happiness that the EU is beginning to see the LTTE for what it really is.”
Describing the EU’s action as “timely and salutary,” the paper said these measures should have been adopted earlier. “The EU has at last spoken the language that the LTTE understands.”
The Daily Mirror hailed the EU move was “commendable, though belated” and said it “serves the cause of democracy and human rights.”
However, for the Mirror’s sister paper, the Sunday Times, the EU’s actions did not go far enough. The publication dismissed the EU’s ban as a “sop” and said “ad-hoc, stop-start measures … which mean very little to the LTTE which has its tentacles spread throughout the world.”
The ultra-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Perumana (JVP) welcomed the EU ban and urged the arrest of LTTE Chief Negotiator Anton Balasingham and “hundreds of other LTTE activists engaged in terrorist activities” in the EU member states.
JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe said EU had implicitly recognised the LTTE as a “sinister force.”
The hardline monks’ party, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), also echoed these sentiments, saying the EU should proceed to a “total ban” of the LTTE.
There were some contrary positions on the fringes of both sides. Amongst the Sinhalese, the New Left Front said the EU was seeking to “suppress the Tamil people’s real struggle.”
On the Tamil side, the paramilitary Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) welcomed the crackdown on the LTTE. Its leader, Douglas Devananda, declared: “The LTTE has been saying that the international community recognizes their cause. But the EU decision has clearly given an answer to the LTTE’s false propaganda.”
The EU’s harshly worded statement last Monday had been preceded by weeks of speculation in Sri Lanka that it was considering a ban on the LTTE.
Whilst Tamil media had urged the EU to desist, the Sinhala – and Sinhala-owned English language – media had clamoured for the ban.
Last week, although the EU stopped short of a formal proscription, it declared “delegations from the LTTE will no longer be received in any of the EU Member States until further notice.”
Each member state, moreover, would “take additional national measures to check and curb illegal or undesirable activities of the LTTE, its related organisations and known individual supporters” the EU said.
These curbs, along with the EU’s condemnation of “violence and terrorism by the LTTE” amounted to an effective European ban.
The official reactions from both sides were predictable. Sri Lanka’s government welcomed the EU ban while the LTTE criticized it.
The head of the LTTE’s Political Wing, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, described the EU move as a “serious setback to the peace process,” pointing out it would “appease and give moral support” to Sinhala nationalists.
On the other hand, the Sri Lankan government said the EU move would “influence the LTTE to resume the stalled peace talks” and claimed credit for lobbying several states to its side.
These official positions aside, the reaction amongst Sri Lankans was sharply polarised.
“The EU’s failure to hear our appeal for our rights and instead placing their confidence in the false propaganda of the [Sri Lanka] government and ban our sole representatives has shocked us,” the Jaffna University Student’s Union said, for example.
The dismay laced the atmosphere at the massive rally in Jaffna last week attended by over a hundred thousand Tamils from across the peninsula, with speaker after speaker denouncing the EU’s “one-sided punitive measures.”
Rather than contributing to a solution to the ethnic question during what Tamils see as a critical and historic juncture in their struggle, blaming the LTTE for the current state of affairs is unwarranted and a great tragedy, the Tamil National Alliance, a coalition of Sri Lanka’s four largest Tamil parties said.
Expatriate Tamils also decried the EU ban. The International Federation of Tamils, headquartered in Geneva, warned the Sinhala nationalists “are going to misconstrue the EU Declaration as a vicarious moral support for [them].”
The Sinhala reaction was exactly the reverse.
The Island, a staunchly Sinhala nationalistic newspaper gloated “it is a matter for happiness that the EU is beginning to see the LTTE for what it really is.”
Describing the EU’s action as “timely and salutary,” the paper said these measures should have been adopted earlier. “The EU has at last spoken the language that the LTTE understands.”
The Daily Mirror hailed the EU move was “commendable, though belated” and said it “serves the cause of democracy and human rights.”
However, for the Mirror’s sister paper, the Sunday Times, the EU’s actions did not go far enough. The publication dismissed the EU’s ban as a “sop” and said “ad-hoc, stop-start measures … which mean very little to the LTTE which has its tentacles spread throughout the world.”
The ultra-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Perumana (JVP) welcomed the EU ban and urged the arrest of LTTE Chief Negotiator Anton Balasingham and “hundreds of other LTTE activists engaged in terrorist activities” in the EU member states.
JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe said EU had implicitly recognised the LTTE as a “sinister force.”
The hardline monks’ party, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), also echoed these sentiments, saying the EU should proceed to a “total ban” of the LTTE.
There were some contrary positions on the fringes of both sides. Amongst the Sinhalese, the New Left Front said the EU was seeking to “suppress the Tamil people’s real struggle.”
On the Tamil side, the paramilitary Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) welcomed the crackdown on the LTTE. Its leader, Douglas Devananda, declared: “The LTTE has been saying that the international community recognizes their cause. But the EU decision has clearly given an answer to the LTTE’s false propaganda.”
