Sunday 09, Auguest 1998 - News


Norwegian member blasts LTTE, NGOs

A senior Norwegian member of the Human Rights Commission s Sub-commission on the Prevention of Discrimination against Minorities has accused the LTTE leadership of acquiring an almost "paranoid garrison mentality" and said that the Movement, particularly its leadership , respects no human rights .

In a severe criticism of the LTTE last Thursday, Asbjorn Eide has called upon the international community and international NGOs and governments to convince the Tamils in their respective countries of the need for accomodation.

In what diplomatic circles see as a firm departure from his earlier stance, Eide, a one-time critic of the Sri Lanka government, accused the LTTE of causing havoc and fear among all communities living in Sri Lanka, including Tamils.

Inernational NGOs who lend their support to the LTTE came in for particular criticism. "They are then not supporting the Tamil cause but an utterly undemocratic movement, unable to contemplate peace in any form", Eide told the Geneva meeting of the Sub-commission. Speaking on the country s (Sri Lanka) situation during a packed hearing attended by several LTTE and pro-Eelam sympathisers, Eide said " I shall now turn from that case to that of Sri Lanka. Some of my colleagues have been here long enough to remember that I, in 1983, was the first to criticise the government of Sri Lanka for its lack of effective measures to investigate the authors of the massacres against the Tamils in the summer of 1983, including the killing of political prisoners in the Welikade prison. I know also that many in Sri Lanka subsequently regretted that they did not listen to the suggestions we then made, which were to take prompt action to restore law and order, to punish those responsible, and to involve the International Committee of the Red Cross. But, very much has changed since 1983. Among the Tamils an extremely militant group emerged calling itself the Tigers, abbreviated LTTE. Its leadership has developed an almost paranoid garrison mentality. That Movement, or particularly its leadership, respects no human rights. It engages in the most heinous crimes, using female, male and possibly even child suicide bombers to create havoc and fear. Its killing is directed not only at Sinhalese enemies, including civilians and their religious temples, but also against its Tamil opponents, including the courageous Tamil woman who was until recently the Mayor of Jaffna, until assassinated by the Tigers. Many Tamils, including those who are struggling for a devolution of power and greater influence for the Tamils, live under constant threat of assasination by the LTTE.

"What baffles me is that there are still international non-governmental organisations who lend their support to this movement. They are then not supporting the Tamil cause but an utterly undemocratic movement, unable to contemplate peace in any form."

" In 1994, a new President was elected in Sri Lanka, and the government has presented a package of devolution which goes as far as any government can possibly do. There is no doubt in my mind that the President is genuine, and that many, or probably most Tamils would be happy if the package could be accepted. But the LTTE does not want it to happen."

"The LTTE is battling for the minds and the money of the expatriate Tamil community. In order to continue its fruitless and endless war, the Tigers depend on this external financial support from which to purchase weapons and other means. The international community, the international NGOs and the governments should now seek to convince the Tamil communities in their countries that the way to achieve Tamil human rights is through an accomodation based on equality for all in the island of Sri Lanka, full respect for the cultures of the Sinhala, Tamils, Muslims and others, and a devolution of power which makes it possible, through peaceful democratic means, to ensure the conditions for the survival and reproduction of the Tamil culture".