JVP-SLFP pact threatens peace and is set to provoke ethnic war- LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 January 2004, 10:01 GMT]
“The Memorandum of Understanding signed by the JVP and the SLFP after a year of intense dialogue fails to produce any concrete, realistic formula for a negotiated settlement of the Tamil national question. Rather, this anti-peace political pact articulating an incoherent, confused and mutually contradictory position on a serious national issue might create objective conditions for the resumption of ethnic war," Mr. Anton Balasingham, the chief negotiator and political strategist of the LTTE told TamilNet Wednesday.

“Our leadership is studying with grave concern the unified re-emergence of Sinhala-Buddhist chauvinistic forces under the new banner of the so-called United People’s Freedom Alliance. This alliance is opposed to peace and peaceful resolution of the ethnic conflict,” Mr Balasingham told TamilNet when queried about the movement’s position on the agreement between the JVP and the SLFP.

“A careful scrutiny of the joint statement reveals that this new alliance is totally opposed to Tamil aspirations for self-rule in their homeland based on their right to self determination. Both the parties have divergent views on the resolution of the Tamil question. While SLFP favours devolution of power to the provinces, the JVP advocates ‘administrative decentralisation to the local authority level’. Both are opposed to the principle of sharing power with the Tamil people. This position is totally unacceptable to the our people,” the LTTE’s theoretician declared.

“The document rejects the LTTE’s acclaimed position as the sole and authentic representatives of the Tamil people and states that the ‘talks could be held with the LTTE and other relevant groups and communities.’ While rejecting this position as unacceptable we wish to state emphatically that our liberation organisation will not enter into negotiations with anyone who does not recognise the LTTE as the sole and authentic representatives of the Tamil people,” Mr Balasingham said.

The LTTE’s political advisor dismissed the criticism levelled by the two parties against the present peace process posing a threat to the ‘sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of the country’ as paranoia that has not basis in reality.

“This political pact is aimed at confusing the ordinary Sinhala masses and to seek political power in the forth coming election. It is the Sinhalese people who have to reflect on the dangerous consequences that might arise if forces inimical to peace and ethnic harmony are voted to political power,” Mr Balasingham observed.