TULF slams hostile Tamil press

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 January 1999, 23:54 GMT]
"The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) has never acted against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). We have been asking the Sri Lankan Government to hold talks with them to resolve the conflict. Therefore the LTTE has the moral duty to give us security for us to function with out any hindrance", said Mr. V. Anandasangari, the Vice president of the TULF, at a press conference held at the party's office in Stanley road, Jaffna Sunday (January 3).

He said that he, as a person who has been involved in matters since the local government elections were held, has a duty to explain the party's standpoints.

"Mr. Mathimukarajah did not play any key role in the party politics. He did not wish to be the Mayor of Jaffna, and the people of Jaffna are witness to this" said Mr. Anandasangari of the TULF official recently shot dead in Jaffna

"It malicious propaganda to say that he wanted to become either a Mayor or a councillor. We asked him to contest in the local government elections. But he refused."

"We asked him accept the post of Mayor of Jaffna after the murder of Mrs. Yogeswaran. But he refused."

"We asked him again after the killing of Mr.Sivapalan. But he refused again. He was trying to solve the problems of people who came to our office."

Mr. Anadasangari accused sections of the Sri Lankan Tamil press for writing against the TULF and, according to him, thus endangering the party’s leaders.

"I would precisely say that certain Tamil newpapers are the reason for these continuing murders. Some national papers also published the news which appeared in these papers", he said.

"A paper run by an MP, getting paid by the government, living in a house also provided by the government, with the blessings of the Government and at the same time identifying himself as a LTTE supporter, is the main reason for the current situation."

"This paper published humiliating articles about Mathimukarasa"

"We did not want to contest the local government elections. We asked the government, even after the nominations were filed, not to hold the elections. But we participated in the elections because the government was hell-bent on holding it."

"The paper, supported by the government, should have acted with good intentions, but it changed into an organ that carried propaganda against the TULF and hence there was danger for our leaders," said Mr. Anandasagari.

"The TULF has never acted against the LTTE. When many of our leaders were killed, we carried on in silence, even though we knew who killed them. I believed that these killings will be stopped one day"

"But that did not happen. So those who did these killings should take responsibility and give an explanation for them."

"The TULF has been voting against the extension of the emergency regulations. We rejected the government’s recent budget proposals."

"Whenever a foreign country asked for our advice we have told them that the [Sri Lankan] government should talk with the LTTE."

"We have been giving prominence to the LTTE."

"The LTTE has the moral duty to give us security for us to function with out any hindrance. They should not see us a enemy force, but accept us as an organisation that follows the path of Thanthai Chelva (S.J.V. Chelvanaygam) and help us to function."

"This is our message to the LTTE" he said.