Sampanthan countered, TELO calls for complete exit of occupying forces

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 December 2012, 22:36 GMT]
The Sri Lanka military, including its three forces that spearheaded the genocide of Tamils by the Sri Lankan state is viewed by Tamils as a Sinhala military and as an occupation military. The wish of the Tamil people is that such a military should quit completely, said a press release of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO), signed by its political head and former TNA parliamentarian, M.K. Shivajilingam, on Monday. TELO is a constituent party in the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). The press release saying that such a statement on the stand of the TELO became a necessity in the context of current debates on the issue in the Tamil political circles, hinted against a recent statement by TNA leader R. Sampanthan that he was not calling for the complete withdrawal of the SL military.

Tamils seeking justice for the genocide and war crimes expect a solution based on their right to self-determination. If there is a solution then a military of Ilankai that includes Tamils could be stationed in the Tamil homeland, the press release said.

On the LTTE, the press statement said that majority of Tamils had accepted the LTTE as the national liberation movement of Tamils and the world was aware that there was a de facto state functioning under the control of the LTTE in the Tamil homeland.

Despite serious mistakes, the armed struggle led by the PLO resulted in the observer state status of Palestine in the UN. Similar armed struggle by the IRA brought in solutions to Northern Ireland. But, several countries joined together to destroy the struggle of LTTE for the national liberation of Tamils. None of them, or the UNO came forward to stop the genocide. Now even the internal review of the UN accuses it for its failure, the TELO statement said, once again hinting against Sampanthan denouncing the LTTE.

Without depending on the Sri Lankan State for solutions, we all should work together for Tamils to rule themselves with the help of the international community. Only through that, lasting peace could come to the island, the statement further said.

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