'We are firmly behind peace process' - Kausalyan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 October 2002, 13:46 GMT]
"Several forces are attempting to sabotage the current peace process, assisted by some members of the news media. But we are firmly committed to the peace process as repeatedly articulated and directed by our national leader V. Pirapaharan," said Kausalyan, head of the Liberation Tigers (LTTE) political section, Batticaloa-Ampara district in a press conference held in Kokadichcholai District Secretariat on 30 October morning.

"We are fighting for the rights of our people. LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka have agreed amicably to suspend fighting. But, we are now continuing our non-violent struggle for the achieving our peoples rights and to rebuild the economic framework of Northeast.

"No one should view the people as different from the Liberation Tigers. The struggle we are engaged in is the struggle of the people. The media and press should work diligently to impress this upon the people. Doubts in this regard will be detrimental to our struggle.

"We were not in anyway involved in the recent incidents in Kanjirankuda and Akkarapattu. Some nefarious forces were acting with the assistance of some media to implicate us. However, truth has prevailed and we have been vindicated.

"Recently several youth have voluntarily joined us to participate in political activities of our organization. After the signing of the Cease-fire Agreement we have not been engaged in recruitment to our forces. However, we will continue our military training and will keep our forces well prepared, as any other military organization will do under similar circumstances," said Kausalyan.

Head of the Batti-Ampara intelligence section, Ramanan, praised the media personnel for courageously working within adverse circumstances of press censorship and threat to their lives. Journalists Nirmalarajan and Nithyananthan paid high price with their lives for their fiercely independent reporting, said Ramanan.

Bawa, head of political section in Ampara, media coordinator Kirushan and head of judicial branch Yogan Father also participated in the press conference.

This was the first press conference held after the appointment of Kausalyan in his new official position in the LTTE.