Sri Lanka's propaganda conceals truth - Pirabakaran

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
"We should not be reluctant to state courageously and honestly the true situation and the reality in our land" said the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Veluppillai Pirabakaran, addressing members of the Voice of Tigers last evening at a special function to honour writers and artistes.

The following are excerpts from his speech -

"The Sinhala chauvinist government is not only waging a war against us with weapons but also with ideology. This propaganda war is being waged to conceal the truth, weave lies and confuse the people.

"You know that all the media of the Sinhala nation are zealously engaged in taking forward this propaganda war (Parappurai Por). The aim of this propaganda war is to tarnish the national liberation struggle of the Tamil people and subdue it."

"In this situation the role of our media is important. We have to state the truth to our people and the world. We should struggle against falsehood with the weapon of truth. Lies and falsehoods will vanish with time. Only truth will last forever. Therefore we should not be reluctant to state the true situation and the reality in our land with courage and honesty."

"An important propaganda tactic of Sinhala chauvinism is to deny the nationhood of the Tamils. The Sinhala government is spreading notions that the Tamils are a minority people, that they are one among many ethnic groups and that the Tamils did not have a motherland of their own. The Sinhala state is engaging in very sophisticated propaganda that all are Sri Lankans, that Sri Lanka is everyone's country and that all are one people.

"It can be seen that in this propaganda movement and in the package which the state has put forward ideas which deny the distinct nationality of the Tamils."