The 'injured innocence' in Prabhakaran's annual "Heroes' Day" address notwithstanding, the first major LTTE reaction to the 'southern developments' following its counter-proposals to the Sri Lankan peace process has been on expected lines. While swearing by the peace process, Prabhakaran has once again hinted at the possibility of the LTTE going on the separatist route, and to war, if left with no other choice.
Both in terms of tactics and strategy, Prabhakaran and the LTTE need to be prepared for war even while talking peace, yes. They cannot be blamed just because the Sri Lankan Government is un-focused and its armed forces are unprepared for waging a fresh bout of war with the LTTE should the peace process flounder all over again.
Yes, de jure sovereignty and legitimacy come with as much responsibilities and liabilities not attending on a guerilla organisation, or a de facto administration. What the LTTE could do covertly in procuring more arms during the truce period, the Sri Lankan Government cannot be seen as doing. The Ceasefire Agreement too prohibits the same. The If anything, the Ranil Wickremesinghe Government should have read the fine-print closely before signing on the dotted lines of the Ceasefire Agreement.
While the LTTE and Prabhakaran may have turned a new leaf, and may be sincere and serious about peace and prosperity for the Tamils as much for Ranil Wickremesinghe may be keen on ensuring them for the 'Sinhala South', they have been hamstrung by the past. They cannot complain that the Tiger's changed stripes are not tactical, as previous peace processes had shown - but is for real.
For all the profession of innocence, the LTTE has not explained to any amount of satisfaction how and why a perceived moderate like Anton Balasingham was pulled out of the peace process, and his place allowed to be taken by S P Tamilselvan, seen as a hawk. True, Balasingham has not been keeping well, but there is nothing new about it, either.
The LTTE also did not convince anyone by pulling out of the peace process. While the counter-proposals are a signal of its willingness to restart the negotiations, it was still the LTTE that clouded the CBMs by pulling out of the early round of talks on 'non-core issues". After all, the LTTE's protest over the armed forces withdrawing from the 'high security zones' was not even been addressed with any seriousness during its withdrawal from the talks.
With the result, instead of passing on the counter-proposals to the Sri Lankan Government across the table, the LTTE ended up routing it through the 'outsider' Norwegian facilitator all over again. If anything, this only set the clock back on the gestures attending on the peace process, recalling memories of the Norwegian team making hop-step-and-jump trips between Kilinochchi and Colombo, giving the impression that the LTTE leadership wanted to keep the focus on it, and at the same time delay, if not stall the peace process.
Prabhakaran, as expected, has used the anticipated differences between President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, to try shift the blame away from the LTTE so very completely. His repeated references to the President's perceptions, based as much on her concerns for Sri Lankan sovereignty as on her experience with the LTTE, has sought to drive a wedge between the nation's 'Top Two'.
Prabhakaran's "Heores' Day" speech may have come a little too late in the day for the LTTE's comfort, given the current patch-up efforts between the two. More importantly, the LTTE, like Ranil Wickremesinghe before it, needs to realise that Chandrika also represents a constituency in the South whose sentiments need to be respected as much, if not more than those of the Tamils.
While none can question the possibility of the LTTE having changed tacks, and being serious about the peace initiative, it is now as much for Prabhakaran to prove the organisation's ignorance to the international community, just as he wants the Sri Lankan Government and the 'Sinhala South' to prove their genuineness of approach to the Tamil community. One complements the other, and neither can be a stand-alone.
The views expressed above belong to the author(s). ORF research and analyses now available on Telegram! Click here to access our curated content — blogs, longforms and interviews.
PREV
