Colombo, 06 March, (Asiantribune.com): "The time has now come for the Government to stop and look back. Before proceeding further, taking of a full stock of the situation is absolutely necessary. The latest developments in Vanni do not appear to be encouraging but in fact is distressing. I am reliably informed that people are not merely on the verge of starvation but some people had in fact died of starvation, urges V. Anandasangaree, President of the Tamil United Liberation Front.
He pointed out that during a recent briefing to the forces at the Vavuniya Head Quarters Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka had said "our progress from now onwards should be made meticulously, taking maximum precautions, keeping the civilian factor in mind at all times" it is reliably understood that there are over three hundred thousand civilians trapped there.
"Therefore even if it takes one year for the war to end the Government forces should endure it and mark time. The increase in civilian causalities including death is indeed disturbing and deplorable. The Air Force that did a good job must now use all their air crafts for humanitarian activities. Artillery attack and shelling also must stop forthwith and all the people trapped in Vanni should be tactfully and carefully brought to safety. Then only the good name earned by the forces could be retained."
"The war had been won and that is the stark truth. If the LTTE thinks that they can stage a comeback they are living in a dream world. They are now holding the people to ransom partly as human shield and partly to strengthen their bargaining power. The factors that should be taken into serious consideration in a situation like this are many," said Anandasangaree,
He further said, "This war cannot be brought to an end in a hurry as demanded by some. One should have lost something very dear to him or to her due to the war, to realize the agony the war causes to the people. All the good name the forces earned at great sacrifice including the loss of a large number of their comrades, should not go waste."
Given below the full text of the press statement by V. Anandasangaree, President of the Tamil United Liberation Front:
Vanni People In Great Distress
It is distressing to note that Vanni is starving due to acute shortage of food and the patients are suffering due to lack of essential drugs, the only available drugs being Panadol and Vitamin-C Immediate action should be taken to air drop dry ration and essential drugs followed by immediate shipment of these items. The life of more than three hundred thousand civilians is at stake. The source of information is very reliable.
The time has now come for the Government to stop and look back. Before proceeding further, taking of a full stock of the situation is absolutely necessary. The latest developments in Vanni do not appear to be encouraging but in fact is distressing. I am reliably informed that people are not merely on the verge of starvation but some people had in fact died of starvation. A family of six, narrowly escaped death after eating some food prepared with some local herbs, presumably poisonous. To make things worse the LTTE had setup check point around to prevent anyone from escaping from the areas under their control and entering the safety zone. Attempts by several people to escape were foiled by death threats and cordon and search operations. Some had even lost their lives in their attempts to escape.
The war had been won and that is the stark truth. If the LTTE thinks that they can stage a come back they are living in a dream world. They are now holding the people to ransom partly as human shield and partly to strengthen their bargaining power. The factors that should be taken into serious consideration in a situation like this are many. The Government forces suffered heavy losses and had to sacrifice thousands of soldiers in this war against terrorism. One of the factors that contributed for their victory is certainly the co-operation of the civilians given to the forces who during the entire war period treated the civilians as friends and not as enemies and vice-versa. The parents who were deprived of their children due to the LTTE’s conscription, worked with a vengeance. The LTTE cadre who lost their lives at the battle front were children of poor parents, compulsorily recruited to the LTTE cadre. Conscription is still going on. Over 8000 students who sat for the G.C.E. Examination are being mercilessly and forcibly recruited. Even the elders trapped in Vanni are given brief but intensive training to fight. Deprived of all the facilities they had in the past, the LTTE can never raise their head. Hence no one need take the LTTE seriously.
But the country has a responsibility to liberate all without one life lost. Even the LTTE cadre recruited by force should be rehabilitated. Hence it is the duty of the Government to save every soul now caught up in Vanni. Food should be provided to meet the needs of all. It is no secret that the entire LTTE cadre had been fed by the Government all these days, lasting over quarter of a century. The LTTE has a habit and now it has become a tradition for them, to meet their requirements first, before that of the civilians. Only if sufficient food ships are sent, the civilians will be in a position to receive their requirement in full.
This war cannot be brought to an end in a hurry as demanded by some. One should have lost something very dear to him or to her due to the war, to realize the agony the war causes to the people. All the good name the forces earned at great sacrifice including the loss of a large number of their comrades, should not go waste.
During a recent briefing to the forces at the Vavuniya Head Quarters Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka had said "our progress from now onwards should be made meticulously, taking maximum precautions, keeping the civilian factor in mind at all times," it is reliably understood that there are over three hundred thousand civilians trapped there.
Therefore even if it takes one year for the war to end the Government forces should endure it and mark time. The increase in civilian causalities including death is indeed disturbing and deplorable. The Air Force that did a good job must now use all their air crafts for humanitarian activities. Artillery attack and shelling also must stop forthwith and all the people trapped in Vanni should be tactfully and carefully brought to safety. Then only the good name earned by the forces could be retained.
- Asian Tribune -
Comments
Anandasagaree should shut up
Anandasagaree should shut up if he has no influence to get the Tamil civilian trapped in the LTTE controlled areas freed. He is trying to have best of both worlds as most of the shallow Tamil politicians have done over the years. There is no way to stop the war, until Prbhakaran is captured and brought to justice. Anandasagaree should better know that he is alive because of the GOSL, otherwise he would have long gone the way Amirthaligam, Thiruchelvam, Uma Maheswarn had gone before. He should know better not to play politics with terrorists. Until LTTE lay down the arms and agree to join the main political process with sincerity, they should be rounded up and get them to pay for all the mayhem they have done.
I don't know what happen to
I don't know what happen to him.
Is Mr.Anandasangaree with
Is Mr.Anandasangaree with Prabaharan and the TNA. These are the type of Politicians the Tamils are blessed with. We never had a real politician within the Tamil race who would be able to lead the Tamils.As humans we all sympathise with the civilians held by Prabaharan. The same thing happened in the 90s in Jaffna. Mr.Anandasangarres's suggestion is a foolhardy to stop the war. That is what Prabaharan wants and now Mr. Anandasangaree wants too. Is it not laughable.
I had thought that despite
I had thought that despite Mr. Anandasangaree having been connected with the TULF/Federal Party at the time they called on the "Boys" to join them in their fight, he had later come to realize what the LTTE had done to the Tamil community through its fascist indoctrinations and terrorist ideology. I thought that he saw how the Tamil people had suffered through the LTTE's sustained antagonistic stance against the GOSL, and that the region being under the LTTE's control had ensured that no development programs could be introduced into the area, thereby ensuring the enslavement of the Tamil people to the LTTE.
In fact, did Mr. Sangaree not write several open letters in the Asian Tribune itself, faulting the LTTE for what it had done to hold back the development that could have been enjoyed by the innocent Tamil people of the region? Did he not say that all he wanted was for them to have the same opportunities as their Tamil brethren in the rest of the country?
Well, the GOSL set out to liberate the Tamil people from the yoke of the LTTE, but the Tamil people in the rest of Sri Lanka including Mr. Anandasangaree are not helping any by taking the position of wanting to set the LTTE free. For what? ...more rounds of guerilla war???
Hasn't the country been through enough already at the hands of the LTTE?
Mr. Sangaree was expected to be a statesman at this juncture and take some hard decisions and come up with some real solutions. It looks as if what he wanted was for the Sinhalese soldier boys and girls to lay down their lives to retrieve the occupied region from the LTTE, but he is not prepared to support them in finishing what he also encouraged them to start.
He knows more than any of us the kind of man Prabhakaran is. He has lost more of his own leading political compatriots to the bullets of the LTTE. What is he trying to say now by backing off and getting cold feet?
He should be sternly calling on the lTTE to let the civilians go, and fight this fight like men, not cowards. He should be calling on the world's leaders to support his call and to with one voice insist on the release of the civilians. If he is a true leader of the Tamil people, this is the time to show his mettle and his statesmanship.
O.K Mr. Anandasangaree Let's
O.K Mr. Anandasangaree Let's stop the war,
What Next?
Will this Killer ever let these people go afterward What is your gurantee?
The whole world asked this killer to let this people go but he doesn't seems to take notice and perhaps will never let go .What then?
What does the Colombo Tamil elite doing to stop the war or to make the conditions better for the people there?
We saw in jaffna people coming to the steet and in Vauniya and batticalo.The poor ,the disadvantaged and the most effected are the people who are coming out in protest against it so far.
What about the Colombo Based?Who did What for them.
Press releases won't save the day for thses trapped civilians or are they?
It is believed that most of them belong to the 'Mahveers' and that may be the reason that they did not try hard to get out of this before they had the chance.
If the LTTE gets a second chance in life as a result of this human sheild then the whole terrorism community in the world will take this as a guide for their terror the world over.
Let's finish this first civilians or otherwise this war has to be fought to a finish .
My concern is for the children who are the silent victims of the terror of the adult world.
Let's face it Prabakaran will not lay down arm right now sadly not for anything just becuase he is ashamed to do so and face the world without arms that he is not used to .
As Raju points out these killers should be rounded up for their crimes against humanity.
If we do not do it now We never will
The bitter irony prabakran has realized is that the Tamil liberation is coming from the Sinhalese and he is unable to face this truth.
How about asking the English speaking colombo tamil elite who has connections to the western world and most of their children safely in the different capitals of the world who will never see the plight of the people in Wanni to come out of their masions for a change for thier kith and kin in Wanni? Why is this dead silence from them?
Tamil commmunity do not easily accomodate their own people due to so many minute divisions in their own traditions unlike sinhalese(ofcourse they have their own issues)
Mr.Anandasagaree get your own people united against terrorism for Prabakaran is the illegitamate child of the elite Tamils in Colombo .Now is the time to talk.
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