Violating the CFA again

THE LTTE is back to its usual game. Barely one week before the commencement of the Geneva talks, a Sea Tiger vessel has blown itself up in the northern waters upon detecting an approaching Navy vessel.

Sea Tiger vessels don't merely blow themselves up for fun. Even without the elucidation of the Government Military spokesman it is all too obvious that the vessel was transporting weapons. The nature of the explosion confirmed this.

What does this portend? Here we have LTTE spokesman S. P. Thamilselvan talking about the need to promote trust between both parties before the upcoming talks.

Does he believe that transporting weapons in violation of the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) is one such way of building trust?

Here we have a scenario where the LTTE claims the Government has failed to implement the CFA and is insisting on this matter be thrashed out at the outset before negotiations proper commence.

Now the very CFA it is so keen to put in order is breached even before talks have commenced. Isn't this a demonstration of its true intentions? This episode only goes to underline the duplicitous conduct of the LTTE right throughout the conflict.

This is not the first time that the LTTE has showed its contempt for negotiations. One recalls a similar incident at the fourth round of peace talks in Berlin when the LTTE blew up a vessel with several cadres on board after ordering a couple of SLMM "inspectors" to take a swim.

Eventually the talks lasted for only another round (Hakone) before the entire process collapsed. Now we see the LTTE starting its antics even before the talks have got off the grounds. This should provide food for thought to the Government.

It should not allow itself to get carried away by the euphoria built around the impending talks but act with circumspection and not make the mistake of its predecessor who went about on a course of appeasement without paying attention to the possible dangers and pitfalls that lay ahead.

Rather than treat this matter as yet another incident in the litany of LTTE ceasefire violations, the Government should take up the matter with the Norwegian facilitator and clear the decks before the talks get under way.

Such incidents being only too familiar to the Lankan authorities during negotiations, an undertaking should be extracted from the LTTE to desist from such acts and to repay the trust and goodwill demonstrated by the Government even under grave political risk. No room should be left for the LTTE to queer the pitch while on the threshold of talks.

The Government has shown its genuine intent of the getting the whole process off the ground. Likewise it behoves on the LTTE who claims to be the sole representatives of the Tamil people to reciprocate in kind.

The Government on the other hand should spare no pains to get to the bottom of this incident lest similar incidents take place while the talks are in progress leaving a cloud hanging over the entire process.

That would be a step backward and leave a bad taste in the mouth of the parties and endanger the talks. That the intention of the Government is genuine is demonstrated by its act of inviting even UNP negotiators to address the present team.

This fact should not be lost on the international community. Above all what is required is a united front to counter the LTTE machinations.