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The struggle has reached its bitter end. Against all odds we have contained the Sinhalese army without any help, except the endless support of our people. It is our people who is dying under the bombs and missiles, of starvation and illnesses. We have only one option left to remove the last weak pretext of our enemy to exterminate our people. We have decided to silence our weapons. We only lament the loss of lives, that we cannot sustain for longer. We won't bear anymore watching how the blood of our people is spilled.
We need to do everything on our hands to stop this slaughter. If this implies laying down our arms and get into a peace process, that is something we already said were willing to do. We are living in an unprecedented historical moment that requires unprecedented prudent historical decisions. If that saves the lives of thousands, it must be done.
This is the excerpt published by Gara of the communication of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam, signed by Selvarasa Pathmanathan.
An interview with this leader of the Tamil guerrilla can be watched at Channel 4 as well. He denies surrender but insists in using the expression "laying down arms" instead. He also rejects they have used civilians as human shields claiming instead that the people went with them because they distrust the Sinhalese army.
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2 comments:
On BBC WS radio a journalist who covered the conflict from the begining said the TT's decline started when they changed from elusive guerillas to become a more conventional force with a front line.
Also the Chinese billions in Sri Lanka fund battle against Tamil Tigers "China’s aid to Sri Lanka jumped from a few million dollars in 2005 to almost $1 billion last year, replacing Japan as the biggest foreign donor. By comparison, the United States gave $7.4 million last year, and Britain just £1.25 million.
“That’s why Sri Lanka has been so dismissive of international criticism,” said B. Raman of the Chennai Centre for China Studies. “It knows it can rely on support from China"
the TT's decline started when they changed from elusive guerillas to become a more conventional force with a front line.
Possibly but that's what all the classical guerrilla manuals suggest one has to do in order to win. And has worked in other occasions.
Also the Chinese billions in Sri Lanka fund battle against Tamil Tigers...
That's an interesting piece of info, thanks. There's some intriguing diplomacy going on Asia the Pacific and Africa these days.
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