In the March issue of Socialist Outlook (No 22) Sunil Fernando draws the attention to the killing fields in Sri Lanka. But his judgement of the Tamil Tigers seems sectarian to me.
Towards the end of the article Fernando says: 'For the moment things are relatively quiet in Sri Lanka because the government has made common cause with the Tamil Tigers (LTTE), one of the Tamil nationalist groups, against the more progressive Tamil groups.' and refers to 'the opportunist policies of the Tamil Tigers'.
Fernando's article does not explain what has been the relationship between the Sri Lankan army, the Indian troops in Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers in the North and Eastern provinces of the island.
The Sri Lankan government invited in the Indian troops to defeat the Tamil Tigers militarily – something the Sri Lankan army had been unable to do in years of fighting. For 32 months, 50,000 Indian troops tried to defeat the Tamil Tigers – unsuccessfully.
The Tamil Tigers (LTTE) fought the fourth biggest army in the world – and the Indians lost the lives of more than 1,100 soldiers, with more than 2,000 seriously wounded. No guerrilla army would be able to do that without massive popular support.
The LTTE's popular support is widely recognised. In the Guardian Derek Brown writes from New Delhi that the Tamil Tigers 'have emerged as the de facto power in the Tamil provinces.'
Now for nearly a year the LTTE has been in negotiations with the Sri Lankan government. These negotiations seems to Fernando to be a proof of the Tamil Tigers 'opportunist' policies.
The Tamil population undoubtedly wants peace. After years of fighting with the Sri Lankan army, 4,000 civilians were killed during the 32 months of Indian occupation.
One can compare the Tigers' negotiations with the Sri Lankan government with FMLN's negotiations and peace initiatives toward the government of El Salvador. Neither the LTTE nor the FMLN have handed over their arms while negotiating. Both use negotiations as part of the political struggle.
The Tamil Tigers' negotiations with the Sri Lankan government did increase the pressure on the government to get rid of the Indian troops. That is a step toward independence and self-determination for the Tamil provinces.
Fernando did not offer much political guidance in his article; but solidarity work with the Tamil people will have to recognise that the Tigers are the leading force in a national liberation movement. Socialists, and in particular revolutionary marxists, should therefore take care to avoid sectarianism towards the LTTE.
Finn Jensen,
Manchester