Sri Lanka's Peoples Alliance coalition government recently made far reaching devolution proposals, tied to a veto by referendum in which the Tamils would be a minority. The NSSP (Sri Lankan section of the Fourth International) as well the Tamil Tigers (the LTTE) view the proposals as a fraudulent attempt to legitimise and step up the war under the guise of peace proposals. Even whilst the proposals are made, new appeals are being made to foreign governments to step up arms supplies, arguing the "legitimacy' of the government's initiative. V. THIRUNAVUKKARASU Is a leading member of the NSSP and the party's coordinator on the national question. ALAN THORNETT spoke to him In Sri Lanka. Why is the Peoples Alli- been broken, on July 9th, the ance Government sive military assault on the putting the devolution Jaffna peninsula code named proposals forward at "Operation Leap Forward" this time and what do They predicted that they they want out of it? would be able to defeat the Tigers with that single operaThe PA goverment has tion, but this did not happen. been a year in office, on a very thin majority in Parlia- were unable to penetrate the ment. Tamil heartland During the election campaign Chandrika Ban- ure that Chandrika came out daranaike repeatedly said that with her package, It was never the resolution of the national put on the cable during the question was the single most talks - which showed from the important issue at stake, that it start that she was not serious must be resorco by grandma about such a settlement. national rights to the Tamils. and that the army must be to "continue the war in order withdrawn from the north to reach peace".
Withholding the package also meant that it was preshould be maximum devolution of power to the peoples of war climate - during which the north cast and stressed that the Sinhala racists had gained she had a framework for this some ground. The worst con almost ready. Her proposals. ditions for its acceptance had however, were withheld for a been created. The package is number of moaths - despite not a genuine attempt for a proiess trom the brib and settlement but a shield behind other groups.
When She cousi Instead Chandrika opened verting the attention of the innegotiations with the LTTE. ternational community. These discussions were not on This is their strategy. fined to practical issues: What is the attitude of roads, electricity, and so on.
the NSSP to the war On this basis they reached an and the package? agreement for the ceasefire -The NSSP recognises the During the negotiations north cast as the home land the LTTE made demands of the Tamil speaking peosuch as the removal of the army base at Poonaryn ple and defends their right (which cuts off the land rout to determine their own futo the Jaffna peninsula) and ture. freodom of movement for the Wage is that while it looks atbut in tie tearies of tric north east. The government tractive and interesting its team rejected these demands -problem not only because of only agreeing to shift the army camp involved a dis- une way it has beca introduced but because it has to have a Lance of suv metres: ine LTTE responded by giving two thirds majority in parliatwo deadlines for the resumpIt also has to be subjocted and then April 19th. On April to a referendum under condi19th the war resumed. tions of an inbuilt SinhMa maSoon after the truce had Jonly amongst the volets. This Chandrika says is the requirements of the constitu. Gonna so ba the package since it can never This is what makes it a total fraud.
Instead of hiding behind the constitution the govemment should implement the immediately proposals through a constituent assem. bly. This could bypass the constitutional formalities and resolve the situation. What form is the campaign taking against these proposals in which the NSSP is involved? The UNP (the main capitalist party) has said that they would consider supporting the proposals as long as they do not lead > separation. In other words they have made There is also the extreme chauvinist elements who oppose any change in the current situation and that the LTTE should be smashed by milicary means. This is the Bud. dhist clergy and a group of 23 Then there are those who support the Tamil people in their national rights, most importantly the NSSP and secmovement. We are for the unification of the country by шіс вскочининь вж нашоса rightsof the Tamil people. We have launched a campaign against the referendum and for the implementation of the union movement from a conference held recently in Colombo. V. Thirunavukkarasu, from the Political Bureau of the NSSP The main slogans of the campaign are: stop the war; no referendum: introduce the devolution proposals through a constituent assembly. What is type of organisation is the LTTE? The LTTE has a mainly petty bourgeois base. adopted the armed struggle after two and a half decades of oppression of the Tamil peopic.
It has never been a democratic organisation and does sition. They have assassinated other left leaders such as our own comrade Annamalai.
As a revolutionary party we of course do not rule out armed struggle but their has to be a mass involvement and allowed to mature and there has to be democracy in the The LTTE has only the annico stuggic. ancie is no mass participation or democratic expression. There are occasional demonstrations in Jaffna - a recent one of several thousand against the war - but they do not alter the character of the struggle.
The NSSP believes that the struggle of the Tamil people has to be linked up politically with other struggles: for democratic rights, trade union rights and workers rights etc. The LTTE is militarily very powerful but this is not Can you say something of the current sufferings of the people in the north east? The sufferings have been and are enormous. Over the last 12 years not less than 50,000 people have been killed in the war.
There are 500,000 refogees in the refugee camps and 120,000 staying with relaLives no ner 125,000 in India.
"Operation Leap Forward" 300,000 people were displaced - but most of these have returned. There is at the same time regular shelling and bombing of civilian arcas. age of food and medicine. There has been an embargo on petrol, diesel. cement, fertilThere has been a ban on fishing in the north east waters.
There has been no clectricity an ine fattna peninsurar Ton a long time. Even oil for domestic lighting is very restricted. A litre of oil for lighting is 900 percent dearer than in the government areas. 90 per cent of the people have only one meal a day.
The Jaffna peninsula is under a state of siege, surrounded as it is by military bases at the following places: Mandaitivu. Kayts, Pooneryn SUPPORT HARAYA! Haraya is the Sinhala language fortnightly paper of the Sri lanka section of the Fourth International. It Is the only paper in Sri Lanka which campaigns consistently:
• against the World Bank and IMF • amongs the Sinhala and Elephant pass. There is no safe passage to and from the peninsula and people have to use the hazardous and expensive Kilaly lagoon route How are the Western powers involved in this? They are the main target of this strategy. The package is crucial for the supply of arms to the Sri Lankan govemment.
It legitimises the arms trade since Chandrika can say that she has done everything possible to end the war buthas been forced to pursue it. She will say that the only alternative is a military victory. many westem coonunes nave welcomed the proposals and accepted them as a genuine Some have hinted that the package has created the conditions for the resumption of You must demand of the British government that it does not respond to this request. You must insist that left Labour MPs in Britain demano that ine murocrous war is stopped and that no arms are supplied. against the Tamits measures of the Chandrika Haraya is facing financial problems and seeking donations from Britain. Cheques should be made payable to NSSP UK and sent to PO Box 1109, London N4 2UU, marked Haraya Fund.
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No 90. 23 September 1995. Page 8.