Sri Lankan Tamils human rights have been violated by multiple parties. One of the Tamil rights activists belonging to the highly-respectable University Teachers for Human Rights group has produced a report on their website. They are very critical of both sides. They have criticised the LTTE too.
The researcher was telling me that some 9,000 people have been recruited by LTTE in Tamil areas. Now I doubt if this recruitment is voluntary or not. But people in Kilinochchi face bombs from the air or mortar shells in their homes, probably some of them will find LTTE as their saviour. The biggest problem in Sri Lanka is the conduct of the regime. They seem to be saying that, "We are a Sinhala state and we will remain a Sinhala state come what may." This perception is I think the biggest oxygen provider to the LTTE. The LTTE is kept alive by the Sinhala state's conduct which is really sad.
Today, the international community is completely frustrated with Sri Lanka including the Norwegians. They realise that neither party wants peace. In any conflict peace comes only when the main protagonists decide to stop fighting and bargain for peace. Peace will come only then, with or without India. The LTTE's biggest weapon is Tamil nationalism.
It's not yet time to write the LTTE's obituary. Only when the Sri Lankan state resolves the Tamil issue politically then you can have an obit for the LTTE.
Image: A file photo shows Prabhakaran inspecting the passing out parade of a new commando-style motorcycle unit of his rebel movement.
Photograph: STR/AFP/Getty Images
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