Selected Texts from the 1994-5 Negotiations Process These pages reproduce excerpts from letters, exchanged between representatives of the Sri Lankan government the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) LTTE Headquarters
President Chandrika Kumaratunge Dear Madam President, This is to thank you for your letter dated 16 February. On the 13 February we addressed an important communication to Presidential Secretary Balapatabendi, and were awaiting a response from him; and hence the delay in replying you. It is regrettable that in his very brief letter, Mr. Balapatabendi failed to respond to any of the vital matters that we raised. His letter was also silent on issues such as the modalities in implementing the agreement on the cessation of hostilities - the functioning of the monitoring committees, and the continuation of the talks. He appears to have marginalized the many issues we raised by merely saying that the government had taken various steps to solve the living problems of the Tamil people. You are quite aware of our stand on the question of opening a route between the peninsula and the northern mainland, and your government has negated our proposal on this question which we hold important. But to go ahead and make a unilateral declaration that the government has decided to open both the Pooneryn and Elephant Pass routes to the public can only help to gain propaganda yardage for the government. It cannot be of any use in taking the peace process forward. We are surely disappointed over this. This unilateral declaration makes me think very clear, the government is intent in giving priority not to the needs of the people but to military subterfuges! The talk about lifting the embargo on all essentials is another piece of deception. You well know that the embargo is yet in force on various items. Items such as fuel, diesel, vehicles, motor spares, batteries which are essentials in any civilized society have been identified as military ware! Besides, the armed forces at Vavuniya check point prevent even those items on which the embargo has been lifted from reaching the people in any appreciable quantity. This then is the reality on the ground, and the people are surely aware of this. The wrong impression being sought to be created in Mr. Balapatabendi's statement that the embargo has been lifted on all essentials required by the people is merely a piece of sophistry. It can neither reduce the sufferings of our people, nor can it help in the peace process. Now, on the question of a ceasefire, there appears to be a paralysis of will. It really astonishes us that you are not showing any keenness to extend the present temporary cessation of hostilities into a permanent, durable ceasefire. We have time and again referred to this, in the many letters that we have sent to your government. I have also explained the various confusions that have resulted in not working out the modalities in the implementation of the existing cessation of hostilities agreement. We have yet to receive any concrete responses from you. This has in turn resulted in delays in getting the foreign heads of monitoring committees to begin assuming their functions. Further delays on this question can jeopardise the entire peace process. There is a further need to hold consultations regarding the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the war ravaged areas. Towards this purpose, a decision making body has to be set up, composed of representatives of the government as well as the LTTE. This was in fact agreed to, by your representatives at the last round of talks. We therefore wish to stress that whatever steps that are taken in this regard should be done on the basis of the understanding reached between both sides at the previous rounds of talks. Yours sincerely, V. Pirabhakaran Leader, Text as published on the internet site: www.eelam.com.
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