Prabhakaran asks West to redefine terrorism

By Nirupama Subramanian

COLOMBO, NOV. 27. The leader of the Tamil Tigers, Mr. Velupillai Prabhakaran, today asked the West to redefine its concept of terrorism to exclude groups like his own that, according to him, used violence for ``a concrete political objective''. In an address to commemorate ``Heroes' Day'', observed by the LTTE every year on this day in memory of its cadres killed in action, Mr. Prabhakaran denied being a terrorist and said he represented a ``people's movement''.

The speech was heard over the clandestine Voice of Tigers radio this evening and later posted on prominent Tamil websites. ``We are fighting and sacrificing our lives for the love of a noble cause, that is, human freedom. We are freedom fighters,`` he said.

The LTTE has been proscribed by India, the U.K., the U.S., besides Sri Lanka, and was recently included in a list of terrorist groups by Canada.

Criticising the western countries that had banned the LTTE for being taken in by the ``false propaganda'' of the Sri Lankan State, he warned that their attitude would impede a peaceful settlement of the conflict in the island by encouraging the government to adopt a militaristic approach to the problem. Mr. Prabhakaran, who turned 47 on Monday, said that in the context of the current global battle against terrorism, it was ``crucial'' to distinguish between ``real terrorists'' and groups like his own. ``Western democratic nations should provide a clear and comprehensive definition of the concept of terrorism that would distinguish between freedom struggles based on the right to self- determination and blind terrorist acts based on fanaticism,'' he appealed.

Mr. Prabhakaran said the U.S.-led international alliance against terrorism included Sri Lanka that ``practised State terror against the minority Tamils'' and the international community should identify and punish such States. The LTTE leader did not fail those who anticipated that his speech would contain an indication of which party the Tigers were backing in the December 5 general election.

But instead of the widespread expectation that he would tell the Tamils which way to vote, it was to the majority Sinhala community that he directed his address, all but asking them not to re-elect the People's Alliance led by the President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga.

Describing the LTTE an ``extra-parliamentary liberation organisation'' that did not attach importance to elections, he said it had become the main theme of the current election, polarising the polity between those who sought peace and those opposed to peace.

Holding Ms. Kumaratunga directly responsible for the stalled Norwegian efforts to get peace talks going, and criticising her Government for responding to the LTTE's four-month unilateral cease-fire with a military offensive earlier this year, Mr. Prabhakaran asked the Sinhalese to ``identify and renounce the racist forces committed to militarism and war''. He asked them to offer justice to the minority Tamils to bring permanent peace to Sri Lanka. The basic political aspirations of the Tamil people were ``neither separatism nor terrorism'', he said reiterating that the LTTE was ready to negotiate with Sri Lanka for a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

But, he said, the Government should first remove the ban on the LTTE and accept it as the ``authentic, legitimate representative of the Tamil people''. ``There is a possibility of peace in the island of Sri Lanka only when the LTTE is de-proscribed,'' he declared.

Campaigning in the north and east today was at low key as the region observed a ``holiday'' declared by the LTTE for ``Heroes' Day''.

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Section  : International
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