Q: What are the prospects for peace in Sri Lanka considering the recent escalation in military engagements?

A: There is no prospect for peace at the moment. The government believes that it can win the war through military means and the LTTE will of course react to that. As long as the government is committed to a military solution, I don’t see any prospects for peace in the immediate future.

Q: The LTTE had said it would not avenge Tamilselvan’s killing. Do you think the LTTE would return to the negotiating table after this incident or will they use it as an excuse to wage war?

A: Politicians on both sides have been assassinated during the last 25 years. That did not prevent either side from going to the negotiating table. I condemn all the political killings that have taken place.

Q: The government continues to claim that the doors are always open for talks.But the government forces have also carried out attacks which eventually resulted in the killing of the LTTE political wing head. Do you think the government is genuine towards a negotiated settlement to the ethnic issue?

A: When they say the doors are open for peace, I do not think that the government means to have discussions with the LTTE. I think what they mean is to destroy or beat the LTTE and then have discussions. Neither the government nor the LTTE have ever been genuine. Both sides have not learnt any lessons from past negotiations. Both sides have hidden agendas. The agenda is that both sides have continued to re-arm. They are engaged in what I call politics of duplicity.

Q: Who will the government hold discussions with if they mean to destroy the LTTE?

A: The government will hold discussions with another representative of the Tamil people. But all these are irrelevant. The government should provide a political package which can satisfy the aspirations of the Tamil people.

Q: You were reported to have said that the LTTE has betrayed the Tamil people by not working towards a political solution. Does that mean they are not sincere and should be dealt with militarily?

A: I’m glad you asked that question. What I said was the LTTE, like many other armed groups came about as a result of the failure of moderate Tamil politicians to resolve the national question. And therefore an entire younger generation questioned whether the problem could be solved in a peaceful and non-violent way. Therefore an armed movement was formed to achieve freedom for their people. That is how the LTTE also came about. My position is that if you look at the methods used by the LTTE they have become counter productive. Mahatma Gandhi said the struggle for peace depends very much on the methods that you use. But if you engage in activities like child recruitment and also deny the rights of other minorities like the Muslims or if you deny the rights of others to participate in the political environment, people begin to ask whether this is the kind of freedom they want. The LTTE also has responded violently to state sponsored terrorism for the last 25 years. They have to reflect on some of the methods that they use.

Q: The US Ambassador Robert Blake has repeatedly said the war is not winnable which view the international community including India have expressed. The Defence Secretary, Gotabaya Rajapakse has said it will have to be a military solution. Which view do you subscribe to and why?

A: Naturally I subscribe to the view of Ambassador Blake. Wars are not winnable in the 21st century. One good example is the US war on Iraq. President Bush wanted a quick war. The most powerful army is present in Iraq. But they have not been able to win that war. On the contrary a million people have died because of the war. This has become a nightmare. In Sri Lanka too war is not a question of gaining territory. It is about winning the hearts and minds of the people. If you look at the way the war was conducted we have certainly not won the hearts of the people in the north and east. If the government takes over Killinochchi and Mullaithivu there will be another generation who will take up arms.

Q. Are you taking any action to get the international community to urge the government to concentrate on a political solution?

A. There is no point urging the international community. The international community is getting fed up. They are no longer enthusiastic about Sri Lanka. I think the international community will totally abandon the country if we go on like this.

Q: What are you doing as a peace activist?

A: We had a People’s Congress on November 10, where 7,000 delegates who are informed citizens of the country. The other aspect was that more than 50% of them were women. People of other ethnic groups also participated. We presented a People’s Declaration highlighting the profound crisis in Sri Lanka, and that the country has deteriorated economically, socially and culturally. We made a point that Sri Lanka is a spiritual desert and that war is only one aspect of this crisis. The Presidential system is also a cause for the problem. The Presidential system was formed to resolve problems that could not be solved in parliament but it has not been the case. Most presidents have been the President of his party and his ethnic group. People don’t have faith in the political system. The leaders have failed to resolve the Tamil national question. And these people have been waiting for 56 years. The war will cost around Rs. 2000 billion next year. How are they getting the money? By printing and borrowing money at high interest rates? The war is generating inflation. Our inflation rate is 22% — the highest in Asia. The war has increased the cost of living. It is non-productive. Now people are realising the connection between the war and the stomach. Free education has been eroded by education policies. Transport has degenerated. People do not have access to many hospitals. The money spent on the war should be spent to develop these.

Q: The Anti War Front was launched with much fanfare but it appears to have lost the initial zeal. Are government members pulling you back?

A: The congress decided to form a people’s movement. We did a lot of work at the grassroots. We have 15,000 members and more are joining. We will talk to the leaders of the relevant parties. We will take legal action if necessary, and even engage in satyagraha. But clearly we are not a political party. We are a people’s movement.

Q: In your view, do the people also want a military settlement to the ethnic issue?

A: The government through the media has shown that it has made some military gain. A section of the people are convinced that the government can win the war. But that view is now challenged by many due to the cost of living, corruption and other reasons. The people are beginning to question the ideology of war in the country.

[11-22-2007]