Dancing with Prabhakaran

On Saturday 26th November 2005 the LTTE leader (Prabhakaran) made the much awaited statement regarding the future of the ethnic conflict that has been embroiling for too long.

Surprise, surprise what a telling statement it was! It showed a weaker-terror mastermind who bullied every know human in the island until he subjugated each one. Pundits were predicting a raging response to the peace overtures made by the newly elected popular nationalist President of Sri Lanka – labeled as a “hawk” by those who were disappointed by his win. Cries of war were broadcasted globally to undermine Presidents’ win by the conspiratorial media sympathetic to Tamils. All feared the worst and I for one wasn’t moved by any of those calculated exercises to derail any deserved justice to the majority of the population who were victims of terrorism long before US came to know about terrorism. From what I see from this vantage point Prabhakaran’s twilight zone is shrinking pretty fast.

There are several key factors for Prabhakaran’s descend. The most significant is the new view on global terrorism and the notoriety now assigned to the LTTE which lead to EU restrictions. The next is the depleted cadre numbers and the low moral among them to fight another war. They don’t have the stomach to fight a losing war. It is amusing to learn that today’s LTTE cadre is well represented by the child-soldiers who were conscripted and forced to wear the infamous “cyanide capsule.” But there are other killing reasons for Prabhakaran to pause and ponder, that’s the infighting within the much feared brutal regime he had created oppress threats from within and outside. Apart from the famous breakaway of the Karuna group of the Eastern command, there are reports of splits in the power base in London and whistle blowing in Australia that lead to the most recent arrests by Aussie counter terror police.

I am much delight by the turn of these events for the simple reason that there must be a peaceful resolution to this conflict. Since the inception of the insurrection the LTTE has stood fast on their determination eliminate any one who uttered any counter view to their claim on a homeland for Tamils in the North and East excluding over a million or so other Tamils in the rest of the island.

My praise goes to the newly elected visionary President Mahinda Rajapakse for his foresight. He is a mastermind who will eventually out-fox Prabhakaran at his own game of chess. Rajapakse is the representative of those who felt that Prabhakaran has committed gross rights violations in his power hungry adventure that has cost the lives of over 60,000 and counting. Rajapakse has indicated to all that he intend to move with direction and purpose, and I have no about he’ll deliver a lasting solution under his terms.

In the recent elections Prabhakaran ensured that Tamils in his enclave didn’t vote, disenfranchised nearly half a million or so Tamils on his orders. What does that tell us about the man? He doesn’t believe in democracy and has never allowed Tamils to choose a representative to settle this conflict – in fact over a twenty five year period he had systematically eliminated the entire Tamil leadership, thus leaving him as the only conspicuous one. What an irony for the Tamils, they gave in to his extortions and never chose him; he just walks brandishing a knife with a throat slitting expression. From what we have seen from his record no one can trust him to exercise civility. In short he is the monster that devil chose to enter this world.

No matter what deal he strikes with President Rajapakse I like to see if all Tamils agree that their envoy is Prabhakaran through consensus. It means calling for fresh polls in those areas affected by Prabhakaran’s decree. My concern is that Prabhakaran is not the person to head any authority that continues to brutalize Tamils. He has created a culture of violence and he shouldn’t be forgiven just because he wants peace now. Let there be free and fair polls to choose one.