LLRC a failure, LTTE not regrouping M.A.

Sumanthiran

April 20, 2014 On the in itation of the South Afri!an "o ernment, a four#mem$er Tamil %ational Allian!e &T%A' (elegation le( $) R. Sampanthan i*ite( the !ountr) re!entl). South Afri!an +re*i(ent, ,a!o$ -uma, ha* appointe( Afri!an %ational Congre** &A%C' .eput) +re*i(ent, C)ril Ramapho*a, a* a *pe!ial en o) to (eal /ith the Sri Lan0an i**ue. T%A M+ M.A. Sumanthiran, /ho /a* part of the T%A (elegation, along /ith hi* !olleague* Sure*h +rema!han(ran an( Sel am A(ai0alanathan, *hare* hi* ie/* /ith Ce)lon To(a) on the ne/ initiati e *proute( $) the rain$o/ nation. 1ollo/ing are e2!erpt*3 By Ananth Palakidnar- April 20, 2014 Q: What was the purpose behind the TNA's visit to South Afri a last week!

A: South Africa's concern over the Lankan Tamil issue has been there for the past three years. The TNA representatives visited South Africa in the past as well. South Africa's Deputy orei!n "inister# $brahim $brahim# had had talks with the TNA over the Tamil issue previously. The TNA was invited by the AN% for its centenary celebrations last year. The !roup led by TNA Leader &. Sampanthan alon! with myself and fellow "'s# Suresh 'remachandran and Selvam Adaikalanathan# visited South Africa from () to (* April on the invitation of the South African +overnment. The new South African initiative has been mooted by the country's 'resident# ,acob -uma# followin! his visit to %olombo for the %ommonwealth summit last November. A !overnment

dele!ation led by "inister Nimal Siripala de Silva visited South Africa in ebruary. Durin! our visit# we met the special envoy appointed by 'resident -uma to deal with the Lankan issue. .: /ho first sou!ht South African mediation over the Lankan issue0 A: South Africa remains an e1emplary country# successfully brin!in! an end to its apartheid re!ime. The TNA has been interested in the manner the issues were handled in reachin! solutions between the minority /hites and the ma2ority 3lacks in the country. /e are impressed with the Truth and &econciliation %ommission# which was set up to enhance the reconciliation process. /hen -uma arrived in %olombo for %45+" last November# 'resident "ahinda &a2apaksa had talks with him on the Lankan Tamil issue. Durin! his meetin! with the South African Leader# &a2apaksa also e1pressed his desire over South Africa's involvement in the Lankan crisis. Thereafter# -uma met the TNA Leader in %olombo and told &a2apaksa of his !overnment's willin!ness to help Sri Lanka. .: The TNA has been constantly emphasi6in! on the need to have third7party mediation. /hereas earlier# forei!n mediation has failed# without reachin! any solution to the crisis# how do you see South Africa's mediation process0 A: $t is wron! to say that previous forei!n mediation efforts on the Lankan peace process failed badly. They were done with !ood intentions. 4owever# they were not successful for various reasons. The TNA believes that throu!h a healthy third party mediation process# a solution could be reached for the problem. 'eople participatin! in the fresh initiative are 'new.' South Africa has vast e1perience in handlin! ethnic issues. Therefore# let us hope for the best. .: 'resident -uma has appointed %yril &amaphosa as a special envoy to facilitate in the Lankan issue. 8ou all met him in 'retoria recently. /hat is your impression about him as a special envoy tasked with handlin! the Lankan issue0 A: &amaphosa is a senior hand in the AN%. Soon after -uma returned from %olombo after %45+"# a resolution was passed by the country's premier party AN% to help Sri Lanka in its efforts to find a political solution to the Lankan ethnic crisis. Thereafter# AN%'s Deputy Leader &amaphosa was announced as the special envoy to deal with AN%'s Sri Lanka assi!nment as well as to handle the turbulent situation in South Sudan. &amaphosa had even been a confidant of Nelson "andela. $n his 9)s he handled the issues of the mine workers' union in South Africa. $n his :)s he was identified by "andela as an able person who could deal with the issues pertainin! to the AN%. &amaphosa is e1pected to be

South Africa's ne1t ;ice 'resident. So what we could understand is that his e1perience would help in handlin! complicated issues to a !reater e1tent. The TNA had an e1tensive discussion with &amaphosa. /e brou!ht to his notice issues such as land !rabbin!# as well as unresolved post7war humanitarian issues. 4e seemed to be a !ood listener. &amaphosa also met the Lankan +overnment dele!ation led by de Silva in ebruary. The South African Special <nvoy is e1pected to embark on his Lankan mission after the South African polls ne1t month. .: The TNA has shown an interest in the outcome of South Africa's T&%. Do you think Sri Lanka's home !rown LL&% is a failure0 A: Three consecutive =N4&% sessions in +eneva have said the LL&% has failed to address the e1pectations of the Tamils. Several aspects have been included in the LL&%. 3ut nothin! has been mentioned on accountability over alle!ed war crimes or an e1tensive investi!ation into war related matters. Therefore# we see that the LL&% has failed in addressin! core issues towards stren!thenin! the reconciliation process. So we believe that the lessons from the T&% would help in dealin! with our issues. .: /hat are the aspects you consider viable from South Africa's T&% for !reater reconciliation process in Sri Lanka0 A: 3efore considerin! anythin! on the lines of South Africa's T&%# a political solution should be reached to resolve the Tamil >uestion. <ven the T&% was established after a political solution was reached in South Africa between the minority /hites and the ma2ority 3lacks. Therefore# in the backdrop of a healthy political solution# the T&% led by &ev. Desmond Tutu succeeded in healin! the wounds of the apartheid re!ime in the past. /e cannot e1pect a healthy reconciliation without reachin! a political solution. Since the civil war came to an end in the island# hardly anythin! has been done in findin! a durable solution. There are various !ood aspects found in the T&% to be followed. 3ut# a political solution must first be reached to stren!then the reconciliation process. .: Several hardliners and even some of the veteran leftists commentin! on the proposed South African mediation has critici6ed third party mediation and had said the TNA should first of all participate at the 'arliamentary Select %ommittee ?'S%@ to make the political process a success. /hat is your view on this issue0 A: $ don't see any chan!e in the attitude of hardliners towards our problem. They have been repeatin! their criticism whenever we consider somethin! constructive. /e have clearly stated

our stance with re!ard to the 'S% to the !overnment. The TNA has participated in (A rounds of talks with the !overnment# but they were not fruitful. The South African mediation process has been initiated by &a2apaksa. Since we have been adoptin! a stance to cooperate in whatever !ood efforts made toward addressin! our political issues# we have a!reed on the South African attempt. /e firmly believe that only throu!h a credible third party mediation we could overcome our issues. .: &amaphosa durin! his meetin! with the TNA has said that he would visit Sri Lanka shortly to be!in the facilitation process. 4ow do you see his proposed visit0 A: 4e is e1pected to visit the island after South Africa's elections ne1t month. The !overnment and the TNA have e1tended the invitation for him to visit the island. &amaphosa is e1pected to study the situation himself with the meetin!s he intends to have with a cross section of political parties. 4e is also e1pected to travel to the North and <ast. &amaphosa's visit to the island will be more on preparin! himself on the mediation process# which has been tasked to him. .: or the past one month the Northern 'rovince was somewhat put on 'red alert.' The !overnment# while claimin! that the LTT< is in the process of re!roupin!# even launched a search operation for three LTT< cadres recently. /hat is your comment on the issue0 A: /hen the !overnment is put a!ainst the wall# these sorts of thin!s happen. /e clearly say that locally or internationally there is no move to re!roup the LTT< or revamp the militancy. There are several >uestions that remain unanswered over the entire issue. /e have no evidence at all to claim that the LTT< is re7emer!in!. .: The ,4= has demanded that you should be arrested with Suresh 'remachnadran and N'% %ouncillor Ananthy Sasitharan. /hat is your response0 A: $ don't take notice of what they say. $t is absurd wastin! my time and ener!y in respondin! to them.