CFA has failed to foster trust – Batticaloa VC

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 February 2005, 17:41 GMT]
“What has the cease fire agreement achieved if it has not been able to foster enough trust to form a joint body to deliver aid to the Tsunami hit people of the northeast? We can asses the status of the cease fire agreement from the simple fact that the Sri Lankan government is protesting to the UN over a condolence message for Kousalyan. Why should anyone protest over an expression of condolence? This is the situation in which we Tamils find ourselves today even after three years of cease fire”, said Dr. S. Raveendranath, Vice Chancellor designate of the Eastern University speaking at a seminar to mark third year of the cease fire agreement in Batticaloa Tuesday.

The seminar at the Teachers’ Training College was organized by Mr. S. Jeyanandamoorthy, Tamil National Alliance MP for Batticaloa.

“The cease fire agreement is becoming increasingly untenable. We are not fools to let the Sri Lankan government use the CFA to undermine the struggle for our rights. Colombo does not consider the CFA as a singular historical opportunity to create the conditions for cementing a permanent peace agreement with the Tamil people. How long should we put up with the humiliations and murders to which we are increasingly subjected today?” asked the TNA MP in his address.

“The Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) is the only reality of the peace process between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers. That the temporary cessation of hostilities has lasted for three years should not be taken for granted. Firstly it remains exactly that – a temporary halt to the war. If the most important thing about the cease fire is that it has lasted for three years sans any major breakdown then it is also equally important that it has most singularly failed to transform itself into a permanent peace. It has neither produced nor evolved any basis at all for bringing the war to a permanent end. The CFA has failed utterly to build mutual confidence between the GOSL and the LTTE. It continues to rest on the balance of forces. This is the reality today” said journalist Mr. D. Sivaram, speaking at the seminar.