Soosai reiterates sovereign right to seas bordering Tamil Homeland

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 May 2006, 02:15 GMT]
"We have openly established our control, and have unequivocally asserted our rights to maritime waters adjoining our homeland, in the same way we recovered and control large areas of northeast. We are not prepared to relinquish sovereign rights to the seas which we have won with the sacrifice of our people," said Col.Soosai when he met the press soon after the confrontation with the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) in the seas off the northeastern cost of Jaffna Friday.

"Today, the long stretch of northern seas extending from Nagarkovil to Kokkuththoduvai is under the control of Liberation Tigers. After we evicted the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) from the Mullaitivu garrison, our control of northern seas has expanded and strengthened.

"We move with complete freedom in these waters to transport our cadres and to distribute material needs to our movement. We will not hesitate to wage war with anyone who attempts to prevent us from exercising our freedom," Soosai further told the assembled press.

"We have the power and right to develop the necessary infrastructure and militiary strength to provide security to our people within our homeland."

On the legality of claim to sovereignty at sea, Soosai said: "Some say that International laws do not permit parties "without a legal state" to own a naval force in seas belonging to a sovereign state. We have one thing to say to them. Every square-inch of land we control, and all infrastructure and areas we administer, were not given to us. We obtained these by force from our adversary.

"More than 1200 sea-tigers sacrificed their lives during the last 15 years of struggle over maritime waters. We have now evolved into a formidable naval force commanding control over the northeastern seas. The price we have paid to earn our sovereign rights to waters is immeasurable.

"Even during intense war, we were able to establish sea-links with distant lands at our will. No party was able to stop us then. How can anyone, especially within a period of peace, try to scuttle this ability? How can we permit this? Only recently the Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) shook hands with us and was ready to start sea-tiger boats on a journey to the east. Now he is advancing new explanations to label our sea movements as illegal.

"We are determined and will continue to engage in activities in sea in northeastern waters that lie within our control perimeter. Any obstacle will be overcome with appropriate debilitating force," Soosai warned.

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