If Tigers aren't peace obstacle, who is?: Official
[09 Mar 2000]

Recent reports published internationally in aid of the terrorist war effort show that the LTTE's propaganda has reached a new low in its standard of disinformation, and was "no longer firing on all cylinders," a senior media ministry official said today.

Commenting on a report carried on the de facto LTTE website "Tamilnet," which claimed that President Kumaratunga "reiterated" controversial remarks made by Sports Minister S B Dissanayake, the official said that Tiger propagandists are publishing articles with "inflammatory headlines that have nothing to substantiate them in the body of the article."

In her International Women's Day Speech at Temple Trees on Tuesday, President Kumaratunga had said that she would present the government's proposals on constitutional reform to parliament even without a two-thirds majority.

However the official said that such a comment was "a long, long way" from being a reiteration of Minister Dissanayake's alleged comments about dissolving parliament and closing the courts.

The official also said the article went "out of its way" to twist the facts by suggesting that President was intent on continuing the war simply because she said she believes the UNP and the Tigers the "main obstacles to peace" in the country.

"If the Tigers aren't the single biggest obstacle to peace in this country, then who is? We're not sending our sons and daughters to fight in this terrorist war just for the fun of it. We don't go around sending suicide bombers to kill Tiger leaders, but they have their suicide cadres hunting for our leaders, even including our President.

"If the LTTE thinks they are not the main obstacle to peace, then they are living in dreamland," the official said.

The official said he believed that the terrorist propaganda campaign was "no longer firing on all cylinders," and had resorted to "strange tactics" to try to increase the appeal of their propaganda outlets.

"They have recently even started to try to buy some credibility by in effect 'beating themselves up,' giving details of a number of recent Tiger casualties. This is a new trend," the official said.

Contact Information: Send mail to webmaster@priu.gov.lk with questions or comments about this web site. Last modified: September 25, 2003.