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Anton Balasingham, LTTE Chief Negotiator at Press Conference in Sattahip Thailand, September 18th 2002 “First of all I wish to impress upon you that we operate with concepts and categories that are entirely different from what you assume to be a separate state. We operate with a concept of ‘Homeland and self-determination’. ‘Homeland’ does not mean a separate state as such. It refers to a territory where Tamils and Muslim people live, or the Tamil-speaking people live and when we use the category or concept of ‘self-determination’, we mean that the concept entails substantial autonomy or self-government in our homeland or in the historical area where we live and that solutions can be worked out if both the parties agree to a particular political system or model. But if our demand for regional autonomy and self-Government is rejected and if the conditions of oppression continue, our people will have no option other than to fight for political independence and statehood. That will be the last resort under the principle of self-determination. So, you must understand the current literature, current UN literature of self-determination. We operate through those concepts. So, saying that LTTE is fighting for an independent state has no relevance, because we operate with different categories and concepts.
Lakshman Kadirgamer MP. Sri Lanka’s Former Foreign Minister -September 30, PRIU interview“I don’t see this as a categorical dropping of the separate state. Balasingham’s statements are hedged with qualifications, I think what he is trying to say is this; ‘we will try our best to work towards a solution possible within the framework of one country, but if the aspirations of the Tamil people are not met then I am afraid we will have to fight for a separate state or nation,’ so there is a balance there… they are giving up the demand for a separate state….. It is there... it is not a total and complete renunciation of a separate state.”
Douglas Devanada MP - Leader of the EPDP"Talking high and mighty for peace and equitable settlement during negotiations but letting out blood-curdling war cries before their home audience has been their characteristic strategy. It is too early to say anything. The proof of the pudding is in the eating,"
S. D. Muni, The School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi An Indian expert on Sri Lankan affairs, told the Indo-Asian News Service: "These may sound new to those who are new to Sri Lanka they the Tigers have said the same things in the past." Muni added that they said the same things when they were negotiating with the Premadasa regime. You have to get them to define the degree of autonomy. What is the meaning of homeland, self-determination? Unless you get these words decoded from the LTTE you cannot come to any firm conclusion," Muni said.
S. Chandrasekharam, Head of the think tank South Asian Analysis Group speaking to Indo-Asian News Service
"Knowing the
LTTE's record, it is a highly tactical move. Right now if you say you want a
separate state, it will stall the talks and they know that. So they want to
use this get economic aid for rehabilitation and rebuilding of the
northeast. He added
that Balasingham's
statement showed that the LTTE had not given up the
Thimpu demands. If
you compare what they said then to what Balasingham said on Wednesday,
nothing has changed. It's a very well orchestrated move. They
Hindu Editorial - Friday, September 20, 2002: Critical issues unaddressed The announcement by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam that it was ready to accept "autonomy and self-governance" in northern and eastern Sri Lanka and that it would consider separation only as a "last resort" needs to be assessed with caution. The announcement and the elaborations on the same by the LTTE's chief negotiator, Anton Balasingham, leave too many questions unanswered. Most pertinently the two sides, assisted by the Norwegian facilitators, have not thus far got down to discussing the core issues especially in regard to the tricky question of the merger of the northern and eastern provinces. Neither have the two sides resolved the issue of an interim administration and its control or dwelt on the more sensitive point of disarming the LTTE cadres. While Mr. Balasingham has spoken of the Tamils and the Muslims living within the same state, the pronouncement seems premature when the LTTE has yet to hold exhaustive discussions with representatives from the Muslim side. In a context where the LTTE has not ruled out separation — whether as a last resort or otherwise — categorically, the talk about a "homeland" would appear to contain the seeds of a yet to be abandoned plan to divide the island.
Government Chief Negotiator, Minister G. L. Peiris - September 26, at Cabinet Press Briefing “Dr. Balasingham said that the LTTE is no longer interested in the concept of a cessation … a ‘separate country’. He said that that was not part of their vocabulary at the present time. Because, he said, that the final objective of the LTTE is not a separate state but fulfilment of the legitimate aspirations of the Tamil people.”
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