University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna), Sri Lanka, reports that the murder of Thambirajah Subathiran (Robert) may signal the end of Sri Lanka’s peace process.

University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna), Sri Lanka, reports that the murder of Thambirajah Subathiran (Robert) may signal the end of Sri Lanka’s peace process. Many outside and within Sri Lanka will not recognize the name of the deputy leader of the Varatharajaperumal group of EPRLF – an insignificant political force by conventional assessments. But the fact that LLTE was allegedly behind his murder suggests otherwise. Subathiran was killed by sniper fire from the Vembadi Girls’ School, while exercising in a flat over the EPRLF(V) office. Circumstantial evidence ties the LTTE area leader, Easwaran, with the murder.

UTHR(J) reports that the LTTE has been killing members of the EPRLF by stealth and deceit from 1985,with its violence reaching epic proportions following the withdrawal of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in 1990. It has gunned down various leaders of EPRLF, who have been committed to democratic processes for the granting of Tamil rights in Sri Lanka, including Subathiran’s father. It has also – sometimes successfully – attempted to cause rifts within EPRLF. This has been in line with LTTE’s strategy of eliminating moderate voices among Tamil groups in Sri Lanka.

The massive killing of Tamil civilians by the Sri Lankan army in 1990 gave the LTTE a new legitimacy in the eyes of the world. Subsequently, the Tamil Press in Colombo and even other individuals from groups decimated by the LTTE, as well as moderate Tamil politicians, gravitated towards the LTTE and its extreme positions – either under duress or because they found any other strategy unrewarding.

Inspite of such conditions, EPRLF remained committed to democratic processes and even managed to obtain 15% of the vote in the 1998 Jaffna Municipal elections – a doubly creditable performance given that it was achieved in face of LTTE terror. Subathiran served on the Jaffna Municipal Council, always advocating constructive cooperation, UTHR(J) claims.

In fact, UTHR(J) contends that the recent Norwegian-sponsored cease fire left non-LTTE groups vulnerable to intensified LTTE terror. Arms that these groups had kept for their own protection were taken away and LTTE was allowed to enter government controlled areas without checks. The Norway-backed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and Sri Lanka’s ruling United National Party (UNP) remained silent spectators to the subsequent abductions and killings of individuals opposed to LTTE. The Sri Lankan government, perversely, labeled some of the LTTE victims as Tamil informants. Meanwhile, Norwegian and SLMM officials refused to acknowledge the deaths.

Over the last month, Tamil activists opposing LTTE or those committed to democratic processes have been routinely attacked. On 6th June, LTTE cadres hacked a reserve police constable, Sathasivan Sarvananda, in Thimilativu, Batticaloa. The father of two survived. That night LTTE attacked TELO activists at a temple in Kallady, Batticaloa, with grenades. Velusamy Samuel and his one-year-old daughter were killed. The following day, a former EPDP member was killed at a restaurant in Trincomalee. On June 10th, LTTE shot dead another activist – Subramanium – in Vavuniya. On June 12th, LTTE attacked a Muslim restaurant that had not obeyed its orders for a strike, injuring six. The same day they hacked another EPRLF member, Nagamuttu Nagendran, with swords and knives.

The UTHR(J) believes that the peace process is now at an end. The LTTE has used the 18-month ceasefire period to conscript children, draw up hit lists, spy and carry out assassinations – now it can return to war. The LTTE no longer wants to talk to its Norwegian or Japanese interlocutors. LTTE fears that the Tokyo conference may be used to extract a pledge – even a nominal one – to respect human rights and democratic processes – a step it is unwilling to take. The Sri Lankan government, meanwhile, has to be satisfied with checks amounting to about $4.5 billion that it has received from foreign donors over the course of the peace talks.

The signs are that Sri Lanka will go back to facing the cruelties of war. Tolerating human rights abuses by LTTE in various forms during the process has not yielded any democratic openings for ordinary people. It has only reinforced LTTE’s control over the people and their territory. The question is whether at this late stage the international community is willing to place people at the center of the peace process. Has the Sri Lankan government – which created this nightmare in the name of peace – learnt enough to deal with what is coming, without inflicting its own horrors on the Tamil people?

This article is based on excerpts from an UTHR(J) press release on June 30, 2003.