By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
The setting up of a Post - tsunami operational management structure (P- TOMS) has provided the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam organization another opportunity to prove their worth to the Tamil
people, Sri Lankans and the International community. The LTTE has in the past got several such
chances but always bungled and spoiled their name.
In 1987 for example they were recognized by the Sri Lankan and Indian governments as the chief
representatives of the Tamil people and given pride of place on the interim council. Yet things took a
turn for the worse and the tigers as usual acted in haste and irresponsibly. The result was the Indo -
Tiger war.
There were many other twists and turns in recent history where the LTTE got chances of legitimate
recognition but failed to maximise gains. It was a case of a childs game of snakes and ladders. The
tigers would ascend up the ladder and descend down the snake. Now the LTTE has once again been
given pride of place in an interim structure. Its area is limited and so too the powers. Yet the P- TOMS
does provide the LTTE a golden opportunity.
Foremost among the advantages accruing to the LTTE by way of P - TOMS is a new form of
legitimacy. The ceasefire accord of Feb 23rd 2002 gave the LTTE much recognition and legitimacy.
Had the LTTE played its cards well they could have utilised it to increase and enhance their status
further. Instead the LTTE chose to engage in a number of human rights violations and child
conscriptions that eroded its credibility.
Thus the LTTE finds itself in the dog house in the case of Countries that directly or indirectly banned
it. Despite upholding the essence of a ceasefire the LTTE is yet to be removed from the proscription
lists of USA and Britain and the partially proscribed lists of Canada and Australia. India of course is a
different kettle of fish in this regard.
The P- TOMS bestows upon the LTTE a tacit recognition by the International community and the
Colombo government that the tigers are the chief representatives of the Tamil people. There is also an
implicit acknowledgement that they are the sole representatives of the Tamil people when it comes to
bilateral agreements.
The LTTE and the Government are the only signatories to the P- TOMS accord. In spite of the justice
in their demand the Muslims were denied tripartite status.Furthermore no other Tamil entity was given
any role in this exercise. Not Douglas Devananda an elected MP from Jaffna and cabinet minister.
Neither were the twenty - two North - Eastern members of the Tamil National Alliance given any role.
The role of the TNA was hilarious. Here are 22 MPS claiming to be the sole representatives of the sole
representatives of the Tamil people sitting in Parliament and enjoying all perks and privileges without
having to anything for the people who elected them. Was t not Stanley Baldwin who once said "Power
without responsibility has been the privilege of the harlot throughout the ages"?
In the case of the TNA it is not even a case of power without responsibility because all powerblies in
Kilinochchi. These are but minions to be summoned at short notice and issued commands that are
dutifully obeyed without question. So in the case of the TNA they have only position and perks without
any power or responsibilit.
The TNA or some of its stalwarts tried to make a case for the P- TOMS. Sadly none of them knew what
it was all about. So pathetic was the situation that one representative of the sole representatives at
least tried to pick a government ministers brain. "Tell us something about this structure" ? he queried.
The minister too clammed up. Perhaps he too was in the dark.
So the Parliamentary representatives of the self -imposed sole representatives of the Tamil people
had no role to play when the sole representatives themselves signed the P - TOMS.
Whatever the amusement in this exercise it cannot be denied that the LTTE has been awarded greater
recognition and legitimacy via P- TOMS.
It is the sole signatory on behalf of the Tamil people. Its area of authority is extended to areas outside
the areas under its control. The LTTE writ does not run over much of the Eastern littoral but the P-
TOMS gives it a commanding role.
This position is afforded on the basis that the LTTE is a key player in North - Eastern affairs. It controls
some areas directly and has much influence in other areas. Of course this power comes from the
barrel of a gun and much of the LTTE's strength lies in its destructive and not constructive
capacity.The LTTE is being given a position so that it will not prevent relief work in Tamil areas by the
Government.
Nevertheless the LTTE has been given foremost position. If the tiger willingness to participate in P -
TOMS is an implicit acceptance of Sri Lankan sovereignity the decision to give them pride of place in
the mechanism is acknowledgement of two things. One is that the LTTE is considered an alternative
power centre in the North - East running a parallel administration of sorts. The other is that the Tigers
are for practical purposes the accepted representatives of the Tamil people in the N - E.
The LTTE is one of three members to be in the high level committee. It will have control commensurate
to the ethnic ratio of Tamils in the Eastern districts and hegemonic control in the North. EPDP
representatives will be there too. The LTTE has a dominant role in the regional committee which is the
one with most power in the P - TOMS structure.
There the LTTE will have five out of ten and the permanent chairperson position also. In the event of a
tie the chair will have a casting vote. So the LTTE in practice will have six out of eleven The provision
of requiring a two thirds majority to pass disputed issues means that no motion opposed by the LTTE
representatives will get passed. the same is true if the Muslim and Government representatives gang
up together too. But with the chair having a casting vote the result could be in LTTE favour.The
regional committee secretariat will be in Kilinochchi.
Then there is the special fund. All moneys coming in for unspecified projects will be directly channelled
into this via the treasury.. The World Bank will be the administrator. Moneys coming in for specified
sectors will be in the treasury and redistributed to P- TOMS through the line ministry.. Once the P-
TOMS approves a project the treasury would allocate funds to the P- TOMS. Needless to say the P -
TOMS will have greater leverage over moneys coming in for unspecified projects. Since donor nations
are keen on doing the right thing by the North - East and in keeping the LTTE happy the amounts
coming in could be substantial.
All this however would be of no use if the tiger does not change its stripes or the leopard its spots. The
LTTE strongly resisted incorporation of human rights clauses in the P- TOMS mechanism. This was
adhered to and there are no such clauses. This is a serious defect in P - TOMS. Of course one could
argue that despite the presence of some similiar clauses in the ceasefire agreement and lofty
benchmarks set out at Tokyo the LTTE has been violating them with impunity.The absence of such
clauses however does not mean that the LTTE has carte blanche to do as they pleased.
The LTTE must at this later stage even wake up to the fact that their unnecessary violations of human
rights has only caused them political damage. I do not think they have gained much militarily through
their killings. One is not sure about so called military informants but killing people like former
Trincomalee UC chairman Sooriyamoorthy cannot serve any purpose other than instilling terror.One
does not know about the actual number of child conscriptions but the negative publicity derived has
damaged the LTTE tremendously. Also one wonders about the fighting capability of children press
ganged against their will.
So it is not enough for the LTTE to gloat over the legitimate power gained through P - TOMS. The
LTTE always enjoyed illegal power derived through the barrel of a gun. But now the P - TOMS
legitimises some power and also provides further power. The tigers have to remember and all Tamils
who genuinely have the interests of the community at heart must remind the LTTE that this power and
authority comes with a price tag. The name of that tag is responsibilty.
For starters the LTTE must adhere voluntarily to the provisions of the ceasefire where the rights of all
civilians are protected. It can also adhere to the resolutions passed at Hakone and Bangkok and
Tokyo where human right benchmarks were laid out. The tigers must allow for some pluralism and
democracy in Tamil areas. A good beginning would be the various district committees of P- TOMS.
The LTTE has to prove its mettle to the world at large. The Tamil people, Sri Lankans and the
international community all know about their military prowess and dedication. Only some Sinhala hawks
are yet to understand that they have lost the war so far. It is because the international community
realised it so well that it intervened through a peace process to prevent secession. There is no doubt
that the tigers are a deadly fighting machine
The LTTE's failure has been on the political and administrative fronts. It is yet to prove its worth there.
The prolonged ceasefire and the limited opening up of the "Wanni" has provided world opinion with
some glimpses. While the LTTE boasts of its Police, courts, banks, prisons and tax departments the
movement relies only on the Government machinery for public administration, schools, hospitals etc. If
Colombo cut off salaries to public servants in the Wanni there would be total chaos.
In recent times the LTTE has been trying to project a positive image of its administrative capacity. Its
showpieces are the Tamil rehabilitation Organization and the Development and Planning Secretariat.
the tsunami disaster gave the tigers a chance to demonstrate their ability in providing relief and
rehabilitation. at the same time here have been charges of misappropriation of funds and materials.
Now the P- TOMS will focus on reconstruction and resttlement.
The LTTE has many fascist attributes. One of them is efficiency. Ruthless efficiency. We have seen
this ruthless efficiency in the past when it came to building and maintaining a military machine. We had
glimpses of this efficiency in the immediate aftermath of the tsunami.
Now the LTTE has a chance of demonstrating to the world that it does posses an administrative
capabilty which does not rely on force or violence. The LTTE must ensure that there is no corruption
and that projects are implemented speedily and well. this supervision must be dependent on lawful
means and not on the tiger practice of arbitrary detention or punishment.
The danger in handling these projects is that "honest implementation" goes against the grain of the
LTTE's fund raising methodology. "Corruption" has been institutionalised by the LTTE. The tigers
encourage and promote public servants who are corrupt. These persons have in the past played out
money and give the bulk of it to the LTTE. So the system has deteriorated considerably under the
LTTE. From food coupons to employment cadres there is a lot of fraud. The money is pocketed by the
LTTE with some crumbs to the Government employees. I am told that even some NGO's are not
immune to this cancer.
So it is going to be a great temptation for the LTTE to break with its past and ensure a corruption free
administration in P - TOMS. Most Sinhala hardliners charge that the tigers are going to pilfer money
and procure arms. The onus is on the LTTE to prove their critics wrong. If the tigers can transcend
their past and ensure that funds allocated for P - TOMS projects are utilised properly then it would
enhance their reputation and credibility tremendously. This then is the agnipareeksha or trial by fire for
the LTTE.
Another point is about the functioning of the P - TOMS itself. The tri - level committee systems and
some bureaucratic procedures are a "new" thing to the LTTE. The tigers are not used to protracted
discussions and building of a consensus around issues. They are used to quick decisions and action.
They are not used to dilly dallying. The LTTE must however adapt themselves to the changed
circumstances and learn to work with reasonable patience within the system. There cannot be any
quick withdrawals like they did in the case of the SIRHAN. Today the LTTE realises the blunder they
made then.. Hence the incredible patience they have shown. The LTTE must stay the course in this
entire P- TOMS exercise till the objectives are reached.
The aim can only be one thing. The quick and effective beterment of the tsunami affected North -
Eastern people. One thing that could positively work for the tigers in this is their unconventional and
unorthodox approach. It may be that the LTTE could provide a political leadership in the N- E that
could cut across the red tape and get things moving. If the LTTE can display positive dynamism and
get a sluggish bureaucracy that would be a great achievement. It would enhance LTTE prestige and
even be a model to follow in the South.
The P- TOMS has been structured in a manner that all parties involved have to cooperate in a spirit of
give and take to make it work. The LTTE must appreciate this and build bridges. It is of utmost
importance that the LTTE nominates capable, efficient, dedicated people with great inter - personal
skills to the various committees. If the LTTE is able to get things done and make a favourable
impression then it will make the way easier for further political progress.The LTTE must also be
magnanimous and just to the Muslim and Sinhala people.
The Tamil people for a long time have been deprived of a chance to do something meaningful in
improving their lot. They have for long demanded and been denied the right to dtermine their future.
The P- TOMS provides such a chance in a very limited way. It is up to the LTTE to harness all
available resources within and outside he Country and channel them to a purpose driven goal. The
tiger can and should avail themselves of the wide pool of talent available in the Diaspora. If the tigers
can provide the proper democratic leadership to the Tamil people and succeed in making a success
out of P- TOMS the Tamil people long deprived of a say in their affairs would have proved a point to
the world. The stock of the LTTE would rise high.
Such a development could prove beneficial to the LTTE in gaining international legitimacy. If the LTTE
avoids human rights violations, child conscription, accommodates pluralism and democracy and above
all administers the P- TOMS successfully then the tigers would become a powerful force. I am not
speaking about its power of arms and armaments. The LTTE would gain a moral authority and
legitimacy worldwide.If such a state is reached then the LTTE has a great chance of being de -
proscribed everywhere but India. For this to happen the LTTE must grasp the opportunity provided by
P - TOMS and prove its mettle.