EROS Requests Additional Security from Govt. In Preparation for the LG Poll

Another local businessman stated that "the Government of Sri Lanka is grooming another Prabhakaran in the East to succeed Karuna Amman and that is Pillaiyan and this must be stopped at all costs". Image: IDP s in Batticaloa

by Special Correspondent

(January 26, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Eelavar Democratic Front (EDF), the political wing of the Eelam Revolutionary Organisation (EROS) have written to the IGP, Ministry of Defence and President Mahinda Rajapakse urging the Government to allocate additional security for all members of EROS in Sri Lanka especially their candidates who are to contest in the elections.

Nesan Shankar Raji, the International Head of EROS, and its official spokesperson stated when questioned that "we will leave nothing to chance, and it is important that our members are protected from harm by the authorities concerned and this is why we have requested additional security from the Government. If supporters of facist terrorists are given adequate protection by our Government then we are no different because unlike them we are no terrorists we are our peoples revolutionaries".

The Tamil Makkal Viduthallai Pulligal (TMVP) which is now controlled by the "Pillaiyan faction" have yet to register themselves as a political party. What is concerning to many is that the TMVP still bear arms unlike all the other democratic poltical parties that are contesting in the elections. They were also responsible for the recent killing outside a Mosque which has angered the local Tamil Muslim communties. As far as they are concerned they want the TMVP disbanded and out of the East by the Government of Sri Lanka. One local stated that "there is no difference between a Vanni Tiger or a Karuna or Pillaiyan Tiger they are all the bloody same". Another local businessman stated that "the Government of Sri Lanka is grooming another Prabhakaran in the East to succeed Karuna Amman and that is Pillaiyan and this must be stopped at all costs".

EROS has joined with the EPDP, PLOTE, EPRLF (V) to form an alliance known as the Tamil Democratic Alliance (TDA) which was the brainchild of the late leader of EROS "Shankar Raji".

Some politburo members of EROS are presently in India and visiting officials in Chennai and New Delhi. Their links with the Indian establishment is still ripe, however they want to see the LTTE politically defeated and militarily weakened. It is anticipated that the Head of Military & Intelligence Affairs for EROS, Sakthikumaran will be returning to Colombo shortly.

It is over a decade since EROS last contested in elections, however it is evident that the people of the East have great respect for EROS unlike any other political party and the leaders of the EPDP, PLOTE and the EPRLF are aware of this. When EROS last contested in elections they won 13 seats in Parliament in a landslide victory over all the other Tamil political parties.

Meanwhile the EROS welcome to APRC proposal handed over to the President recently, “We wholeheartedly welcome the recommendations made by the APRC, and are further delighted that the President and the Government of Sri Lanka are looking into fully re-implementing the Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987. We trust the President and the Government of Sri Lanka will take full steps to re-implement maximum devolution powers for the Northern and Eastern Provincial Councils respectively,” according to Nasan

"A settlement of the problems and issues that we face in our country can be reached by the Sri Lankan people itself in a way that will be acceptable to all "Eelavars" (Eelam Tamil speaking people), the Sinhalese and other communities of our country. This can be achieved within a framework of a United Sri Lanka and not a divided one. We will continue to work with the Government of Sri Lanka and our people (all Sri Lankans) and help bring lasting peace and an end to violence and killings once and for all", he added.