The World Socialist Web Site has received further letters in response to the March 9 statement "Oppose LTTE campaign of threats and violence against SEP supporters in Europe!" We urge our readers and supporters to send protest letters demanding the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) immediately cease its attempts to suppress political debate within the Tamil community and end all threats against Socialist Equality Party members and supporters. (Previous correspondence can be viewed here.)
Ladies, Gentlemen, members of the Comité de Coordination Tamoul,
I am an electrician at the port of Marseille. I have learned through the World Socialist Web Site about the political situation in Sri Lanka and the intolerable treatment meted out by the government to the Tamils and their organisations. The French media hardly mention this situation.
Mass demonstrations took place at the beginning of February in Germany, France and Great Britain to protest against the criminal massacre which the Sri Lankan army is perpetrating against the largely defenceless Tamil population in the north of the country.
During these demonstrations, members of the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) threatened and insulted supporters of the WSWS as well as other left organisations. You claim to represent the Tamil people but this incident demonstrates the contempt you show for your citizens by refusing them their democratic rights.
The idea you put forward that the democratic tasks can be fulfilled by the creation of a statelet where the working class would be exploited by the Tamil bourgeoisie is wrong. These actions prove it. The WSWS puts forward an internationalist and socialist perspective to the working class of the region.
I associate myself with the organisations and individuals which have been writing to you to demand that you cease your threats and attempts to suppress democratic debate in the Tamil community, in France, Great Britain, Germany and everywhere else.
Anthony Torres
***
To the LTTE,
I have just read about the violence perpetrated by your agents against members of the Socialist Equality Party in Europe. Your agents' intimidation of the Socialists is not unnoticed and certainly will not be tolerated. When a political group resorts to violence, this is surely a sign that they lack popular support for their agenda—in this case a pro-capitalist agenda clearly unwanted and unsupported by the Tamil people within and outside of Sri Lanka.
I demand that your organisation cease this violence and intimidation and respect the principles of democracy, freedom of speech and organisation.
Dr. Margaret Moussa
Lecturer,
School of Economics and Finance,
University of Western Sydney,
Parramatta Campus
***
Comments: To the British Tamils Forum and the leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
From reading the World Socialist Web Site it has come to my attention, and that of many other workers around the world, that supporters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at demonstrations throughout Europe and at campaigns for SEP public meetings have threatened violence against members and supporters of the Socialist Equality Party. The SEP is campaigning and fighting for the perspective of socialist internationalism and to unify in Sri Lanka both Sinhala and Tamil workers along with others in struggle against the war and the capitalist profit system that gives rise to war.
Whilst I have no doubt that your organisations oppose these perspectives, there is no place in the international workers movement for the type of anti-democratic and thuggish actions of your supporters that have been reported.
I call on your organisations to immediately cease these actions against supporters of the SEP and any other political organisations you may have targeted or tried to censor, as these attacks represent an assault on freedom of speech and basic democratic rights.
The violent and intimidatory acts carried out against the SEP supporters in particular, in an attempt to enforce political censorship over Sri Lankan workers and the international working class, will be seen by workers across the world as arrogant, dictatorial and politically bankrupt.
Joe Lopez
Perth, Western Australia
***
Sir or Madam,
Through the WSWS I have learned that during the Tamil demonstrations in France and Europe against the war in Sri Lanka and on other occasions, supporters of your organisation have opposed with great aggressiveness, including acts of physical intimidation and threats, demonstrations, the giving of leaflets and discussions organised by members and supporters of different political tendencies, the Socialist Equality Party included.
I consider such behaviour shameful. The economic or political refugees of the Tamil minority persecuted in Sri Lanka and living in France must be able to enjoy the same political freedoms as French citizens, and as foreign nationals who have chosen to live in France.
This implies first of all the fundamental right for Tamils in France and in Europe to freely discuss the serious political, economic and military problems Sri Lanka is now experiencing so as to develop their opinions and to be able then to best act for the defence of the Tamil community and all the oppressed populations in Sri Lanka.
I think that your Comité de coordination tamoul en France is doing a serious disservice to the Tamil community in France by lining up unconditionally with the LTTE in Sri Lanka and trying to impose their line by violence.
Thank you for your attention to this letter.
Sincerely,
M. J. Lidin,
Paris, France