Full Text of the Interview

1. You response to Sri Lankan government's campaign on Mr. Prabhakaran's death. They have called him a coward. What really is happening?

Mr Prabakaran is our national leader.  A leader who has lived his entire life for the cause he believed.  He had uncompromising faith in liberating the land of the Tamil People through an armed struggle. He never flinched from his objective.  Mr Prabakaran met every challenge of the Sri Lankan military machine and it was only with international help could the Sri Lankan military break through LTTE’s military capability.  While presidents and military generals changed, he led the people of Tamils through the most tumultuous period.  He conducted his war from his homeland.  It was a defensive war.  He did not take the war outside the Tamil homeland and fight to harm other innocent civilians.  He was a man of principles.  He had the welfare of the Tamil People of Eelam until his last breath. Under the pressures of war and constant international pressure he built an effective military and a practical administrative structure and practically established a State of Tamil Eelam.  How can he be a coward?

2. Assuming that what the Sri Lankan government says is true, what do you think would happen to the LTTE and the Tamil Eelam movement? Is this the end of the Eelam dream as many say?

The right to self determination of the Tamil People was mandated in May 1976 through a popular referendum.  Until the rights of Tamil People in Sri Lanka are restored the quest of the Tamil People does not change.  It is true that the LTTE has met with a military set back.  It is also true that over 10,000 of our cadres are held by the Sri Lankan authorities against all international conventions.  But the Tamil struggle has not ended. 

3. What course would LTTE take in future?
The LTTE is a very adaptive movement.  We will change our methods of struggle in accordance with the new world order and continue to pursue a non-violent path.  Our future struggles will be through political means and will be a more inclusive one.  The LTTE which started as a National movement in Sri Lanka now has an international presence.  It has a following throughout the world wherever Tamil people live.  This does not only include the Tamils from Tamil Eelam, but also includes those from other parts of the world.  We will transform into an international force and become an international movement to achieve our goal to secure the right to self determination for the Tamils of Sri Lanka.

4. Do you think this is a defeat? Should LTTE stop being a conventional military force?

As I said earlier, we certainly faced a military set back.  We have now opted a political option that is acceptable to all Tamils and the international community.

5. What should the international community do at this juncture?

The international community should realize that the reasons for which an armed struggle began thirty years ago has not been addressed even now.  The Tamil people in Sri Lanka still live as second class citizens devoid of all rights and parity of status.  It was quite apparent in the past few months that the International Community was adamant on eradicating the LTTE.  But it failed to address the fundamental and rightful needs of the Tamil People.  It failed to save the lives of over 30,000 Tamils.  Today over 300,000 people languish in internment camps brutally militarized by the Sri Lankan forces.  The international community has lost its ability exert any influence on the Sri Lankan government to save these people.  The International community now has to demonstrate that they have the interest of the innocent Tamils and show their credibility to rescue them.  This is an urgent need that needs to be acted on decisively and expeditiously.

6. How do you feel about the election results in Tamilnadu? Mr Nadesan was very hopeful that Tamils will give a fitting reply to those who had given up on the Sri Lankan Tamils. Was the LTTE disappointed by the results?

It is not appropriate for me to comment on the results of the elections in Tamil Nadu.  The people of Tamil Nadu chose the leaders they preferred.  This is a democratic process and we have to respect the results.  But what I am confident is that the people of Tamil Nadu have the interests of our people at their heart.  They say blood is thicker than water.  The people of Tamil Nadu are our brothers and sisters.  They will always be there for us.

7. There is still some confusion about Prabhakaran's death. There are people who claim he is still alive and that you have been issuing statements on his death under duress.

I have already said in uncertain terms that our leader fought to his last upholding his beliefs to the last.  There is no duress for me to state this openly.  I need to give the appropriate respects to my leader who molded our freedom struggle.  If I do not acknowledge the ultimate sacrifice he paid for the principles he lived by, it would be a grave disservice that I do to my leader and dear friend.

8. Now as the leader of the LTTE, what would be your strategy? Do you think it would be possible to put the organisation together again and make it lead yet another struggle?

I have already answered this question.  We are now transforming in to a potent and inclusive political structure.  We will be in the near future releasing our political strategy as how we engage the Tamil Diaspora and embrace the political structures that exist in our home land.  This will be released soon.

9. What form will the struggle take now? , 10.What exactly do you think went wrong with the freedom struggle that LTTE has been waging for some thirty years now?

The freedom struggle of our people has not changed.  As our leader has always said, “we will change our methods of our struggle but not our goal”.  I wish to re-iterate that our struggle is not over.  We have only changed our methods to achieve those goals.

Source: EelamInExile.com