Tipping
in
Kilinochchi
Just
as
much
as
Perry
does
not
have
a
guide
in
Kilinochchi
to
tell
him
that
tipping
is
not
expected,
so
the
international
system
has
painted
the
world
so
black
and
white
between
the
system
of
nation-states
and
the
'terrorists,'
that
they
cannot
understand
a
place
that
is
somewhere
in
the
middle
-
a
territory
with
nascent
state
structures,
yet
not
yet
recognized.
Perry
grapples
with
the
paradox
in
front
of
his
eyes.
--
Editor
How
Much
to
Tip
the
Terrorist?
Traveling
in
Tamil
Tiger
territory,
TIME's
Alex
Perry
realizes
his
waiter
may
be
part
of
the
world's
most
accomplished
insurgency
by
Alex
Perry,
September
26,
2005
Crossing
borders
has
been
an
arduous
business
since
9/11,
and
entering
northern
Sri
Lanka
is
no
different
-
if
anything
the
delays
are
longer,
the
checks
more
thorough
and
the
wait,
outside
a
row
of
wooden
sheds
in
a
baking
tropical
sun,
more
grueling
than
arriving
at
Heathrow
or
JFK.
In
those
places,
of
course,
immigration
officials
are
trying
to
keep
terrorists
out.
Here,
however,
the
officials
are
the
terrorists.
The
Tamil
Tigers
would
dispute
that
tag,
of
course.
Like
other
guerrillas
and
suicide
bombers,
they
prefer
the
term
"freedom
fighters."
But
the
Liberation
Tamil
Tigers
of
Eelam
(L.T.T.E.)
are
proscribed
by
the
U.S.
and
the
U.N.
as
terrorists,
and
even
without
that
official
sanction,
their
record
in
22
years
of
civil
war
with
the
Sinhalese
of
southern
Sri
Lanka
speaks
for
itself.
They've
assassinated
the
heads
of
several
branches
of
the
Sri
Lankan
armed
forces,
a
president,
and
a
former
prime
minister
of
India
(Rajiv
Gandhi);
they've
blown
up
half
the
national
airline
and
held
off
two
national
armies
(Sri
Lanka
and
India);
They
are
credited,
if
that's
the
correct
term,
with
raising
suicide
bombing
to
an
art
form,
with
explosives
strapped
to
the
body,
and
cars
and
boats
in
ever
more
sophisticated
fashion.
And
their
prowess
in
guerrilla
warfare
and
and
arms
smuggling
has
earned
them
a
reputation
as
the
world's
most
effective
insurgent
outfit.
And
that
reputation
has
allowed
them
to
turn
the
export
of
their
expertise,
weapons
and
assassins
to
other
terror
groups
into
a
billion-dollar
business.
After
9/11
the
Tigers
feared
they
would
eventually
fall
foul
of
the
new
U.S.
war
on
terror,
and,
partly
to
avoid
that,
quickly
agreed
a
ceasefire
with
a
new,
more
moderate
government
in
Colombo,
under
which
they
opened
up
their
territory
(the
north
and
east)
to
all
except
government
troops.
But
since
there
was
no
question
of
giving
up
the
dream
of
an
independent
homeland
for
which
they
had
fought
so
long,
they
set
up
formidable
new
borders
around
"Eelam"
to
underscore
the
impression
of
sovereignty.
Entering
Tigerland
today
means
a
vehicle
search,
a
bag
search
and
a
body
search,
three
separate
checkpoints,
four
immigration
checks
and
interviews
or
checks
with
11
separate
officers.
Once
inside,
the
traveler
finds
the
Tigers
have
stretched
the
idea
of
a
separate
nation
as
far
as
they
can.
They
run
their
own
courts,
police
and
army,
and
their
own
hotels
and
restaurants.
They
build
roads.
They
distribute
tsunami
aid
(with
far
more
efficiency
than
the
government
to
the
south).
They
even have
their
own
traffic
cops.
Once
you
finally
clear
the
border
and
settle
into
the
Tiger-owned
A9
Guesthouse
in
the
Tiger
administrative
capital
Killinochchi,
sip
a
Tiger-served
beer
and
tuck
into
Tiger-grown
rice
and
Tiger-cooked
curry,
it
becomes
impossible
to
think
of
your
hosts
only
as
rebels.
Whether
previously
you
saw
them
as
mad
bombers
or
brave
martyrs,
it
becomes
plain
that
the
Tigers
also
have
other
identities:
bureaucrats,
firemen,
nurses,
farmers,
restaurateurs
and
video
store
entrepreneurs.
There
are
those
who
resist
this
complication.
They
say
it
humanizes
evil
and
that
if
someone
is
a
terrorist
or
supports
terrorism,
that's
all
you
need
to
know.
Such
certainty
may
be
appealing
in
a
post-9/11
world.
Then
again,
few
people
would
prefer
a
suicide
bomber
over
an
officious
border
guard.
And
when
a
rebel
becomes
a
teacher
-
when
a
sword
turns
into
a
plough-share
-
shouldn't
we
be
grateful?
These
questions
weigh
heavily
on
Sri
Lanka
as
it
contemplates
the
November
17
presidential
election,
where
the
choice
is
between
opposition
leader
Ranil
Wickremesinghe,
who
began
the
original
peace
process,
and
prime
minister
Mahinda
Rajapakse,
backed
by
Sinhalese
nationalists
who,
while
not
openly
advocating
war,
oppose
the
current
ceasefire.
Whatever
the
answers,
the
residents
of
Tigerland
say
there
is
one
unquestionable
upside
to
the
detente,
as
long
as
it
lasts.
With
battle-hardened
guerrillas
for
traffic
cops,
no
one's
yet
been
known
been
known
to
speed
in
Tamil
Tiger
territory.
Response
from
Mr.
Thangevelu
Dear
Editor,
The
news
story
filed
by
Alex
Perry/Kilinochchi
captioned
"How
Much
to
Tip
the
Terrorist?"
is
fairly
accurate
except
in
regard
to
the
following:
(1)
"And
that
reputation
has
allowed
them
to
turn
the
export
of
their
expertise,
weapons
and
assassins
to
other
terror
groups
into
a
billion-dollar
business."
This
is
a
false
and
total
fabrication
and
betrays
the
typical
mind-set
of
western
journalists!
If
you
accept
the
fact
that
Sri
Lanka
is
an
island,
how
is
it
possible
for
LTTE
to
"export
of
their
expertise,
weapons
and
assassins..."
Who
are
the
middlemen
negotiating
purchase
of
arms
from
the
LTTE?
Does
the
LTTE
have
weapon
manufacturing
industries
in
the
NorthEast?
Do
they
have
the
expertise
to
manufacture
arms?
If
yes,
how
does
it
square
with
the
allegation
the
LTTE
is
smuggling
weapons
into
their
territories?
These
are
all
fanciful
stories
and
your
correspondent
fell
for
them
hook,
line
and
sinker.
(2)
"After
9/11
the
Tigers
feared
they
would
eventually
fall
foul
of
the
new
U.S.
war
on
terror,
and,
partly
to
avoid
that,
quickly
agreed
a
ceasefire
with
a
new,
more
moderate
government
in
Colombo"
-
The
LTTE
declared
several
unilateral
ceasefires
even
before
the
9/11
attack.
The
LTTE
declared
ceasefire
from
24th
December
2000
to
midnight
24th
January
2001.
This
ceasefire
was
ignored
by
the
Government
of
Sri
Lanka
(GOSL),
which
launched
the
Agni
Keela
military
offensive
in
April,
2001
that
proved
a
unmitigated
disaster
for
the
Sri
Lankan
army.
The
LTTE
declared
another
ceasefire,
from
24
December
2001
until
midnight
on
24
January
2002.
It
was
this
ceasefire
that
was
accepted
by
the
government
and
an
agreement
signed
on
February
22,
2002.
(Please
see
relevant
press
reports
below)
Why
should
the
LTTE
be
afraid
of
the
USA?
The
USA
has
already
declared
the
LTTE
as
a
foreign-based
terrorist
organization
as
far
back
as
1997,
notwithstanding
that
the
LTTE
does
not
fit
the
definition
of
a
terrorist
organization.
The
LTTE
as
a
military
organization
has
definite
goals
with
a
military
commander
and
a
military
chain
of
command.
They
fight
conventional
warfare
which
no
other
guerrilla
organization
anywhere
in
the
world
is
capable
of.
Ms.
Karen
Parker,
human
rights
lawyer
says
as
follows-
"
The
LTTE
are
organized
militarily.
The
LTTE
uses
traditional,
modern
military
weaponry
in
its
combat
against
the
military
forces
of
the
government
of
Sri
Lanka.
The
LTTE
uses
a
variety
of
military
tactics,
including
open
warfare,
raids
or
guerrilla
warfare.
The
government
armed
forces
use
similar
military
means
against
the
armed
forces
of
the
LTTE.
Most
armies
in
the
past
200
years
have
utilized
essentially
the
same
tactics.
The
war
in
Sri
Lanka
may
be
characterized
as
a
civil
war
or
war
of
national
liberation
in
the
exercise
of
the
right
to
self-determination.
A
civil
war
exists
if
there
is
armed
conflict
inside
one
country
between
government
armed
forces
and
at
least
one
other
force
having
an
identifiable
command
and
having
sufficient
control
over
territory
to
carry
out
"sustained"
and
"concerted"
military
action
and
the
practical
capacity
to
fulfill
humanitarian
law
obligations.
The
LTTE
has
clearly
met
this
test
for
more
than
10
years.
The
Liberation
Tigers
of
Tamil
Eelam,
or
LTTE,
is
not
a
"
terrorist"
organization,
but
rather
an
armed
force
in
a
war
against
the
government
of
Sri
Lanka.
Characterization
of
the
LTTE
as
a
"Terrorist"
organization
is
politically
motivated,
having
no
basis
in
law
or
fact."
LTTE
Press
Statement,
21
December
2000
Released
by
LTTE
International
Secretariat,
211
Katherine
Rd,
London
E6
1BU,
United
Kingdom.
phone
:
44
20
8503
4294
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The
Liberation
Tigers
of
Tamil
Eelam
(LTTE)
in
an
official
statement
issued
today
from
its
headquarters
in
Vanni,
northern
Sri
Lanka,
announced
the
declaration
of
a
month
long
unilateral
cease-fire
as
a
gesture
of
goodwill
during
the
festive
season
to
facilitate
and
promote
initiatives
towards
a
peace
process.
'Mr.
Velupillai
Pirapaharan,
the
leader
and
military
commander
of
the
Liberation
Tigers
of
Tamil
Eelam,
has
issued
orders
to
all
units
and
combat
formations
of
the
Tamil
liberation
army
to
cease
hostile
military
actions
against
the
Sri
Lanka
armed
forces
from
midnight
24th
December
2000
to
midnight
24th
January
2001',
the
LTTE's
statement
declared.
'We
make
this
declaration
of
cessation
of
armed
hostilities
unilaterally
hoping
that
the
Sri
Lanka
government
will
reciprocate
positively
and
instruct
its
armed
forces
to
observe
peace
during
the
festive
season
of
Christmas,
New
Year
and
Pongal
(Hindu
Harvest
Festival).
Our
decision
to
cease
armed
hostilities
should
be
viewed
as
a
genuine
expression
of
goodwill
indicating
our
sincere
desire
for
peace
and
negotiated
political
settlement.
We
offer
this
space
of
peace
to
facilitate
and
promote
initiatives
to
create
congenial
conditions
of
normalcy
de-escalating
the
armed
confrontation',
the
statement
said.
'If
Sri
Lanka
responds
positively
by
ceasing
armed
hostilities
against
our
forces
and
takes
steps
to
implement
the
Norwegian
proposal
of
mutual
confidence
building
measures,
the
LTTE
will
be
prepared
to
extend
the
period
of
peace
to
create
cordial
conditions
for
a
stable
cease-fire
and
direct
negotiations',
the
statement
further
stated.
LTTE
declares
unilateral
ceasefire
[TamilNet,
December
19,
2001
-
11.45
GMT]
The
Liberation
Tigers
of
Tamil
Eelam
(LTTE)
have
declared
a
month
long
unilateral
cessation
of
hostilities
as
a
goodwill
measure
during
the
festive
season.
The
official
statement
issued
by
the
LTTE
on
Wednesday
and
published
in
the
pro-LTTE
website
Tamilnet,
stated
that
the
declaration
of
a
month
long
"unilateral
cessation
of
hostilities"
is
a
goodwill
measure
during
the
festive
season
"to
facilitate
and
promote
initiatives
towards
a
peace
process."
The
LTTE's
observation
of
the
cease-fire
is
due
to
begin
at
midnight
on
24
December
2001,
and
continue
until
midnight
on
24
January
2002.
The
full
text
of
the
press
release
is
as
follows:
The
Liberation
Tigers
of
Tamil
Eelam
(LTTE)
in
an
official
statement
issued
today
from
its
headquarters
in
Vanni,
northern
Sri
Lanka,
announced
the
declaration
of
a
month
long
unilateral
cessation
of
hostilities
as
a
goodwill
measure
during
the
festive
season
to
facilitate
and
promote
initiatives
towards
a
peace
process.
The
LTTE's
observation
of
cease-fire
begins
at
midnight
on
Christmas
Eve,
24
December
2001.
"Mr.
Velupillai
Pirapaharan,
the
leader
and
military
commander
of
the
Liberation
Tigers
of
Tamil
Eelam,
has
issued
orders
to
all
units
and
combat
formations
of
the
Tamil
liberation
army
to
cease
all
hostile
military
actions
against
the
Sri
Lankan
armed
forced
from
midnight
24
December
2001
till
midnight
24
January
2002,"
the
LTTE's
statement
declared.
"Encouraged
by
the
collective
mandate
for
peace
and
ethnic
harmony
given
by
the
Sinhala
and
Tamil
masses
at
the
general
election,
the
LTTE
leadership
has
decided
to
declare,
unilaterally,
a
month
long
cessation
of
armed
hostilities
during
the
festive
season
of
Christmas,
New
Year
and
'Thai
Pongal'
(Hindu
Harvest
Festival)
as
a
gesture
of
goodwill
to
facilitate
the
promotion
of
peace
initiatives.
We
fervently
hope
that
the
new
government
of
Sri
Lanka
will
reciprocate
positively
to
our
goodwill
gesture
and
instruct
its
armed
forces
to
observe
peace
during
this
period.
Our
decision
to
cease
armed
hostilities
and
observe
peace
during
the
festive
season
should
be
viewed
as
a
genuine
expression
of
goodwill,
demonstrating
our
sincere
desire
for
peace
and
negotiated
political
settlement.
We
are
confident
that
the
new
government
will
utilise
this
space
of
peace
to
implement
goodwill
measures
to
create
congenial
conditions
of
normalcy
in
the
Tamil
homeland
by
withdrawing
the
economic
embargo
and
other
restrictions
and
prohibitions
imposed
on
our
people,"
the
statement
said.
"If
the
Sri
Lanka
government
reciprocates
positively
to
our
goodwill
gesture
and
ceases
armed
hostilities
against
our
forces
and
takes
immediate
steps
to
remove
the
economic
embargo
and
other
restrictions,
the
LTTE
will
favourably
consider
extending
the
period
of
cease-fire
to
create
cordial
conditions
for
a
stable
peace
and
de-escalation,"
the
statement
further
said.
###
Posted September 28, 2005