LTTE-SLMC Joint Communique

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Country/entity: Sri Lanka
Region: Asia and Pacific
Agreement name: LTTE-SLMC Joint Communique
Date: 13 Apr 2002
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Sri Lankan Civil War (1983 - 2009)
The roots of the Sri Lanka conflict lay in British colonial policy which controlled the island from 1802 until 1948. During the early 1800s, the British brought Tamils from mainland India to work on the various plantations for tea, coffee and rubber, changing Sri Lanka's the demographic make-up. Upon independence, Sinhalese nationalism dominated the political sphere and introduced discriminatory policies against the Tamil minority straining relations and sparking protests. Armed Tamil resistance first came in the form of assassinations of moderate Tamils and opposition politicians in the mid-1970s. However, it was the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's (LTTE) attack on checkpoint Four Four Bravo, which marked the turning point, sparking pogroms against Tamils in Sinhalese majority areas. This incident, known as Black July, is widely considered to the beginning of the civil war.

The first round of peace talks were backed by India, which had deployed the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in 1987, and led to the 1987 Indo-Sri Lanka Accord. The Accord was successful in persuading the majority of insurgency groups to lay down arms. However, the strongest Tamil insurgency group, the LTTE, was not party to the talks and refused to disarm, sparking direct conflict between the IPKF and the LTTE until IPKF withdrawal 1990. Following the withdrawal, the LTTE consolidated their power in the North and East sparking another intense and bloody war with the central government that lasted until 2002 when another peace process was launched under the auspices of Norwegian negotiators. The second round of peace talks, however, only continued until April 2003 and in March 2004, a large faction of LTTE cadres split from the main organization damaging LTTE unity. The LTTE were defeated militarily by a large-scale government assault in 2009, however, the conditions for peace remain uncertain.
Stage: Pre-negotiation/process
Conflict nature: Government/territory
Peace process: Sri Lanka LTTE 2002 onward process
Parties: Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam:
signed by Vellupillai Pirapahran, National Leader
Mr. Anton Balasingham, Political Ideologue;
Mr. S. P. Thamil Chelban,Head of the Political Wing;
Col. Karuna, Commander for the Batticaloa-Ampara districts;
Col. Pathuman, Commander for the Trincomalee district;
and Mrs. Adel Balasingham

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress:
signed by Rauf Hakeem, National Leader;
Mr. Athaullah, Chairman;
Dr. Uthumalebbe, Senior Deputy Leader;
Mr. Mohideen Abdul Cader, Deputy Leader;
Mr. Basheer Segu Dawood, Secretary, Policy Propaganda;
Mr. Mashoor Noordeen, Deputy Chairman;
and Mr. Mashood Mowlana, Additional Secretary, Policy Propaganda.
Third parties: -
Description: Short joint statements, ceding representation of the Muslim population in the Northeast to the SLMC. Agreement further provides provisions for the creation of a Joint committee of representatives from the LTTE and SLMC to facilitate the return and resettlement of refugees and aid them cultivate the land, as well as for the LTTE to stop the collection of monies to finance the war from Muslims.

Agreement document: LK_020413_LTTE and SLMC Joint Communique.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: Groups→Religious groups→Substantive
Page 1,
...At this meeting decisions were made to solve some serious problems currently faced by the Muslims living in the North/East. Mr. Pirapaharan invited the displaced Muslims of Jaffna and Vanni to return to their homes. It was decided to establish a Joint Committee consisting of representatives of the LTTE and the SLMC to facilitate the return and settlement of refugees. It was also decided to create a conducive environment to encourage the return of the displaced Muslims of the East to their villages...

Page 1,
...For years Muslims were unable to cultivate their agricultural lands in the North/East. It was decided to assist them to cultivate their land. The LTTE also agreed to stop forthwith the practice of collecting funds for the war effort from the Muslims of the East...

Page 1,
...It was decided to appoint representatives from the SLMC to solve, through dialogue with senior commanders, the problems the Muslims face in their districts of the North/East and to strengthen mutual understanding between the Tamils and Muslims....

Page 1,
...It was also decided that the Muslims should be represented at the forthcoming peace talks between the Government and the LTTE and that such representation should be from the SLMC...

Page 1,
...It was further agreed that the Muslim are a separate community with their own identity and that the political, cultural and other rights of Muslims, as a district community of the North/East, must be safeguarded. It was decided to continue the discussions to protect the separate identity of the Muslims...

Page 1,
...Recognising that the SLMC enjoys the support of the vast majority of the Muslim community, it was decided that discussions with regard to the Muslims of the North/East should be conducted with the SLMC...
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: Groups→Refugees/displaced persons→Substantive
Page 1, Paragraph 3, At this meeting decisions were made to solve some serious problems currently faced by the Muslims living in the North/East. Mr. Pirapaharan invited the displaced Muslims of Jaffna and Vanni to return to their homes. It was decided to establish a Joint Committee consisting of representatives of the LTTE and the SLMC to facilitate the return and settlement of refugees. It was also decided to create a conducive environment to encourage the return of the displaced Muslims of the East to their villages.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: Human rights and equality→Civil and political rights→Other
Page 1, Paragraph 8, It was further agreed that the Muslim are a separate community with their own identity and that the political, cultural and other rights of Muslims, as a district community of the North/East, must be safeguarded. It was decided to continue the discussions to protect the separate identity of the Muslims.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: Socio-economic reconstruction→Taxation→Reform of taxation
Page 1, Paragraph 5, The LTTE also agreed to stop forthwith the practice of collecting funds for the war effort from the Muslims of the East.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: Land, property and environment→Cultural heritage→Intangible
Page 1, Paragraph 8, It was further agreed that the Muslim are a separate community with their own identity and that the political, cultural and other rights of Muslims, as a district community of the North/East, must be safeguarded. It was decided to continue the discussions to protect the separate identity of the Muslims.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: No specific mention.
Ceasefire: No specific mention.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: No specific mention.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: Edrisinha, Gomez, Thamilmaran, Welikala (Eds.) (2008), ‘Power-sharing in Sri Lanka: Constitutional and Political Documents, 1926-2008’ (Colombo: Centre for Policy Alternatives), p. 680.

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam –Sri Lanka Muslim Congress

Joint Communique (2002)

The discussion that took place today (13-04-2002) between the LTTE and the SLMC was friendly and constructive.

At this meeting held at the Secretariat of the Political Headquarters of the LTTE at Kilinochchi, which lasted three hours, the LTTE was represented by its leader Mr. Vellupillai Pirapaharan, Political Ideologue Mr. Anton Balasingham, Head of the Political Wing Mr. S. P. Thamil Chelban, Commander for the Batticaloa-Ampara districts Col.

Karuna, Commander for the Trincomalee district Col.

Pathuman and Mrs. Adel Balasingham.

The SLMC was represented by its National Leader Mr. Rauf Hakeem, Chairman Mr. Athaullah, Senior Deputy Leader Dr. Uthumalebbe, Deputy Leader Mr. Mohideen Abdul Cader, Secretary, Policy Propaganda Mr. Basheer Segu Dawood, Deputy Chairman Mr. Mashoor Noordeen and Additional Secretary, Policy Propaganda Mr. Mashood Mowlana.

At this meeting decisions were made to solve some serious problems currently faced by the Muslims living in the North/East.

Mr. Pirapaharan invited the displaced Muslims of Jaffna and Vanni to return to their homes.

It was decided to establish a Joint Committee consisting of representatives of the LTTE and the SLMC to facilitate the return and settlement of refugees.

It was also decided to create a conducive environment to encourage the return of the displaced Muslims of the East to their villages.

For years Muslims were unable to cultivate their agricultural lands in the North/East.

It was decided to assist them to cultivate their land.

The LTTE also agreed to stop forthwith the practice of collecting funds for the war effort from the Muslims of the East.

It was decided to appoint representatives from the SLMC to solve, through dialogue with senior commanders, the problems the Muslims face in their districts of the North/East and to strengthen mutual understanding between the Tamils and Muslims.

It was decided to continue the high level contacts between parties.

It was also decided that the Muslims should be represented at the forthcoming peace talks between the Government and the LTTE and that such representation should be from the SLMC.

It was further agreed that the Muslim are a separate community with their own identity and that the political, cultural and other rights of Muslims, as a district community of the North/East, must be safeguarded.

It was decided to continue the discussions to protect the separate identity of the Muslims.

Recognising that the SLMC enjoys the support of the vast majority of the Muslim community, it was decided that discussions with regard to the Muslims of the North/East should be conducted with the SLMC.

Sgd Sgd

V. Pirapahran (Rauf Hakeem)

National Leader National Leader

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Sri Lanka Muslim Congress