It can be presumed that he had the Vanni jungle in his mind when he made this assertion. He must have meant that the laws that are implemented at the Vanni jungles that are in the control of the LTTE or that the laws of the terrorists in jungles will not be permitted to administer in the government controlled areas.

But, it is the same question that the people living in the traditional homeland of the Tamils in government controlled areas and the Tamils in the south would like to pose to the leadership of the country.

The Tamils are perturbed that the human rights violations such as abductions, demand of ransom, disappearances and killings that are perpetrated on the Tamils are not in compliance with any just laws of any democratic country. President’s views are rather hurting.

It is inevitable that there can be human rights violations in a country where there is a civil war but the unleashing of state terrorism on Tamils through human rights violations on a large scale can never be justified under the disguise of fighting a civil war.

It has been reported to the authorities regarding arrests disappearances, abductions and demand of ransom in Colombo, north- east and other areas frequently. But, no action has so far been taken by the relevant authorities. Culprits have not been brought to book.

The explanations that the disappeared people have gone abroad and that the abductions are committed by the under world gangs and the Tigers are unacceptable, lame excuses to justify human rights violations.

It is relevant to point out that unleashing violence in the north–east on a policy of “crushing the LTTE terrorism with terrorism” is nothing but implementing the laws of the jungle in a country.

There can be a solution to human rights violations in the country only if the government has a sincere commitment to deal with it.

The assertion that the laws of the jungle must not be implemented in the country must be put into deeds.

If there is a will there will be a away!

An English translation of the Editorial in The Sudar Oli, a Tamil daily, based in Colombo.

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