Talks in Thimphu
Talks in Thimphu
The Indian government was alarmed to see the LTTE’s armed struggle intensifying with the speed of a storm. India feared that if the Sinhala military machine was destroyed and the Tamil armed resistance movement was on the path of victory, a situation would arise in which an independent state would be possible. The Indian government had been pressuring the LTTE since early 1985 to stop the pressure and resolve the issue by holding talks.
At India’s insistence, a ceasefire was reached between the LTTE and the Sinhala armed forces on 18 June 1985. Following this, talks began in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, in early July under the mediation of the Indian government. All Tamil organizations, including the alliance, participated in the talks.
The fact that other organizations accepted the four principles put forward by the LTTE movement in the Thimphu talks, emphasizing the right to autonomy of the Tamils, and took the same position in demanding autonomy, was a great disappointment to the Indian government.
The Sinhalese government rejected the unanimous demand of the LTTE and other Tamil organizations to present a solution plan for the national problem of the people of Tamileelam by recognizing the basic principles of Tamil nationality, Tamil homeland, and Tamil autonomy.
At a time when the Thimphu talks were thus complicated, the Sinhalese army violated the ceasefire in Vavuniya and massacred more than 200 innocent Tamils. Strongly objecting to this, the LTTE and other organizations decided to boycott the Thimphu talks. Despite the Indian government’s tireless efforts to keep the talks going, the Thimphu talks collapsed.
Following the breakdown of talks, the war of liberation in Tamileelam intensified. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam continued to perform heroic deeds.
(Translation by Tamilpriya)
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