By Special correspondent
Thousands of people walk the streets of Colombo in demonstration last Monday (September 21) show their solidarity with those who oppose peace talks, with or without conditions with the Tigers. Advocates of peace negotiations with the LTTE would surely be shocked by the magnitude and the composition of the demonstration, an organiser said.

The demonstration was organised by the national Movement Against Terrorism along with the Jathika Sangha Sabha, The Sinhala, Veeravidhana the National Joint Committee and several other organisations.

People came from all parts of the island that afternoon, from towns and villages, the old and the young from all walks of life and assembled at the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress premises. From there the demonstrators, led by the Maha Sangha wound its way to the streets of Colombo to the Vihara Maha Devi Park and to the statue of Anagarika Dharmapala.

Power hungry politicians both sides of the divide, so called moderate Tamil parties, front organisations and spokespersons for the LTTE, peace Walla has, NGO Mafia, their donors/God father's from the West sycophantic media persons, assorted foreign and local mediators, intermediaries and facilitators (so called) hangers-on, other hoipolloi should take note of the gathering momentum of the storm that would break, if peace talks are initiated with the Tigers,'' a spokesman for the organisers said.

''This is the voice of the majority but the voice of a SILENT majority. The majority of the people of this country have found their voice strong, strident, determined and fearless to convey their message to the Government and the opposition.''

The message is clear. ''We give notice hereby to the government the PA, the opposition and power hungry politicians in general, that should peace talks be initiated with the tigers we will take whatever steps that are necessary on behalf of all the people of this country who have suffered at the hands of the Tigers'', they said.

Among the participant were young people university students, school leaves, the young employed and the young unemployed, the young and middle aged professionals, businessmen the middle class and minor employees everywhere, the working class, urban citizens and rural men and women.

''They came to raise their voices in protest. They came from far and near. These people, big and small are determined to prevent the division of this country protest its sovereignty, integrity, unitary status and nation hood. They are intelligent, politically astute and they determined and they are calling the bluff of the politicians, They matter,'' the organiser said.

There were over 400 Buddhist monks who led the procession. They came from all corners of Sri Lanka, from Hambantota to Trincomalee. Over two thousand persons participated in the demonstration. Members of he Sinhala Veeravidhana came from Avissawella, Thalduwa, Puwakpitiya, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Deniyaya, Matale, Gampaha, Kiribathkumbura, Borella and all parts of Colombo.

Ordinary citizens of this country came by bus from Hambantota, Tangalla, Matara, Kamburupitiya, Weligama, Galle, Kalutara, Beruwala, Trincomalee, Kandy, Kegalle Nuwara Eliya, Kantale, Ampara, Mattakuliya, Maradana, Modara, Mount Lavinia, Ratmalana, Dehiwala and other parts of Colombo.

The chief speaker at the meeting preceding the demonstration and at the rally at the Vihara maha Devi park was the Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero, President of the Jathika Sangha sabha. He said:

''On every occasion when the Tigers were totally weakened and were on the verge of defeat there has always been a conspiracy to launch these negotiations and declare a ceasefire. They are then permitted to reinforce themselves with arms and ammunition recruit new cadres and equip the enslaves with more sophisticated weaponry. They then go back into battle with renewed vigour and kill more and more soldiers and more civilians''.

''Both the government and the opposition have forgotten these fact but the people of this country have not.'' he said.

''Not only Sinhalese but also the Muslims and Tamils have suffered at their hands and their leaders have been killed by the Tigers. What the people of this country demand is that the Jayasikuru operation be not abandoned at Mankulam but that the war be allowed to move forward to victory in the defence of this island. We can do it, ''he said.''

Today we are at a critical juncture of the war. Over twelve thousand of our armed forces and the police have laid down their lives in he defence of this country. Local and international conspiracy have on other occasions snatched victory from the very grasp of the armed forces. India did it during the Vadamarachchi operations during the J. R. Jayewardene regime. After the Indo-Lanka Accord we were told that the Tigers would lay down arms and observe sil. We know about President Premadasas peace talks and the massacre of 900 unarmed policemen by the LTTE. Then and after the Kumaratunga talks the Tigers received the oxygen to survive''.

Before he demonstrations set off from the ACRC penises, Champika Ranawaka, a member of the National Movement Against Terrorism addressed the Assembly and explained the history of peace talks, the betrayal of the people by successive government, the mounting and the doubling of the death toll at the front and elsewhere after peace talks and the acceleration of the war by the tigers.

He said ''what the Tigers need most of all now, confined as they are to a small area, is a cease fire. The western arms producing nations went on destablilising the South Asian region, the foreign funded NGO's which makes peace noises want a ceasefire to rescue the Tigers from their present predicament.''

He said,'' The real Sinhala Buddhists of this country do not want peace talks with the Tigers who attack worshippers of he Sri Maha Bodhi, bombed the Dalada Maligawa, and killed of fellow Muslims who were praying in the mosques. The real Catholics and Christians of this country whose people were massacred at Kokilai and Nayaru and whose churches were destroyed do not want peace talks with the Tigers Nor do the Tamils want talks with the tigers who have killed over three thousand dissidents, and displaced seventy thousand persons''.

In a fiery speech he warned that this was the voice of the people and politicians of all hues should take notice.

The demonstrations were preceded by a publicity campaign. A well attended press conference was held on September 15 and thousands of posters were put up in Colombo and elsewhere. At least ten thousand leaflets and handbills were distributed explaining the issue and carrying slogans.

Among the slogans in the posters and handbills were the following. ''NGO Mafia in ''kapukan'' for peace with the Tigers', ''Win the war and bring real peace,'' Do not allow political brigands to abandon Jayasikuru at Mankulam'' Do not allow foreigners to interfere in the internal affairs in this country,'' Do not allow the nation to made a blood sacrifice to the pyres of the LTTE'', ''Let us abandon traitorous politics''.

On September 19, at 3.30 p.m. The debate conducted by the national Movement Against Terrorism against talks with the Tigers was televised to the nation.