International   

Chandrika fires salvo ahead of peace talks

By V.S. Sambandan

COLOMBO Sept. 12. With less than a week to go for the direct, delegation-level talks between Colombo and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the Sri Lankan President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, has "instructed" the Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, to get a "firm commitment" in Thailand from the Tigers that they will not violate the ceasefire agreement.

The President's salvo was fired this evening in the form of a strongly-worded letter to Mr. Wickremesinghe, detailing serious violations by the Tigers since the ceasefire agreement was signed this February.

"I fail to comprehend how peace could be achieved by permitting the enemy to arm itself with impertinence," Ms. Kumaratunga, who is vested with vast constitutional powers, said.

Criticising the approach of the Wickremesinghe administration, she said: "I cannot think of any responsible government anywhere in the world that would have acted in this manner in the name of peace when dealing with one of the world's most ruthless and armed terrorist organisations''.

The LTTE, she pointed out, had "not yet even agreed to give up terrorism and to enter the democratic process, nor has shown any willingness to engage in negotiation regarding the core issues''.

The serious violations listed by Ms. Kumaratunga include sea transport of arms, ammunition and explosives, infiltration of "over 200 LTTE suicide cadres into Colombo, the extortion and legal system of the Tigers as well as the deteriorating eastern situation".

The President said that "a very unfortunate and dangerous trend of events" was that security and intelligence personnel were "reluctant to inform the relevant defence authorities, as they are often scoffed at".

Ms. Kumaratunga's observations reflect her long-standing position that the Government should not hasten in its talks with the Tigers.

The President and her party, the Peoples' Alliance, have urged for the linking of talks to core issues of the conflict, as well as important political questions such as democracy, human rights and pluralism. Political analysts hold the view that Ms. Kumaratunga has made a crucial point in the unfolding peace process by bringing more pressure on the LTTE and the Government to review the experience of the ceasefire agreement.

The President "realises that she has no positive role to play in the unfolding process, therefore, she is seeking now a negative role, which is unfortunate," Jayadeva Uyangoda, Head of the Department of Political Science, University of Colombo, told The Hindu.

"However, it is not a bad thing," he said, adding "it puts more pressure on both the LTTE and the Government to make a firm commitment towards a negotiated settlement''.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Annan opposes unilateral action
• Bush vows unrelenting war on terrorism
• Blair recalls House for debate on Iraq
• Russia issues ultimatum to Georgia
• Chandrika fires salvo ahead of peace talks
• U.N. includes Chinese group in terror list
• India, Nepal sign MoU
• Musharraf warns against 'pre-emptive strike'
• 'U.S. must not supply arms to Pakistan'
• Bush wants U.N. to confront Iraq
• 7-year jail term for Zardari
• Nawaz Sharif withdraws papers

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu