The Hindu : 'Global pressure is on LTTE'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 26, 2003

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National

'Global pressure is on LTTE'

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI Jan. 25. "There are compelling factors for the LTTE to realise that a separate state is not achievable. The international community will not allow that to happen. Similarly, the Sri Lankan Government has also realised that there can be no solution without the LTTE and if they give up the separate state demand, the just entitlements of the minority Tamils will have to be met," the leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), R. Sampanthan, said here today.

He hoped that the Sri Lankan President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, would rise to the occasion to be a "stateswoman" to make her contribution to find a solution to the Tamil question.

Acknowledging that she was the "first Sinhala leader" to bring about a "paradigm shift" in the Government's thinking and talk of a `federal solution', the TULF leader said she had reason "to be annoyed, because, when she sought the UNP's cooperation when her Government drew up the draft proposals, it was not forthcoming and Ranil Wickremasinghe was its leader".

Mr. Sampanthan, who was speaking at an informal discussion organised by the Observer Research Foundation here, said things were improving and the Government was now keeping the President fully briefed on the peace talks. The Fox agreement on a bipartisan approach by the two major Sinhala parties was the best way forward.

On the role of the TULF and other Tamil parties, he made it clear, "Even before the 2001 elections, the four parties who formed a united front agreed to entrust the LTTE with the responsibility of negotiating with the Sri Lankan Government. We decided that there would be no parallel negotiations.

First, as the Federal Party, and then as the TULF, we have been negotiating with successive Governments in Colombo, without any success.

Now that the LTTE has indicated that it is prepared for a viable alternative to a separate state and the Government too has realised there can be no military solution and that the LTTE must be part of that solution, we agreed to let the LTTE negotiate on behalf of the Tamil people".

But the TULF leader made it clear, "We will not abdicate our role. We have gained immensely by bringing the LTTE to the negotiating table and we must hold them to it. We do not want a war to return, we are certain about that. We want peace to dawn. In our meeting, the LTTE leader, V. Prabhakaran, has said that the LTTE will work for a solution within the democratic framework and will respect human rights".

To repeated questions on whether the LTTE could be trusted, given its track record, he said, "You cannot expect an organisation like the LTTE to change overnight. But I am only urging you to recognise that the LTTE is going through a process of transformation".

Asked about the role of India in the ongoing process, Mr. Sampanthan said India would always had a role to play, though it had its own problems and reservations.

"India will not want a separate state and is against any division of Sri Lanka.

The LTTE knows this. My information is that it was India and the international community which stopped the LTTE in its tracks as it was at the doorstep of Jaffna, but did not take it over."

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