Government trying to scuttle peace process, alleges LTTE

By Nirupama Subramanian

COLOMBO, DEC. 16. The LTTE today accused Sri Lanka of attempting to scuttle the peace process and asked the international community to persuade it to agree to a de-escalation of the war and begin talks in a climate of ``peace and goodwill.''

In a statement issued two days before Sri Lanka will meet donor countries at the Development Forum in Paris, the LTTE expressed its ``deep disappointment'' at Sri Lanka's categorical rejection of its call for de-escalation of the war, and said talks could not take place in a climate of hostility.

Clearly aimed to embarrass Sri Lanka at the Paris meetings, the statement appeals to the international community to persuade Sri Lanka to ``abandon its hard-line militaristic position and to seek the path of peace, rationality and fair play to find a negotiated political settlement to the Tamil national question.''

The LTTE also said the government offer of talks stipulated conditions like a time-frame and discussions on a ``pre-conceived permanent solution.''

``These conditions are unacceptable to the LTTE. By refusing to de-escalate the war and by stipulating conditions for talks, the Kumaratunga government is making a deliberate attempt to scuttle the peace process,'' it said.

A press release quoting the statement, reportedly released in Vanni today, was put out by the LTTE's London office and appeared on a Tamil website late tonight. It said the LTTE welcomed the ``positive proposals'' suggested by the government of Norway as confidence building measures to be mutually reciprocated by the two sides that would facilitate relaxation of the economic embargo and gradually de- escalate the conflict.

The LTTE was seriously considering the proposals but the initiative had to come from the government, it added.

According to the statement, the government had ``deliberately distorted'' its call for de-escalation as a pre- condition.

It said that the government had misinterpreted the call for the creation of conditions of normalcy as a demand for the withdrawal of troops from Jaffna.

``We did not demand the withdrawal of the armed forces. Our leader has explained that by normalcy he meant the restoration of normal civilian life in Tamil areas by removing the stringent economic blockade imposed on the Tamil people. We want the government to take this step as a humanitarian gesture, as a measure of goodwill,'' it said.

12 soldiers killed

Sri Lanka's security forces claimed to have captured more territory in the northern Jaffna peninsula in an operation launched today, but resistance from the LTTE killed at least 12 soldiers and wounded over 30.

The Defence Ministry said troops supported by armour and artillery and the Sri Lanka Air Force advanced at first light towards Nunavil and Kaithady, west of Chavakachcheri, ``taking the LTTE by surprise.'' An officer and 11 men were killed in the fight-back by the LTTE using artillery and mortar fire. However, there was no information on LTTE casualties.

The military, which has been attempting to wrest control of areas in the peninsula from the LTTE since June, kilometre by painful kilometre, has added 11 sq kms more to its tally after today's operation, the Government said. A small stretch of the highway connecting Chavakachcheri to Jaffna town was now said to be under Government control.

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Section  : International
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