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23-06-2006

End killings of innocent Tamils, India tells Lanka

By M.R. Narayan Swamy, Indo-Asian News Service

New Delhi, June 22 (IANS) India Thursday politely but firmly told Sri Lanka to end the killings of innocent Tamils while combating the Tamil Tigers and pressed Colombo to speed up plans to devolve powers to the country's minorities.

India's political leadership gave the unambiguous message to Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, who flew in overnight from London on a previously unscheduled visit.

An informed source told IANS: "The minister was told that civilian casualties should be avoided... and we hope that Sri Lankan security forces will not respond to provocations and be restrained."

New Delhi is committed to Sri Lanka's unity but is bothered by increasing reports of attacks on innocent Tamils in the island's north and east, where violence that has claimed over 800 lives since December has been blamed on security forces, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and anti-LTTE Tamil groups.

Samaraweera first met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan exclusively and then had an extended meeting along with officials. Before flying to Colombo he also met Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed at the Indira Gandhi international airport.

A government statement said Manmohan Singh conveyed to Samaraweera "India's abiding commitment to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka" even while demanding that "the legitimate aspirations of all sections of Sri Lankan society needed to be addressed expeditiously.

"He emphasized the need to make all possible efforts to strengthen the ceasefire between the Sri Lankan government and LTTE and to work towards a devolution package that could command consensus among the major political parties and restore ethnic harmony."

The cycle of killings and counter-killings in Sri Lanka has made a mockery of the 2002 Norway-brokered ceasefire between Colombo and the Tigers. But Norway is doing its best to resurrect the badly derailed peace process.

The violence has led to a panic run of distraught Tamil civilians to Tamil Nadu, the Indian state separated from Sri Lanka by a narrow strip of sea.

This in turn has generated a lot of heat in Tamil Nadu, where both the ruling DMK and opposition parties have pressed New Delhi to take steps to try to bring peace in the island nation.

Samaraweera, who was also in New Delhi last month, told Manmohan Singh that President Mahinda Rajapakse was committed to peace no matter what stand the LTTE took. He quoted Rajapakse as saying that "war is not an option".

"We are committed to a political solution and want to go in for devolution of powers based on discussions at the all party conference (in Sri Lanka)," he told the Indian premier and Narayanan.

Colombo, the minister went on, wanted to talk to the LTTE to resolve the decades-long ethnic conflict. "For this government and for our president, war is not an option," Samaraweera insisted.

Narayanan is expected to fly to Tamil Nadu shortly to appraise Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi about the discussions with Samaraweera.

Among other things Karunanidhi is seriously concerned over continuing attacks by Sri Lankan security forces on fishermen from Tamil Nadu.

A statement from the Sri Lankan high commission here said that Samaraweera informed Manmohan Singh that Colombo "remains committed to the ceasefire agreement despite the grave provocations and violations by the LTTE".

It said Rajapakse was committed "to a negotiated political solution based on democracy and human rights that meets the aspirations of all communities in Sri Lanka and will preserve the territorial integrity of the country".

Diplomats in Colombo, however, fear that both Colombo and LTTE appear to be inching towards a full-fledged conflict although neither side wants to earn flak from the international community by provoking a war.

Source--Indo-Asian News Service