Prevent LTTE arms build-up for peace success

Govt reiterates commitment for talks

COLOMBO: The Government yesterday urged the international community to implement a practical mechanism to prevent the illegal procurement of arms by the LTTE as an essential element to ensure a successful progression towards a political settlement.

"The peace process in Sri Lanka is conducted between a democratically elected Government of a sovereign State and an armed group practising terrorism. It has been the experience in the past that the LTTE has always used peace talks as a period to enhance its military capabilities.

The Government hopes that the Co-Chairs and the Facilitator will do the utmost to ensure that the past practices of the LTTE is not repeated in this instance," the Government Peace Secretariat said in a news release issued in the aftermath of the Co-Chairs meeting in Brussels.

The Government was appreciative of the efforts made by the Co-chair members to resume peace talks, the Secretariat said. While reiterating the Government's commitment to participate in peace talks with the LTTE, the Peace Secretariat said specific modalities relating to dates and venue must be discussed and agreed between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Facilitator. "The Government reaffirms the declaration of President Mahinda Rajapaksa on 22 August 2006, following a meeting with the Co-Chair Ambassadors in Sri Lanka that the Government remains ready to engage in talks with the LTTE following a clear commitment by the LTTE Leader to a comprehensive and verifiable cessation of hostilities," the Peace Secretariat said.

The Government is pleased that the Co-Chair members have endorsed this approach and stated that the LTTE must abide by all agreements and renounce terrorism and violence, it said.

The Government noted with great concern certain elements of the Co-Chair statement of 12 September 2006.

There were procedural irregularities of the statement in making commitments regarding dates and venue without prior consultation with the Government.

The Government deeply regrets that the statement contains factual inaccuracies such as the alleged bombing of a school in Mullaitivu which is grossly misleading.