No change in Govt. stance

Govt for talks, but LTTE always sabotaged them - Defence Spokesman:

Rafik Jalaldeen

COLOMBO: The Government has always been committed to the peace process and it is the LTTE which caused a setback in this regard by withdrawing from negotiations proffering spurious excuses, the Government said yesterday.

Addressing the weekly security media briefing yesterday, Government Defence Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said the Government has always reiterated this position.

“The LTTE wants the Government to restart peace negotiations. There were reports during the last ten days that the LTTE was willing to come back to the negotiation table. The LTTE doesn’t have to communicate its interest to re-enter negotiations because the Government is always fully committed to open the doors for a negotiated settlement to the conflict,” Minister Rambukwella said.

He said the history of the peace process showed it was the LTTE who always withdrew from the negotiations process. The LTTE frequently came out with various excuses to justify its withdrawal from peace talks.

“The history of the peace process is full of instances of the LTTE backtracking - Viz. Geneva and Oslo after enjoying the hospitality of the Norwegian facilitators.”

The Minister emphasised that during the peace talks in Geneva the Government tabled a seven point agenda and was to take them up one by one. However, when the Government delegation was about to meet the LTTE in Geneva, they took up issues such as A9 road, food supplies as prerequisites for talks to begin.

The LTTE also carried out several attacks on the Security Forces soon after withdrawing from the peace talks including the attempt on the life of the Army Commander Sarath Fonseka. Still, the Government did not deviate from the peace path, the Minister said.

He said: “The Government’s policy for a negotiated settlement never changed. When the LTTE calls for recommencing the peace talks, the Government has to explain its stance. Government Chief Peace Negotiator Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva called on the Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar and discussed with him the Government’s position and that the door is open for talks.

Minister de Silva also explained to Brattskar how the LTTE withdrew from the peace process and told him to convey to the LTTE that the Government is ready for talks”.

Minister Rambukwella strongly denied media reports that the Norwegian Ambassador was not allowed to visit Kilinochchi by the Government.

“The truth is we explained to him about the present security situation as a duty of a Sovereign state. It is the duty of the Defence Secretary and the Foreign Ministry to inform in advance about the ground situation when a diplomat undertakes to visit the conflict zone.

A group of diplomats were attacked by the LTTE in Batticaloa. Brattskar postponed his meeting with the LTTE till he felt it was safe to go,” he added.

Commenting on a Memorandum submitted to the UN office in Sri Lanka that there are flaws in the Muttur massacre investigation, the Minister said “we will not ready to undermine the commission appointed by the President and we are also totally against any international organisation interfering in our investigations”.

The President appointed this commission to oversee 16 cases of human rights violations. An International Groups of Eminent Persons are assisting them.

These two committees are carrying out their investigations successfully, even involving an Australian forensic team, he added.