By M Rama Rao
New Delhi, 28 November,2006 (asiantribune) President Rajapakse, who began his India parleys on a ‘promising’ note on Tuesday, has expressed his readiness for direct talks with the LTTE leader Prabhakaran. “He (Prabhakaran) did not allow me to celebrate my victory (as President). He killed more Tamils than he has killed Sinhalese people over 30 years. Yet I have always (been) telling… I can talk to you directly, so let us talk”, President Rajapakse told Asian Tribune in a free wheeling interview in his 14th floor hotel suit here.
The visiting leader earlier in the day met Sonia Gandhi, the chairperson of the ruling United Progressive Alliance, (UPA) whose husband Rajiv was assassinated by the Tigers in May 1991 at Sriperumbudur in Tamilnadu during an election rally. His talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and leader of the opposition L K Advani are slated for Wednesday.
India’s External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee called on Rajapakse. Later Mukherjee and Lankan foreign minister held delegation level talks. These discussions were constructive and purposeful, said Saj Mendis, spokesman of the Sri Lanak High Commission to India. He did not elaborate. But Indian foreign office spokesman said Mukherjee conveyed the hope that there would be early progress in the peace process so that all ethnic communities in Sri Lanka could live harmoniously and were able to achieve their aspirations. Both sides reviewed several on-going economic projects between the two countries.
President Rajapakse put some clarity to media reports on Colombo’s suggestion for joint patrolling by India and Sri Lanka of Pak Straits. “We only want India to patrol its territorial waters. We will do ours. Since India is a big country, it will be more effective and its will help fishermen as well”, he said pointing out that fishermen’s is primarily a humanitarian problem as they are often forced to part with their trawlers under force or for monetary inducements by Tigers.
He said Sea Tigers are strengthening their fire power. It will pose a threat to Sri Lanka, to India and to the international community. In so many words, his message is India must be pro-active in the campaign to check the LTTE.
Pinning his hope on dialogue, President Rajapakse said ‘I am anytime ready for a negotiated settlement and for negotiating with the LTTE’
When asked about the impression that Norway is not playing the role of a honest, sincere and truthful peace broker, he posed, with a hearty laugh, a counter question: “Is that the impression?” And remarked: I have always been telling why do you (Prabhakaran) want others to be involved in this (peace dialogue). I can talk to you directly, so let us talk’.
He did not see any specific significance on the latest Heroes Day address by Prabhakaran. Declining to be drawn into a discussion on subject, President Rajapakse said, ‘he has been saying this (only option, Eelam etc) for so many years. He has not said this for the first time’. Driving his point, President Rajapakse added the world must realise that LTTE is not the Tamil people and all Tamil people are not terrorists. So this must be realised by the people," said Rajapaksa, who is on a five-day visit to India.
Answering a specific question on humanitarian aid to Jaffna peninsula, he wondered why Prabhakaran has forced 4000 retail shops to be closed and thus created an artificial shortage syndrome. “If he is really keen on helping Tamils, he should allow these shops to be reopened”, the Sri Lankan leader said emphasising that there is no shortage of food and other essential items but the handicap is of distribution network in the wake of forced closure of most private shops.
President Rajapakse said that he is working on a package to meet the aspirations of ethnic Tamilians.
- Asian Tribune -
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment