Monday, Dec 09, 2002
Monday, Dec 09, 2002 |
| International | ||
|
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | International
By V.S. Sambandan
COLOMBO. DEC. 8. The Foreign Secretary, Kanwal Sibal, said today that India would "take note" of the Sri Lankan opinion that there was a "forward movement" in the peace process after the Oslo round. "If the (Sri Lankan) Government and the Opposition think there is a forward movement, we have to take note of it," Mr. Sibal said adding, "we cannot be out of sync". On New Delhi's role in the peace process, Mr. Sibal pointed out that though "logically we should be involved", the "legal complexities" were such that "our options are certainly limited". India's legal complexities arise from its ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for crimes on Indian soil, including the assassination of the former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi. The LTTE leader, V. Prabakaran, and two other high-ranking leaders have been declared as prime accused and proclaimed offenders in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
`We will pronounce'
Comparing the negotiations to a 100-metre race, Mr. Sibal said: "you have to run the 100 metres. Right at the start, or after one metre, you cannot say the race is over. Let us see. At the end of the race, we will pronounce". Mr. Sibal's visit comes at the end of the third round of talks between Colombo and the Tigers in Oslo, during which the two sides agreed to explore a "federal model" for a political solution within the framework of a united Sri Lanka. It is also his first visit to Colombo after assuming charge in July. The Oslo agreement reflected the principles India had stressed such as democracy, human rights and pluralism, Mr. Sibal said adding that it was up to the Sri Lankan Government to "ensure all these". Disagreeing with the view that India had adopted a "hands-off" approach, he said New Delhi was kept "fully informed" of the negotiations. "Everybody realises that India has a key role." Colombo was "very receptive to whatever we tell them... we do not think there is any difficulty at all on that score", he added. Reiterating India's stand on the conflict-resolution process — backing a negotiated political settlement that met the aspirations of all sections within Sri Lanka's unity and territorial integrity — Mr. Sibal said New Delhi was fully in support of "a peace process" and emphasised that any solution will have to meet the acceptance of all communities "including the non-LTTE Tamil political parties". Mr. Sibal, here on a two-day visit, is scheduled to meet the President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, the Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Tyronne Fernando, leaders of non-LTTE Tamil parties and Rauff Hakeem, leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, who is also part of Colombo's negotiating team. He termed as "useful and illuminating" his meeting with a key Government negotiator, the Sri Lankan Minister for Economic Reforms, Milinda Moragoda, earlier today. In sharp contrast to the 1980s situation when India was the mediator in finding a solution to the island's separatist conflict, this time around New Delhi chose to keep itself out of any active participation. However, external involvement in Sri Lanka's peace process has widened, with Norway being joined by the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, the European Union, and others at the recent donors' conference in Oslo.
`The jury is out'
Asked about reports that the Tigers had acquired a fresh consignment of broadcasting equipment, Mr. Sibal said, "the jury is out" on whether it was an FM, with short-range capability, or a longer range, capable of transmitting into southern India. If it was of a longer range, "we will evaluate it differently", he said. It may be recalled that a senior Opposition leader, Anura Bandaranaike, had recently said that the LTTE had acquired broadcast equipment that could transmit into southern India.
Printer friendly
page
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
|
|
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | Business Line | The Sportstar | Frontline | Home |
Copyright © 2002, The
Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu
|
