The Hindu : LTTE must renounce terrorism in word and deed: U.S.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 15, 2003

International

International

LTTE must renounce terrorism in word and deed: U.S.

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON APRIL 14. The United States Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage has said that while he is "encouraged" by the role of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the Sri Lankan peace process, the Bush administration does not yet see a rationale for the lifting of that organisation from the List of Foreign Terrorist Organisations.

Mr. Armitage was speaking at an international seminar on "Sri Lanka's Reconstruction and Development" held at the State Department here today. The meeting, a precursor to the Tokyo Conference this June, was co-chaired by the Deputy Secretary of State and Sri Lanka's Minister for Economic Reform, Science and Technology, Milinda Moragoda.

Mr. Armitage said the LTTE had to "unequivocally renounce terrorism in word and deed" and while the U.S. could see a future for the LTTE, it was left to the Tigers to show they were worthy of "legitimacy". On the LTTE's absence at the meeting, he said that since the outfit was in the list of terrorist organisations, there were legal restrictions such as the denial of visas for entry into the U.S.

On the reconstruction and development of Sri Lanka, he referred to the peace process between the Government and the LTTE over the last one year with the two sides holding six sessions that resulted in important agreements and concessions. The current efforts to build peace in Sri Lanka, Mr. Armitage stressed, could be done but only with the support of many "hands" — a reference to the role of the international community and international financial institutions. For his part, Mr. Moragoda made an impassioned plea for the involvement of the world community in the reconstruction and development of Sri Lanka.

He outlined the tasks and challenges involved in the programme, "Regaining Sri Lanka", designed to "address the imbalance between aspirations and opportunities". The Tokyo Donor Conference in June would have to focus on the many facets of development, including transportation, logistics and financial sectors, information technology, education and health care, preservation of the environment and public sector reforms.

He said the two sides to the peace process had progressed from "mutual suspicion tinged with hatred to mutual caution" and that "if we are unable to demonstrate the dividend that peace will bring, we risk a breakdown of the negotiations and a resumption of hostilities".

Finance and Economic Development Ministers, Ambassadors and Heads of International Organisations attended. the seminar. The Sri Lankan Embassy, in a statement, pointed out India was participating for the first time in a meeting concerning the peace process. India's Ambassador to the U.S., Lalit Mansingh, attended today's seminar.

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LTTE must renounce terrorism in word and deed: U.S.