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by Ranga Jayasuriya

Tamil political parties with their own armed cadres yesterday consented to disarm them as required by the Ceasefire Agreement, but stressed the need for a guarantee of safety from the Government.

The Agreement requires the disarmament of Tamil para-military groups operating in the North and East within 30 days of the D day.

PLOTE leader Dharmalingam Sidharthan said their armours had been provided in 1990 for their protection.

"We are not a para-military group but a political party which is represented in Parliament," Sidharthan said adding that the PLOTE was ready to hand over weapons at any time the Government demanded it.

"But the Government should give us a guarantee that our protection is ensured," he said. "The Government should detail police and army officers for our security," he added.

Asked whether the PLOTE had any threat from the LTTE, Sidharthan said he was not yet sure, but it will take some time to know.

Former EPDP Parliamentarian S.Sivathasan said his party had informed the Government of its willingness to hand over weapons adding that the EPDP was not a para-military group, but a "politico-military group".

The EPDP executive committee member underlined the need for a security guarantee from the Government.

"Even now we don't trust the LTTE and we don't think that they are genuine in the peace process," he said. But we support any genuine effort of the Government to bring peace, he added.

A spokesman for the TELO said his party had disarmed all its military groups six months ago. " So the issue of disarmament is not related to us," he said.

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