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Presidential spokesman Harim Peiris has sent a clarification with reference to our news item titled "President to write to PM on peace process". It says:

"The President has always urged the LTTE to engage the Sri Lankan government politically rather than militarily and accordingly recognises their press conference as a political act. However, the President noted that there was no departure from the LTTE's long held political positions of the Thimpu principles and their commitment to a separate state through armed conflict.

"The President is greatly concerned regarding the deteriorating human rights situation in the post ceasefire period, especially in the Eastern Province. A specific human rights agreement with the LTTE, with mechanisms for redress should be explored with the facilitation of the Norwegian Government. While believing that deproscription of the LTTE need not be a precondition for substantive political talks, the President is of the view that the Government should negotiate and negotiate hard with the LTTE on such issues, as the human rights situation, a suspension of the ban rather than its removal and a clear link between a possible deproscription and progress or commencement of substantive issues for a lasting and durable settlement of the ethnic conflict.

"The President has always advocated granting minority rights and a negotiated political settlement of the ethnic conflict and would propose the PA's 1997 draft devolution proposals, which received acceptance by the Tamil political parties as a sound basis for commencing negotiations.

"Foreign Affairs Advisor to the President, Lakshman Kadirgamar, MP, is the President's nominee to the peace process facilitated by the Norwegian government and not a nominee for the proposed negotiations in Thailand." 

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