Left parties condemn intensified LTTE violence

The Five Left parties in a statement yesterday vehemently condemned the intensified acts of violence perpetrated by the LTTE in the North and East and requested it to enter negotiations with the Government to find a lasting political solution to the North-East problem.

The LSSP, the CP, SLMP, Desha Vimukthi Janatha Pakshaya and the Democratic Left Front also called upon the Civil Society including all political parties and the International Community to pressurise the LTTE and the Government to start immediate discussions towards finding a lasting solution to the ethnic problem.

They said when the new President had openly expressed willingness to start negotiations with the LTTE unconditionally, the LTTE had intensified its acts of violence in the North and East to create a war situation and keep the people of the North and East who favoured peace and democracy under its own clutches.

The statement added:

"Acts of violence have been intensified in the North and East since December 5 last year. More than 100 security forces and police personnel and civilians have been killed to-date. We strongly condemn these barbaric murders which have been apparently committed by the LTTE which have seriously breached the Ceasefire Agreement which is in force from April 2002.

Acts of violence committed since the operation of the CFA have been intensified in a well-planned manner after the recent Presidential elections. This is despite the willingness expressed by the new President to commence talks with the LTTE unconditionally.

When the new President has clearly and openly stated both during and after the Presidential election campaign that his strategy for solving the ethnic problem was to find a political solution through discussion and negotiation.

It is evident that the LTTE is behaving in this manner to keep the Tamil people who favour peace and democracy under its clutches by creating a war situation.

We wish to state that these continued acts of violence would provocate the people in the South and help to develop communal and racist tendencies. Therefore, we strongly urge the LTTE to immediately halt these acts of violence and enter negotiations and request the International Community and Civil Society to influence and prevail upon both parties, the LTTE and the Sri Lanka Government, to start talks towards finding a peaceful solution to this problem.

We also urge all political parties to extend their fullest support to the new President who has pledged to follow a new approach and agreed to enter talks to find a lasting solution.

We also value and appreciate the dialogue the new President has started with all Tamil and Muslim parties in the North and East including the Tamil National Alliance.

We also vehemently condemn the planned and hidden activities of certain sections of the State and private media which try to strengthen communal tendencies without directly supporting peace moves as they are a serious threat to the peace process.

We also request all progressive and patriotic sections to be aware and alert about opportunist, racist and fundamentalist forces trying to achieve their petty motives at this decisive moment.

The five left parties categorically state that civil society including all political parties and the international community should come forward to create the conducive environment necessary to carry forward the peace process and find a political solution within a united and undivided Sri Lanka through negotiation and discussion.