Sea Tigers threat to India's security - Report

Rashomi Silva

COLOMBO: India's Home Affairs Ministry has identified the LTTE sea wing as a direct threat to Indian security. This view was enunciated in the Ministry's recent Annual Report, which contained India's first ever risk assessment of the LTTE.

"This was the first time that an Annual Security Report has made such a direct statement," Defence analyst General Ashok Metta said in a symposium on 'Peace Negotiations in Sri Lanka'.

Commenting on the recent remarks by Nicholas Burns, visiting under secretary of United States on the LTTE, Metta said that his country fully shares his views.

"We may not be able to make a similar statement due to internal factors. What we fail to say and do would be said and done by our strategic partner," he said referring to USA.

Gen. Metta who is also the Convener of the India-Sri Lanka Track II Dialogue forum asserted India's commitment to the unity, territorial integrity and the sovereignty of the Sri Lankan State, while urging Sri Lanka to find a peaceful settlement that satisfies the aspirations of all communities that consider Sri Lanka as its home country.

"Make absolutely no mistake. India is committed to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka," he said.

However, he said the proposed Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) that hit headlines in the local media would not materialise, at least not as a written agreement. But he asserted "the content of the agreement would be implemented, Defence Pact or not."

"Many in Sri Lanka are over-estimating our capacities. There is much we can do and there are certain things we cannot do," he said.

He said there are internal political dimensions that shape any country's Foreign Policy and National Policy. "No Government would make Foreign Policy decisions that would risk its political survival at home," he said, clearly referring to the DCA and the pressure on the Central Government by Regional Tamil political parties.

"We will not be part of the co-chairs and we would not step in to the boots of the facilitator, but we would give our full backing and support to the process," he stressed.

"What we can not give on one front would be compensated on another front," he said and added that India was ready to enter into partnership in developing the war affected economy in the country.

"We have pledged our support on the economic front. We have agreed to work in cooperation with the government in the North-East including areas under the LTTE control," he added.