Govt going extra mile for peace - Rambukwella

Helicopter offer made in good faith

Ranil Wijayapala

COLOMBO: The chopper ride offered to the LTTE through the SLMM was not a blank cheque but restricted to a maximum 72 hours and the LTTE should use it before the Geneva talks, Plan Implementation Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told the media yesterday.

Minister Rambukwella said the Government offered to permit the Norwegians to hire a private helicopter to transport the LTTE central committee members from the East to Kilinochchi in preparation of the Geneva talks in good faith.

"The Government has made this offer in the good faith of making the Geneva talks a reality," the Minister added.

"We have told the SLMM to notify us when they want it. It has to be prior to the Geneva talks. It is restricted to a maximum 72 hours in that context. Therefore it is not a blank cheque," the Minister added.

Minister Rambukwella said the Government was doing its best and even beyond its best to make the Geneva talks realistic and making all arrangements to be there in Geneva on the second arranged date on schedule.

"The Government has done every possible thing and gone that extra mile to obtain the result, the peace," the Minister added.

"Unfortunately on the part of the LTTE they have manifested and shown in no lesser terms that they are involved in barbaric acts by directing attacks on civilians and trying to create backlashes," the Minister said. The Minister said the LTTE could not achieve its objective as the President and the Security Forces acted in a very responsible manner.

"The acts of the LTTE are a clear manifestation of lack of genuineness of the LTTE to make the Geneva talks realistic," the Minister added.

Briefing the media on the current situation of the peace process, the Minister said there was no official intimation either by the LTTE or by the SLMM whether the LTTE is participating in the Geneva talks.

However, the Minister said the Government was optimistic that the LTTE would participate at the Geneva talks as scheduled.

He added that the Norwegian Special envoy Jon Hanssen Bauer is scheduled to meet LTTE Political Wing leader S.P. Thamilselvan today in Killinochchi.