Govt. committed to peace, negotiated political settlement

President tells UN Secretary General :

COLOMBO: President Mahinda Rajapaksa emphasised to United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan that the Sri Lankan Government is committed to peace in the country and the doors are still open for talks to negotiate a political settlement.

The President made this statement during a telephone conversation with the UN Secretary General on August 16, states a press release issued by the Office of the President.

The conversation between President Rajapaksa and the Secretary General focused mainly on the recent developments in Sri Lanka following the LTTE's closing of the sluice gate of Mavilaru and LTTE attacks in Muttur and Jaffna.

The President informed the Secretary General that the Security Forces are conducting purely defensive operations since the LTTE is carrying out offensives in these areas.

Annan deplored the assassination of Ketheshwaran Loganathan, Deputy Secretary General of SCOPP and extended to the President his condolences.

He also condoled on the victims in the attack on the Pakistan High Commissioner.

The President thanked the Secretary General for his expression of sympathy on the killing of Loganathan who was also Secretary to the All Party Representative Committee entrusted with the drafting of a framework for a political solution.

Responding to the Secretary General's query on the possibility of resuming talks, President Rajapaksa said he has publicly reiterated that the doors for negotiations are very much open.

The Secretary General expressed his appreciation to the Government of Sri Lanka for its continued commitment to the peace initiative and reaffirmed UN support for Norwegian facilitation in this endeavour.

Referring to the Co-Chairs of Sri Lanka's Donor Conference, the President said the Government is in touch with the Co-Chairs on a regular basis.

Briefing the Secretary General on the provision of humanitarian assistance to the affected people, President Rajapaksa said the Government continues to send food and medicine to all affected areas.

With a large number of people getting internally displaced due to the LTTE attack in Muttur, arrangements have been made to provide relief to the people and a Commissioner General of Essential Services has been appointed to coordinate all activities.

The Government is ready to provide assistance to UN agencies to conduct their humanitarian relief work and ICRC is already in operation in these areas.

Referring to LTTE propaganda reporting on the air raids in Mullaitivu, the President said that the defence forces after a long period of surveillance and careful verification identified an LTTE base in Mullaitivu and engaged it as it was training the LTTE cadres who were sent for attacks in Jaffna.

The President also referred to the LTTE's forceful conscription of children, both male and female and deplored the fact that child soldiers are being used in LTTE attacks.

Secretary General Annan thanked President Rajapaksa for the Information provided to him and offered the assistance of UN Agencies to Sri Lanka in its humanitarian efforts.

He appreciated the government's commitment to peace and the efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the internally displaced civilians. He extended his good wishes to the President in the efforts to find a negotiated settlement.