Government will not deviate from talks - President

Rohan MATHES in New Delhi

INDIA: President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday reiterated that despite LTTE leader Prabhakaran's warnings, his Government will not in any way deviate from a negotiated political settlement for permanent peace in the country.

President Rajapaksa in an interview with an Indian TV station in his hotel suite yesterday, said he has not studied Prabhakaran's statements yet and he will not take them seriously, as he has been consistently making similar statements from the very inception.

"For me, the LTTE and Prabhakaran and the whole Tamil people in Sri Lanka are different. Their views are different.

We always believe that we stand for the rights of all, whether Sinhalese, Tamils or Muslims. Although he came for the talks, he has killed more Tamil people than Sinhalese," he said.

While welcoming relief aid also from India, President Rajapaksa stressed that he was more concerned about the provision of relief to the victims of the North-East than anyone else in the world and his deliberations to dispatch teachers to the refugee camps in Tamil Nadu to teach them and make them sit the examination, in itself amply illustrates this fact.

"It is my duty and responsibility. They are also my people. I also thank the Tamil Nadu Government, Chief Minister Karunanidhi and the Indian Government for granting us permission for this," he added.

The President said that he has always urged the LTTE leader to come to the negotiating table and discuss with him directly, sans outsiders.

He said that he had even emphasised this at the election platform in the run-up to the last Presidential Election, and he has consistently been prepared for same.

Referring to the Commissions appointed by him to probe into human rights violations, the President said they were appointed only just two and a half months ago and their reports would be released by December end.

After their release, all parties would make a collective decision on a solution.

"We need a two thirds majority to come to a consensus. All my predecessors had failed when they wanted to push forward their own viewpoints. The 13th Amendment and even the Indian Government failed in their endeavours," he added.

Responding to a question on joint patrolling of the waters in the North-East, President Rajapaksa opined that if the Indian Navy could look after their territorial waters, the Sri Lankans were capable of looking after theirs.