No change in Govt's peace stance - Defence Affairs Spokesman

Ranil WIJAYAPALA

COLOMBO: Government Defence Affairs Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said yesterday that the Government has not wavered in its stance of pursuing peace and has accelerated the process of providing solutions for the problems faced by the Tamil community, through the All Party Representative Committee.

Addressing the media in the aftermath of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran's statement, the Minister said the Government was not in the path of war but pursuing peace while responding to matters relating to the national security.

"We have been pursuing peace except for the fact of responding to matters relating to national security while keeping the window open for the LTTE to enter the civilised path of democracy," the Minister said. "We are not going to shut them off from the process," the Minister said referring to the LTTE.

However, the Minister said future incidents will decide the next course of action.

He said the Government has sent an official communique to both Norwegian facilitators and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission for a clarification based on the LTTE leader's speech as to whether they have made the Ceasefire Agreement and the Norwegian facilitators redundant.

"Certainly we are not in the path of war and committed to the Ceasefire Agreement except for the fact that steps taken regarding national security had been ruled as ceasefire violations," the Minister added.

Minister Rambukwella said the speech made by the LTTE leader was a desperate attempt to rein in the Tamil community who are protesting against the LTTE in their own territory.

The Minister said it was not worth giving any serious consideration to Prabhakaran's speeches since the intents of his speeches had never materialised.

He said the LTTE resorted to violence two weeks after last year's speech where he promised to give a one year period for President Rajapaksa to come out with a solution.

"There is no difference this time," the Minister remarked.