Govt. rejects LTTE ceasefire offer

Uditha KUMARASINGHE, Irangika RANGE and Sandasen MARASINGHE

KOTTE: Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama told Parliament yesterday that the Government would not enter into any agreement with the LTTE although they have declared a unilateral ceasefire during the period of the SAARC summit.

The Minister said the Government will continue with the measures taken against the LTTE so far.

Minister Bogollagama also asserted that the Government would never discuss in this regard with the LTTE and would not accept the truce agreements declared by the LTTE.

The Minister made this observation after National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa queried whether the Government would accept the LTTE’s unilateral ceasefire. He said it was reported that the LTTE was proposing to the Government a ceasefire through Norwegian mediators during the SAARC summit.

‘LTTE must abandon terrorism’

Manjula FERNANDO

COLOMBO: Peace Secretariat Chief Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha, reiterated the need for the LTTE to make a pledge to ‘abandon terrorism’ if the Government is to deviate from its current stance.

Commenting on the LTTE’s announcement of a ‘unilateral ceasefire’ during SAARC, he said they were waiting for a more concrete pledge from the LTTE, not a mere temporary ceasefire, to proceed to peace talks and a political settlement.

The LTTE, in a media release issued Monday announced they would declare a unilateral truce to be effective from July 26 to August 4 when the SAARC meetings would be held in Colombo.

The LTTE’s announcement was handed over to the Peace Secretariat Chief through the Norwegian facilitators yesterday.

“What they have sent us is the copy of that press release,” Prof. Wijesinghe said explaining there was no formal communique from the LTTE addressed to the Government.

Responding to the LTTE political Wing head Nadesan’s remarks that they expected a positive response to their goodwill gesture, Prof. Wijesinha said the Government should not take serious note of his statement because the LTTE had a past record of carrying out attacks during a ceasefire.

Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) Chief Lakshman Hulugalla said the ongoing operations in the North would not be affected by this latest development. He said the Northern operations would not be halted as a result of a press statement from the LTTE.

Minister Rajitha Senaratne said the LTTE’s announcement of a unilateral ceasefire can be regarded as a positive development but yet it could well be a manifestation of their weakened military power.

This could also be an attempt to get the international opinion tilted in their favour, he said.

The LTTE, cornered by the advancing forces in the North, were trying their best get to international support.

Every time the Government declared a ceasefire, the LTTE used it as an opportunity to re-group and re-arm, there is no guarantee that it will not be repeated, he said emphasising the risk of providing breathing space for the LTTE.

Earlier experience shows the LTTE killed or attempted to kill all leaders who agreed to ceasefires.

He said that was the reason for government to go for a ‘conditional ceasefire’. The Government has offered the LTTE the option to lay down their arms with a third party involvement just as happened in Nepal. The Maoist rebels laid down their arms with the UN.