Sangaree urges Prabhakaran to lay down arms

Chamikara Weerasinghe

The President of the Tamil United Liberation Front, V. Anandasangaree has called on LTTE leader Prabhakaran to declare a permanent ceasefire with the Sri Lankan Government surrendering their arms in the wake of the SAARC summit.

He also appealed to President Mahinda Rajapaksa to make the best of the SAARC summit by soliciting the support of the Heads of States of the SAARC countries to find a lasting solution to the country’s ethnic problem.

Sangaree, who represented Kilinochchi in Parliament in 1970 and the Jaffna district in 2000, told the Daily News he had appealed to the President in a letter, to take the opportunity of the SAARC summit to urge the Heads of States of the SAARC countries to find a lasting solution to end the country’s problems manifesting around terrorism and the ethnic issue.

He had requested the President in his his letter titled “Another Golden Opportunity” thus: “You must take this opportunity to tell the Nation that you are assigning the task of finding a lasting solution reasonable enough for all to accept in the hands of our friendly neighbors of the SAARC in whom you have absolute faith.”

”Terrorism is a topic for discussion at the SAARC conference because all member states are much concerned about terrorism prevalent in their respective countries.

“Terrorism and the ethnic problem are so interwoven in our country that when discussions take place on terrorism , discussing the Sri Lankan ethnic issue becomes inevitable,” he had pointed out in his letter.

The letter read: “The Indian Team is comprised of officials who very well know our problem. The heads of SARRC countries will certainly welcome India playing the main role one that is involved in the process for a long time.

Sangaree had said in his letter to LTTE leader V.Prabhakaran that he must declare a permanent Ceasefire unilaterally with a request to the Sri Lankan Government to follow .

He has also called Prabhakaran to declare laying down of arms forthwith with an assurance of not using them in any form till a final solution is worked out in the wake of the SAARC summit.

“Prabhakaran must declare his willingness to accept the Seven Heads of State as arbitrators to find a solution and to declare acceptance of any solution recommended by the Heads of the Seven States to the country’s ethnic issue.

Sangaree’s letter to Prabhakaran read: “This is the best opportune time for you to enter the democratic process giving up the armed struggle. The happening in the Eastern Province can be taken as a good example for you to come into the democratic process”.