The Hindu : International : 'LTTE testing the threshold of tolerance'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 27, 2004

International

International

'LTTE testing the threshold of tolerance'

By V.S. Sambandan

COLOMBO, AUG. 26. The Sri Lankan Government said today that the continued internecine killings in eastern Sri Lanka were "testing the threshold of tolerance" and urged the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to "match words with deeds" by resuming negotiations.

"The recent incidents are not only a strain on the ceasefire, but they test the threshold of tolerance of the Government and the international community," Mangala Samaraweera, Government spokesman said.

`On the brink of war'

Today's call by Mr. Samaraweera was preceded by a warning by the Opposition United National Party (UNP) that the island-nation was "on the brink of war." Rejecting the UNP's view, Mr. Samaraweera said: "We do not want war. For the sake of peace, we are willing to be very, very patient."

The LTTE, meanwhile, further hardened its position by refusing to consider alternatives to its Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) proposals as the basis for the resumption of the stalled negotiations and declaring that bringing in arms was "not a violation of the ceasefire agreement."

"We have not yet received any alternative proposal and the LTTE will not accept any alternative proposal," the LTTE's political wing leader, S.P. Tamilchelvan, told journalists in Kilinochchi on Wednesday.

The ISGA, he said, "was proposed after international consultations" and "it will be possible to resume the negotiations if the Government accepts it as the basis for talks."

Rejecting a complaint by the Navy that the LTTE's boats were unloading arms off the eastern Mullaittivu coast, Mr. Tamilchelvan said: "Even if it is so, it is not a violation of the ceasefire agreement."

Charging the Sri Lankan armed forces with "amassing weapons," he said the Sea Tigers chief, Soosai, had "explained" to the head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, Trond Furuhovde, who met them on Wednesday, that the activity reported by the Navy were "exercises carried out by the Sea Tigers in our sea territory."

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