The Hindu : Front Page : Sri Lanka Government says it is ready for talks with LTTE

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 14, 2006

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Sri Lanka Government says it is ready for talks with LTTE

B. Muralidhar Reddy

"Despite goodwill gestures, Rajapakse regime wants military solution"

COLOMBO : Amid continuing gun battles in the east and north of Sri Lanka, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on Sunday said despite its "goodwill gestures" offered on Friday, the Mahinda Rajapakse regime was for a military solution to the conflict.

In response to a Government statement earlier in the day on the offer of talks by the Tigers, Director of LTTE Peace Secretariat S. Pulidevan said he had conveyed to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that in the face of military action the Tigers were "safeguarding" their "people and territory."

There was a brief flutter here during the day when the Government Peace Secretariat chief, Palitha T.B. Kohona, at a news briefing disclosed that the LTTE had communicated its desire for talks through the SLMM.

"We have agreed to the proposal and conveyed the same to the SLMM. The President of Sri Lanka has repeatedly expressed willingness of the Government to engage LTTE on the table. After that, we have not received any communication from LTTE. The ball is in their court," Dr. Kohona said.

In a statement circulated through TamilNet, Mr. Puleedevan denied press reports that the Tigers had made a fresh offer for talks on Sunday. "There is absolutely no truth in these reports. Colombo is adamant in finding a military solution and we are defending to safeguard our people and territory," he said.

Separately, the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) said subsequent to the severe casualties suffered by the LTTE in confrontations in the past 48 hours, it had been observed that there were many minors among its dead.

An SLA statement said troops now consolidating their positions ahead the Muhamalai Forward Defence Line were able to spot about 100 to 125 bodies of LTTE cadres. It said the troops were planning to inform the authorities to take away the dead after LTTE artillery and small arms fire stopped. .

It said a flotilla of about 50 - 60 Sea Tiger boats attempted to overrun Allapiddy village area in Kayts on Sunday morning, but alert troops thwarted the attempt. The SLA said the Navy, assisted by ground troops and Air Force, inflicted heavy damage to at least 25 - 30 boats.

TamilNet reported that soldiers, citing the police curfew in force, blocked 2000 families which were moving north towards safer Vadamaradchy from Varanai, Vatralai, Thaavalai, Idaikurichchi and Karambaikurichchi.

It said electricity was suspended to the Jaffna peninsula, telephone lines worked only intermittently and mobile phone coverage remained cut off for the third day.

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