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No negotiations unless LTTE disarms, says Rajapaksa

— PHOTO: AFP

Combative: Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London, in this recent photo.

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa has reiterated there can no talks with the LTTE unless the latter disarmed. He maintained the LTTE called for peace talks only when it is militarily weak.

In an interview to The Times, Mr. Rajapaksa said: “When they are weak they call on the international community to arrange a ceasefire. During this period they train and rearm and then fight back. This time if they want to talk, they should disarm first.”

The aggressive stand of the Rajapaksa government towards the LTTE is based on the assessment of the military that the LTTE has been considerably weakened in the north, and talks at this juncture would only provide the much needed breathing space for the LTTE.

For several weeks now, the government has been insisting that the military has been successful in its goals in the northern districts where the Tigers hold territory. Army Chief Sarath Fosenka has claimed for the first time the armed forces are on the verge of closing in on the jungle bases of the LTTE in Mullaithivu.

The state-owned paper, Daily News, in a report on the security situation noted that defeating the LTTE and destroying its military capabilities inside the Mullathivu jungle is a key factor for the security forces in their bid to liberate the North.

“Since the key assets of the Tiger outfit are hidden inside the bases inside this thick jungle terrain, it is a must for the security forces to clear and dominate the area without leaving any room for the LTTE to reorganise themselves and counter-attack. Due to these vital factors, the battle in the Mullaithivu jungles is now turning into one of the decisive battles in the current phase of the Eelam War,” the paper said. Mr. Rajapaksa also complained that LTTE supporters were able to raise millions of pounds each year from the Tamil community in Britain, some of whom were coerced into donating the money. “You can’t have two different attitudes towards terrorism,” he said during a visit to London for a Commonwealth meeting, where he raised the issue with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

The Defence Ministry claimed troops continued to pound “LTTE bunkers located in the Jaffna Peninsula.

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