LTTE will not honor Ceasefire Agreements – Sri Lankan President
Amidst reports that the LTTE has killed even some of its political cadres who wanted to ‘cross over’, President Mahinda Rajapaksa promised safe passage to the LTTE leaders and cadres ‘who seek protection from the army and the government’. He blamed the TNA lawmakers for the delay in finding a political solution saying, ‘How can we devise a power sharing proposal when the TNA, despite repeated invitations, fails to come to negotiations with the government’.
President Rajapaksa has ruled out a ‘pause’ in operations against the LTTE. He pointed out that there was no guarantee that the Tigers would honour ‘the respite’ in army operations. “Sri Lanka Government gave 48 hours of respite for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on January 30, to allow free movement of civilians to ensure their safety but they have failed to honour our gesture and failed to allow innocent Tamil civilians leaving for safe areas”. He also charged the LTTE with indiscriminate firing when the Sri Lankan forces were asked to hold fire as a gesture of goodwill.
‘Sri Lankan forces were asked to hold fire but unfortunately, not even before a 24-hour respite in hostilities, the LTTE started attacking the frontline which ended up in almost a hundred and fifty soldiers sustaining causalities.’ Asked about the possibility of a no fire period, President Rajapaksa felt that it was not a workable proposition. A 48 to 72 – hour no fire period amounts to a ceasefire; he pointed out and said such a gesture would be futile.
“How can we give another 48 to 72 hour ‘no fire’ period which amounts to a ceasefire when Prabhakaran and his men had failed to honour our earlier gestures and caused injuries to our soldiers who were under my command holding fire for 48 hours?” “At this stage,” Rajapaksa said, “we can’t think of any ceasefire or no fire period. Last time when we announced a ceasefire they (LTTE) failed to honour it. They came and attacked our soldiers and as supreme commander I have to take responsibility when Sri Lankan Army is attacked while they were holding fire.” Nevertheless, he indicated a ‘respite’ once the army columns entered the safe areas. “Once our forces have entered a safe area where we are confident that enemy fire will not cause any harm, then we are going to give another respite for the people to leave for their safety,” the President assured to leading web site.
The government has already announced two safe zones or no fire zones for the civilians; they can easily move through those two safe zones to their safety. “Through that safe passage anybody can come, even the LTTE can come and seek protection from the army and the Government of Sri Lanka”. The President regretted that while the government was doing everything possible to safeguard the civilians and directed the army not to fire into the ‘no fire areas’, Prabhakaran and his men are not allowing them to leave. ‘I have reports that they (LTTE) were in fact inciting the people, and shooting at fleeing civilians.
They (LTTE) are also firing into the no fire areas’. Replying to a question on rescue and rehabilitation, President Rajapaksa said the government was sending food and other items to the civilians held as human shields by Prabhakaran and his men. “We are persisting with our supplies even when the food ship is shelled by the LTTE’, he said and stated that the government was arranging to ‘ship’ the injured civilian hostages to hospitals.”
Mahinda Rajapaksa asked Prabhakaran to allow ‘the innocent civilians to leave for safety’. He also said the LTTE cadres should lay down their arms and then automatically there will be a ceasefire and for the armed cadres to enter into the democratic way of life and to the mainstream of politics.
