President Chandrika to address NAM summit

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 September 1998, 13:07 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President, Chandrika Kumarathunghe, left the island on Monday to take part in the 12th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in South Africa.

She is expected to address the opening ceremony at Durban International Convention centre today.

Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar has said yesterday to the Sri Lanka Radio that the SLG would make use of the opportunity at NAM Summit to actively campaign against the LTTE.

Meanwhile, the LTTE's Political Head Office in a letter addressed to the South African leader, Mr. Nelson Mandela, on 29th August wrote:

"The Government has lost interest in the pursuit of peace and has invested all its energies and efforts in the prosecution of the war with a determination of finding a military solution. Chandrika's Government has also outrightly rejected third party mediation to the conflict and imposed impossible conditions for political negotiation with the LTTE."

The letter further appealed that "We call upon you to use your good office to impress upon the Government of Sri Lanka to abandon its aggressive military policy and seek a negotiated settlement based on the principles enunciated at Thimpu talks."