2nd lead: (correction)

Foreign envoys to be briefed on JVP's stand on ISGA

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 June 2004, 21:00 GMT]
The Jathika Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Monday said that it would brief Colombo based foreign envoys the reasons for opposing the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) proposal submitted by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for the northeast province, media sources in Colombo said.

According to the JVP General Secretary Mr.Tilvin Silva, his party leadership has decided to meet foreign envoys within the next few days and would brief them about the clauses in the ISGA they feel would undermine the sovereignty, unitary status and territorial integrity of the country, sources said.

The JVP already issued a statement in apparent reaction to an appeal by the co-chairs of the Sri Lanka Aid conference held on June at Brussels in Belgium that the 4.5 billion Dollar aid package pledged to Sri Lanka in Tokyo conference might go elsewhere if the Government and the LTTE did not resume peace talks immediately.

The JVP leadership would inform all foreign envoys that UPFA has no problem in engaging in talks with the LTTE to solve the ethnic conflict if the sovereignty or the security of the country is not sacrificed. But the ISGA of the LTTE is undermining the sovereignty and unitary status of the country. Hence the international community should come forward to pressure the LTTE to drop the demand for ISGA, JVP leadership said.

Delegation comprising Messrs Somawanse Amerasinghe, Wimal Weerawanse and Tilvin Silva are expected to meet Colombo based foreign envoys in the next few days, media sources said.