Violence endangering CFA stability, TNA tells Akashi

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 February 2005, 15:10 GMT]
"The violence unleashed against senior LTTE cadres and others on Monday the 7th in government controlled territory situated between two Army Camps, and in an area which has a strong armed forces presence, has raised grave questions in regard to the continued stability of the ceasefire," the Tamil National Alliance delegation led by its parliamentary group leader Mr Sampanthan told Mr Yasushi Akashi, the special envoy of the Japanese Government, when they met him Friday, a press release issued by the TNA in Colombo said.

Full text of the press release follows:

"A delegation of the Tamil National Alliance met with His Excellency Yasushi Akkashi, the special envoy of the Japanese Government on 11 February 2005. Associated with the special envoy was His Excellency the Japanese Ambassador in Sri Lanka and other officials. The TNA delegation comprised Mr. R. Sampanthan M.P. Parliamentary Group Leader, Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham M.P., Mr. Mavai Senathirajah M.P., Mr. Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam M.P., Mr. Selvam Adaikalanathan M.P., Mr. Suresh Premachandran M.P. and Mrs. Padmini Sithambaranathan M.P.

Among the matters discussed were the current state of the peace process – the pre-tsunami and the post-tsunami condition of the people in the Northeast and the violence on the Polonnoruwa – Batticaloa Road in government controlled territory on the 7th of February in which several important LTTE cadres and a former TNA Member of Parliament were killed.

The TNA stated that there was no meaningful progress in the peace process in any direction, and that the Sri Lanka Government was not able to take any positive step probably on account of the opposition it faced from its main alliance partner the JVP.

This stalemate has continued for too long, and the ceasefire which has been sustained for almost three years was increasingly begining to lose its efficacy. The LTTE which became a party to the ceasefire in the belief that there would be amelioration in normal civilian life of the Tamil people in the Northeast coupled with some political progress, are together with the Tamil people and the TNA dismayed and frustrated that the government has not taken any tangible step towards the revival of the peace process after it took over office from the former government, apart from issuing verbal assurances of a commitment to the peace process. In this background the violence unleashed against senior LTTE cadres and others on Monday the 7th in government controlled territory situated between two Army Camps, and in an area which has a strong armed forces presence, has raised grave questions in regard to the continued stability of the ceasefire.

The TNA explained that unless some tangible step is taken by the government at least in regard to the post tsunami situation in the Northeast at the earliest, the situation could get out of hand, and there was the danger that the ceasefire could collapse. It was the duty of the government to ensure that this did not happen.

Special envoy Akkashi assured the TNA delegation that the international community continued to be very committed to achieving progress in the peace process and that it was doing its best to make all parties work towards the achievement of progress. Special envoy Akkashi was cautiously hopeful that the situation could improve."