Tigers seek tangible response from Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 May 2003, 07:40 GMT]
“The Liberation Tigers will participate in the Tokyo aid summit scheduled for next month only if the Sri Lankan government response to our suggestions is concrete, trustworthy, honest and not based on verbal pledges regarding our proposal for the establishment of an interim administration in the northeast province” said Mr. S.P. Thamilselvan, head of the LTTE’s political division, addressing a press conference Thursday in Kilinochchi.

Mr. Thamilselvan said that Colombo should reach a definite agreement on setting up an interim administration for the northeast that can effectively handle rehabilitation and reconstruction before participating in the Tokyo donor summit next month.

“The international community will realize that it is not possible to restore normalcy in the northeast without establishing an interim administration for the region”, he added.

The press conference commenced Thursday around 10.30 a.m. at the LTTE’s Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi.

“We will accept the Sri Lankan government’s counter suggestions to our interim administration proposal only if they are accepted by our people and the international community", said Mr. Thamilselvan in reply to a question.

To another question by a journalist that there is no provision in Sri Lanka’s constitution for setting up an interim administration, Mr. Thamilselvan replied: “our struggle is against the system of inequality created by present constitution, which gives primacy to Buddhism and is designed to uphold the welfare of the majority community”.

“We are not least concerned about the snags and problems in Sri Lanka’s constitution. The Sri Lankan government should think and take concrete steps to go beyond the parameters of the constitution to resolve the interim administration issue”, Mr. Thamilselvan stressed.