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13492
Wed, 07/23/2008 - 11:43
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LTTE declares ceasefire for SAARC summit; Govt downplays offer
T. V. Sriram Colombo, Jul 23 (PTI) Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka have announced they would observe a unilateral 10-day ceasefire from July 26 as a "goodwill" gesture coinciding with the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (S.A.A.R.C.) summit, an offer downplayed by the government here whichdeclared that the war on terror would continue.
The Tigers will not undertake any attack when the S.A.A.R.C. meetings begin here this week culminating into the 15th summit of the grouping's leaders from August 2 to 3, theLTTE's political head B. Nadesan said.
"As a sign of this goodwill ... our movement will observea unilateral ceasefire ... during the period of the S.A.A.R.C.
conference from 26th July to 4th August and give our cooperation for the success of the conference," a statementreleased late last night by the L.T.T.E. said.
"We wish the S.A.A.R.R.C. meeting all the success," itsaid, adding the group has no enmity with anyone.
However, the statement said, if the government forces carried out any attack during the 10-day ceasefire by the L.T.T.E., "our movement will be forced to take defensive actions." The Sri Lankan government, meanwhile, today down playedthe ceasefire, saying the war against terror would continue.
Reacting to the L.T.T.E's decision, Foreign Minister Rohita Bogollagama told Parliament that the government was nottaking into consideration the offer made by the Tigers.
He said the war against terror would continue and the government had no proposal at the moment to hold peace talkswith the L.T.T.E.
Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona said: "We would like to see a firm commitment on the part of the L.T.T.E. for a settlement of this conflict and a similar commitment to ademobilisation process.
"We have experienced the L.T.T.E's ceasefire offers earlier, which were used to regroup and rearm, creating greater havoc than before." The L.T.T.E. had earlier signed a ceasefire pact with Sri Lanka in 2002 which was called off by the government early this year as the hostilities between the two sides continuedunabated.
The Sri Lankan government last week decided to set up "High Security Zones" in and around Colombo to provide foolproof safety to top leaders from South Asian countries whowould be visiting the island nation to attend the summit.
S.A.A.R.C. groups India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal as well as Sri Lanka. PTI
The Tigers will not undertake any attack when the S.A.A.R.C. meetings begin here this week culminating into the 15th summit of the grouping's leaders from August 2 to 3, theLTTE's political head B. Nadesan said.
"As a sign of this goodwill ... our movement will observea unilateral ceasefire ... during the period of the S.A.A.R.C.
conference from 26th July to 4th August and give our cooperation for the success of the conference," a statementreleased late last night by the L.T.T.E. said.
"We wish the S.A.A.R.R.C. meeting all the success," itsaid, adding the group has no enmity with anyone.
However, the statement said, if the government forces carried out any attack during the 10-day ceasefire by the L.T.T.E., "our movement will be forced to take defensive actions." The Sri Lankan government, meanwhile, today down playedthe ceasefire, saying the war against terror would continue.
Reacting to the L.T.T.E's decision, Foreign Minister Rohita Bogollagama told Parliament that the government was nottaking into consideration the offer made by the Tigers.
He said the war against terror would continue and the government had no proposal at the moment to hold peace talkswith the L.T.T.E.
Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona said: "We would like to see a firm commitment on the part of the L.T.T.E. for a settlement of this conflict and a similar commitment to ademobilisation process.
"We have experienced the L.T.T.E's ceasefire offers earlier, which were used to regroup and rearm, creating greater havoc than before." The L.T.T.E. had earlier signed a ceasefire pact with Sri Lanka in 2002 which was called off by the government early this year as the hostilities between the two sides continuedunabated.
The Sri Lankan government last week decided to set up "High Security Zones" in and around Colombo to provide foolproof safety to top leaders from South Asian countries whowould be visiting the island nation to attend the summit.
S.A.A.R.C. groups India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal as well as Sri Lanka. PTI
