Asian Tribune is published by World Institute For Asian Studies|Powered by WIAS Vol. 11 No. 296

Sri Lanka Peace Secretariat pooh-poohs Anton Balasingham

Tue, 2006-05-09 11:19 — moderator

Conflict Resolution

[b]Sri Lanka Peace Secretariat pooh-poohs Anton Balasingham as an [/b]
adventurist and immature Chief Negotiator

[b]Colombo, 09 May, (Asiantribune.com):[/b] The Sri Lankan Government Peace Secretariat has dismissed the threat by Anton Balasingham to attack Karuna Group in Government-controlled areas, as "adventurist and not in keeping with the maturity expected from the Chief Negotiator of the LTTE."

Rebutting the charges of Anton Balasingham who told Reuters that the Government has refused to disarm the Karuna Group in the Government-controlled areas, the Peace Secretariat reaffirmed the Government’s commitment “to taking all necessary measures in accordance with the Ceasefire Agreement to ensure that no armed group or person other than Government security forces will carry arms or conduct armed operations.”

"On the contrary," says the Peace Secretariat, "it is the LTTE which has and continues to flagrantly violate the commitment it made at the Geneva Talks to taking all necessary measures to ensure that there will be no acts of violence against the security forces and police."

http://www.asiantribune.com/show_news.php?id=17897

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Sri Lanka Peace Secretariat

manaram - 09.05.2006 - 18:28

[b]Who armed the Karuna Group[/b]?
Was it the Government of Sri Lanka or the LTTE? If this was done by the GOSL, then it’s their sole responsibility to disarm the Karuna Group. If this is the work of the LTTE, then they should take the [i][b]responsibility of disarming their former friends of atrocities.[/b][/i] You can’t pass off your responsibility to another party when you fail to achieve your target.

As the LTTE is claiming that they had nothing to do with the suicide attacks on the Army Commander, Navy ships, attacks on the army and other government forces, killing of foreign minister Lakshman Kadiragaman etc., these might be the work of the Karuna Group. The LTTE could too clear their name by disarming the Karuna Group and getting their house in order.

If the next time a jet comes and [b]bomb Colombo [/b]or a security installation in Colombo, this might too be blamed on Karuna Group. It’s a known fact that the LTTE has now air capability and the Sri Lankan air force beach craft [u][i][b]had videoed a LTTE jet flying trials some where over Mullative on 06th May 2006.[/b][/i][/u] Before these jets hit Colombo one fine day, it’s high time the government of Sri Lanka to take some really substantive steps to reduce this threat. Otherwise this Government would do the same mistake done by the [b]UNP government did at the start of the Elam War 3. [/b]When the first plane was hit by a missile in Palaly, the government did not want to admit that it was hit by a missile. They said that it is a mechanical fault and sent the second plane. When this too was hit by a missile it was admitted that the LTTE had got surface to air missile. [b]So let’s not repeat history[/b]. Let’s safe guard the country and take necessary steps to protect the interest of the country. Let’s not wait till the LTTE hit one of targets with their plane and put the blame on somebody else such as Karuna or Peoples Up Rising Force.