Rebels can't win through gun, says SL president
Friday, 20 July 2007
COLOMBO, July 19 (Xinhua): Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse said Thursday that Tamil Tiger rebels can not liberate the Tamil minority through the power of the gun.
Rajapakse made the remarks in a national ceremony to celebrate his troops gaining control of the island's Eastern Province from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
"It is not possible to bring liberation to the Tamil people through guns, bombs and cyanide capsules. What they destroy is the future of Tamil children, "the president said.
The national celebration was planned to pay tribute to government troops who on July 11 conquered the Thoppigala thickets from the LTTE control.
Thoppigala in the eastern Batticaloa district with a large compound was the rebels' last hideout in the east after the fall of Sampur and Vakarai to government troops since September last year.
However the main opposition United National Party and the main left party, the JVP or the People's Liberation Front both boycotted the state ceremony, calling it a wasteful extravagance.
Rajapakse said the rebel's holding of the province had deprived the people there of their basic rights to vote at elections.
"We will take steps to conduct provincial and local government elections in the east by the end of the year," the president stressed.
Rajapakse said he was banking on the All Party Representatives Committee to find a political solution to the armed conflict.
"Do not delay this any further. Please come together, discuss and reach agreement and give us a single final solution," the president appealed to political parties.
He stressed upon the need to economically develop the province and urged Sri Lanka's international friends to help him in the task.
LTTE rebel have dubbed their defeat in the east as tactical withdrawals. They warned last week that economic and military targets would be taken in their bid to weaken the state military apparatus.
Rajapakse made the remarks in a national ceremony to celebrate his troops gaining control of the island's Eastern Province from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
"It is not possible to bring liberation to the Tamil people through guns, bombs and cyanide capsules. What they destroy is the future of Tamil children, "the president said.
The national celebration was planned to pay tribute to government troops who on July 11 conquered the Thoppigala thickets from the LTTE control.
Thoppigala in the eastern Batticaloa district with a large compound was the rebels' last hideout in the east after the fall of Sampur and Vakarai to government troops since September last year.
However the main opposition United National Party and the main left party, the JVP or the People's Liberation Front both boycotted the state ceremony, calling it a wasteful extravagance.
Rajapakse said the rebel's holding of the province had deprived the people there of their basic rights to vote at elections.
"We will take steps to conduct provincial and local government elections in the east by the end of the year," the president stressed.
Rajapakse said he was banking on the All Party Representatives Committee to find a political solution to the armed conflict.
"Do not delay this any further. Please come together, discuss and reach agreement and give us a single final solution," the president appealed to political parties.
He stressed upon the need to economically develop the province and urged Sri Lanka's international friends to help him in the task.
LTTE rebel have dubbed their defeat in the east as tactical withdrawals. They warned last week that economic and military targets would be taken in their bid to weaken the state military apparatus.