LTTE to discuss only CFA at Geneva

The LTTE says two days of talks starting on February 22 would only focus on strengthening a ceasefire, reports PK Balachandran.

The LTTE has made it abundantly clear that it will resist attempts by the Sri Lankan government to discuss issues other than the implementation of the existing Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) at the forthcoming talks in Geneva.

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The outfit's authoritative organ Viduthalai Puligal has warned in its latest issue (January 2006) that if the Mahinda Rajapaksa government does not implement the existing CFA in letter and spirit, it will resume its fight for an independent Tamil Eelam.

"At Geneva, the LTTE is prepared to discuss only the full and speedy implementation of CFA. The Tamil National Leader (Prabhakaran) has emphasised this to the peace envoy and Norwegian minister Erik Solheim," the periodical said.

"The LTTE is not prepared to discuss modifications to the CFA or any proposal to push the CFA aside and waste time talking about the political situation."

"The only way to avoid war and create a peaceful environment in the Tamil Homeland is to implement the CFA in full. The key to peace talks in the present context is the full implementation of the CFA."

"Confidence to proceed with peace talks will be created only if the Mahinda government accepts this ground reality."

"If the Mahinda government rejects this and tries to buy time, then, as stated by the Tamil National Leader (Prabhakaran) in his Heroes' Day Speech, the LTTE will have no other alternative but to fight for the Tamil speaking people's freedom."

CFA has clauses to safeguard Tamils' rights

Listing the Tamils' grievances in the last four years Viduthalai Puligal said that the solution to their problems lay in the implementation of the CFA in letter and spirit and not in tampering with it or discussing extraneous political issues.

It said that more than 100,000 Tamil people in Jaffna had not been able to return to their homes and farms because of army presence.

The High Security Zones were depriving thousands of their houses and farms.

Fishermens' movements were still curtailed. There were restrictions on the movement of civilians.

They were being subjected to cordon and search operations.

More than 150 Tamils were killed in the earlier six weeks by the Sri Lankan Army, it alleged.

"The CFA contains clauses to eliminate such atrocities and bring normalcy to peoples' lives," Viduthalai Puligal said.