Lankan President reiterates stand

President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Tuesday said that it had been made clear to India and the international community that Sri Lanka would not suspend the military operations against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

He said that that the LTTE “did not understand the language of negotiation” and “therefore the operations will have to continue on behalf of the people.''

Rajapaksa indicated that he was sympathetic to the Indian Government's political compulsions as it was propped up by regional parties. He was “aware of the political pressures in India at the moment, especially considering the reality of coalition politics and the diverse

interests that surface in such situations.'' Rajapaksa added that his telephone conversation with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did not have any reference to “stopping military operations against the terrorism of LTTE.''

First Published: Oct 21, 2008 23:43 IST