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| President Rajapakse with Sri Lankan troops in Vaharai on Feb 3, 2007. Photo TamilNet. |
Buoyed by the Sri Lankan military’s capture, over the past six months, of large tracts of territory from the Tamil Tigers, President Mahinda Rajapakse said the LTTE could come for talks with his government – if it laid down its arms first.
Destroying the LTTE – “fighting terrorism” – is the centre piece of President Rajapakse’s policy on the ethnic question.
He made it clear that the military campaign would continue in his address at Sri Lanka’s 59th Independence Day anniversary celebrations and in comments a day earlier, made when he toured the Vaharai region, recently captured from the LTTE.
Calling on the LTTE to disarm and come for talks, President Rajapakse told reporters in Vaharai: "this is a big opportunity for the Tigers to return to the negotiating table."
Accompanied by army, navy and air force commanders and top defense officials, he was touring the hamlet captured from the Tigers last month after a three month siege.
"What we have done is to liberate the people from terrorists," Rajapakse said of the siege which saw tens of thousands starving amid a total blockade on the LTTE-held enclave.
"I am here to thank the troops for their action without causing a single civilian casualty," he said.
Hundreds of Tamil civilians were killed and wounded in indiscriminate bombardments, drawing criticism from international humanitarian agencies.
The fighting ended on January 19 when the defending Tigers melted away from the area, prompting the remaining 30,000 people to flee to the safety of neighbouring government-held towns.
"But there are two ways of liberating (civilians in Tiger areas). We have offered a political solution. We don't want a military solution,” he said.
"I will offer them (Tigers) a political solution and they should come for talks," he said.
"They must begin surrendering weapons and come for talks," Rajapakse told AFP.
When asked what the government would do if the Tigers refuse, Rajapakse said his government "will have to tame the Tigers."
The Tigers have already laughed off his demands.
During his Independence Day address, President Rajapakse expressed his pride at having taken the war to the LTTE during his first year in office.
“I stand before you as the Head of State with a great feeling of contentment. I derive this contentment through the belief that I have given you leadership for over a period of one year, to safeguard our national dignity, from a time it had reached the lowest ebb.”
He called on the country to join him, saying: “it is only by joining with us that the innocent Tamil people of the North can be liberated from terrorist intimidation.”
“We are not ready to give into the blood-thirsty demands of the LTTE,” he said. “The uncompromising stand of our government is a firm commitment to a policy to safeguard national dignity.”
Instead, he said, his government will work out a solution with anti-LTTE Tamil politicians who are prepared with the Sinhala-dominated state.
He singled out Mr. Anandasangaree, who split from the TULF, and Douglas Devananda, leader of the paramilitary EPDP.
Mr. Anandasangaree, who left the TULF and contests use of the party’s name, recently defended the Rajapakse’s government’s human rights record, saying there was no genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Mr. Devananda’s EPDP is a long standing paramilitary ally of the Sri Lankan Army in its operations against the Tigers. It has long been blamed for a murderous campaign against Tamils with pro-LTTE or nationalist sentiments in governement controlled areas.
“We decided to adopt a policy of development that will safeguard the future of our children, while responding to terrorist power in the only language that they best understand,” President Rajapakse further said.
“On the one hand, at a time when we are engaged in an unconditional struggle against venomous terrorism, and on the other, when we are implementing the biggest schemes in history to take the country towards successful development; and when we are taking unwavering decisions to protect our cultural values, we have to understand that the familiar opportunist political tendencies will be seeking to raise their head.”
“Therefore, I call on you with the greatest responsibility not to resort to any cause of action likely to challenge the stability of the country.”
“Therefore, I believe this the most suitable platform to make a particular appeal to the working people of this country not to supply oxygen, consciously or not, to terrorism that is gasping for life.”
“I also call on the media to also act with responsibility in this regard.”
“I emphatically state before you of my total commitment to ensure the honour and prosperity of this blessed land, by decisively defeating separatism,” he said.
He thanked the international community for backing his efforts. A week earlier donors pledged US$ 4.5 billion in aid to the Sri Lankan government.
“I am happy to express my gratitude to our foreign friends and governments for the fraternal assistance extended to us against separatism, and for peace and development of the motherland. We pay them the highest honour and appreciate their kindness and friendship.”
