New Delhi
28 March 2007
India on Wednesday said that she was very concerned at the
escalation of violence in Sri Lanka and was equally worried about the humanitarian
consequences of the ethnic conflict in that country.
"We are very concerned at escalation of violence recently and LTTE air strike is part of a
pattern of escalation of violence," Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon told a news
conference called to brief reporters on the 14th SAARC Summit.
"The humanitarian consequences worry us ... [the number of] internally displaced
persons [is] over one lakh. We join our voice with all those in Sri Lanka and abroad who
hope violence comes to an end soon ... and solution to conflict [is found that will allow]
all communities to live in peace," he said in response to a question on the Tamil rebels
using two aircraft to bomb Sri Lankan Air Force base near Colombo.
Mr Menon said that Government of India "remained engaged with everyone in Sri Lanka,
including the government, to see what it can do for resolution of the problem there and
encourage Sri Lankans themselves to find a political solution to the tragic conflict". He
rejected reports that he radar, which India gave to Sri Lanka, had failed to detect the
LTTE planes. "There is no question of it failing," he said in response to a question.
He said that Sri Lanka has said it would raise the issue of escalation of violence at the
SAARC Summit. "We hope our conversation [in New Delhi will] encourage Sri Lankans
themselves to find a solution," he observed.
The foreign secretary said that instead of focussing on an individual incident, it was
more important to address the "root cause" of the problem. "The main issue is to get a
solution to the conflict. Picking an individual incident of violence does not help us to
address the root cause of problem. The root cause of problem is the conflict, which is
escalating," he said.
The United Nations has asked the "parties to the conflict" to "return to the negotiating
table as soon as possible, without preconditions." The spokesperson for UN Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday said, "The secretary general is disturbed by the
extensive and escalating violations of the ceasefire in Sri Lanka, which now includes an
air attack this week by the [LTTE]. He deeply regrets that air raids, military confrontations
on the ground and suicide bombings have become a daily occurrence, prompting
massive displacement and suffering for civilians. The secretary general appeals to the
parties to the conflict to break this vicious cycle of attack and retaliation, which only
leads to more bloodshed and victims. He urges them to return to the negotiating table as
soon as possible, without preconditions."
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