New Delhi
15 October 2010
A "credible interlocutor" needs to emerge on the Tamil side with whom Colombo
can discuss devolution of powers, according to Sri Lankan foreign minister Prof Gamini
Lakshman Peiris.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a lecture he delivered here Friday, Prof Peiris
said the LTTE had physically annihilated leaders such as A. Amirthalingam and therefore
there is a need to resuscitate the electoral process and provide political space for a
democratic Tamil leadership to emerge with whom Colombo can engage in discussions.
He iterated Colombo's commitment to the implementation of 13th Amendment "except for
one feature" and said that it is talking to "as broad a spectrum of stake-holders as
possible" in order to forge a consensus.
There will not be a time table for the talks but the minister insisted that "we have a
trajectory in mind and we will pursue that". He pointed out that Sri Lankan President
Mahinda Rajapaksa has already met the Tamil National Alliance and invited suggestions
from the other stake-holders.
Prof Peiris said the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) waiting for
rehabilitation has been brought down from 2.97 lakh to less than 20,000 in a period of 15
months. "Demining held up the process because the LTTE followed no pattern," he said,
hoping that the remaining IDPs too would be physically rehabilitated and given a means
of livelihood at the earliest.
For its part, India has urged Sri Lanka to act decisively to win over the Tamil minority.
"Now is the time for President Rajapaksa to act decisively in order to win over the Tamil-
speaking Sri Lankans. It is in Lanka's long-term interest to bring about homogeneity
between the Tamil-speaking and Sinhala-speaking Sri Lankans," Mr Krishna said,
alluding to his meeting with Prof Peiris.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held talks with Mr Rajapaksa, too. The Sri Lankan
president was the chief guest for the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games.
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