The Hindu : Opinion / News Analysis : "India should be involved in peace process"

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Thursday, Dec 22, 2005

Opinion

Opinion - News Analysis

"India should be involved in peace process"

V.S. Sambandan

Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse is keen on a key role for India in the peace process and rebuilding along with the U.S., the EU, Japan, and Norway.

— Photo: Sriyantha Walpola

President Mahinda Rajapakse ... proud to be practical.

PRESIDENT MAHINDA Rajapakse on Wednesday invited India to join the international quartet comprising the United States, the European Union, Japan, and Norway who are the co-chairs of the global efforts to financially back Sri Lanka's peace process and reconstruction. One of his main challenges is to restart the stalled negotiations between the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Mr. Rajapakse, who will visit India between December 27 and 30 — his first overseas destination after he won the November 17 Presidential election — on Wednesday spoke to journalists representing Indian news organisations in Colombo.

Casual and as accessible as he was before he was elected President, Mr. Rajapakse elaborated upon his call for a greater Indian involvement, other areas of bilateral cooperation, and issues relating to the peace process. Excerpts from the interaction:

On the main focus and importance of his visit to India:

I will be discussing about the current peace process. As you know India is the main country, we have to get them involved in the peace process. With their blessings we can achieve [peace.] So I will be discussing that along with economic, social, and cultural ties.

We are neighbours and we have to work very closely. In my first policy statement, I mentioned [the need to involve] India. Somebody from the West also asked me this question "Why India?" It is because they are a very important country.

On the role envisaged by him for India in the current peace process:

They can at least join with the other co-chairs. This would [involve] North-East development. We have to discuss with them [India]. I have not yet raised the issue with them. [The presence of an Indian representative at the December 19 meeting of the co-chairs in Brussels] shows that they are taking more interest.

[The involvement would also mean] more economic aid to Sri Lanka. More than that [it will] see that humanitarian assistance to the north and east and to the country. I have not decided about [asking about the defence cooperation agreement] yet.

On the role of present facilitator Norway:

The present facilitator will be there. There are other co-chairs — EU, U.S., Japan, and Norway. At the moment there will be no change in the facilitator. We have already invited them. It is up to them to nominate whom they want.

On reports about conditions by Norway to continue as facilitator:

No one can put conditions on Sri Lanka. We are an independent country.

On his readiness to resume peace talks:

I am ready even tomorrow. If LTTE is ready, I am ready.

Would he would consider some form of federalism as a solution:

Our policy is very straight. In my Mahinda Chinthana I said maximum possible devolution under a unitary structure. My policies have not changed.

Does he think the LTTE is going back to war?

I won't be able to tell you what they [the LTTE] think. But I can tell you they are violating the ceasefire. [The President was referring to the continued violence in the Jaffna peninsula and the east.] The army has behaved very well without reacting to any provocation. I have already appointed a two-member committee to [go to Jaffna and] give a report to me.

On the possibility of concluding the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with India:

We are discussing it. There are positives and negatives; it is unlikely to be signed during this visit.

During the visit to India, I will be asking for a hospital to be developed in the plantation sector. [The other areas of economic cooperation include] development of an IT park in southern Sri Lanka. We are trying to take the development from Colombo to other areas [and the President said he was keen on studying Indian development models.]

The other thing I am interested in is the working of Indian devolution of power.

Is there a mid-way position between the existing 13th amendment and the LTTE's proposal for an Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA) for a possible solution to the ethnic conflict?

There must be a practical solution. We must discuss with the LTTE on how to have a practical solution. The first thing is we have to start talks. Both parties must meet. We have to find a way of stopping this killing. We must first stop the violations of the ceasefire agreement.

On the difference India will make if it joins the co-chairs:

They will also have a responsibility like the U.S., EU, Japan, and Norway. They are our neighbours.

On perceptions that he is a hardliner:

Anybody can say anything. Some say I am a hardliner, some say I am soft, [LTTE leader Velupillai] Prabakaran says I am a practical man. I prefer what Prabakaran told about me, I am a practical man.

We are committed to the agreements we have told the people under [his election manifesto] Mahinda Chinthana, we cannot change the positions. Even with the Norwegian facilitators, we should see if we can work with them. We did not say that we are going to chase them out.

On the LTTE's position that paramilitaries should be disarmed by the Sri Lankan Government under the ceasefire agreement:

We have done it. As far as I can see, when the [ceasefire] agreement was signed, [the former LTTE military commander] Karuna was with them. When we signed it only the Eelam People's Democratic Party and the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam and other political parties had groups, we have disarmed them.

When Karuna first broke away, the LTTE said "it is an internal matter, don't get involved in it."

I have now given instructions that in the cleared areas, no organisation other than the government forces can operate.

On the possibility of government-opposition unity on the peace process:

That is why I started talking to them. We cannot play games with the country's future. The country has voted for me for another six years. The best thing is that the Opposition must cooperate with me if they are keen to solve these problems. [Expressing his optimism, the President said:] I hope they cooperate. Even the media that supported [the Opposition Leader] Ranil [Wickremesinghe] must also try to help us on this without making politics out of this national issue.

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