The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Peiris sees greater role for India in peace process

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Oct 08, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Peiris sees greater role for India in peace process

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: Former Sri Lankan Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs G.L. Peiris, said on Saturday that the understanding reached by the Sri Lankan Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP) on Thursday to evolve a common national agenda opened up new vistas for India to have greater involvement in the peace process in the island.

Speaking on the "Peace Process and Challenges" in Sri Lanka at a meeting organised here by the Observer Research Foundation, Dr. Peiris said he was aware of India's constraints in involving itself in the peace process in view of its past experience. However, the consensus evolved by the SLFP and the UNP would remove, in part, some of these constraints, he hoped.

India's role in finding a negotiated settlement to Sri Lanka's ethnic problem was indispensable, he said. The country could play a meaningful and pro-active role in bringing peace, thanks to the accord.

Though the LTTE could not be compelled to do anything, it would also realise that the new initiative was substantially different. The outfit had also suffered reverses in the last two months, he said.

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