The Hindu : Front Page : Rajapaksa calls up Manmohan

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Sunday, Oct 19, 2008
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Rajapaksa calls up Manmohan

Anita Joshua

Assures him of steps for Tamils’ safety

Initiate peace process, ensure relief supplies: PM
Desist from firing on Indian fishermen

NEW DELHI: A day after India officially communicated to Colombo the need for a peacefully negotiated political settlement to the Tamil issue in Sri Lanka, President Mahinda Rajapaksa telephoned Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday to give an assurance that all necessary measures were being taken to ensure the safety and welfare of Tamils in the island nation.

During the conversation, Dr. Singh stressed the need to ensure that the rights and welfare of the Tamil community were not enmeshed in the on-going hostilities against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Reiterating India’s stance that there could be no military solution to the conflict, he urged Mr. Rajapaksa to initiate the process for a political settlement within the framework of a united Sri Lanka.

Deep concern

Expressing deep concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the North of Sri Lanka – especially the plight of civilians caught in the hostilities – Dr. Singh said the safety and security of civilians should be ensured at all costs. He said continued and uninterrupted relief supplies must be ensured for the internally displaced persons.

Advocating the need to nurture the democratic process in the Eastern Province – where Provincial Council elections were held for the first time ever in May this year — the Prime Minister also asked Mr. Rajapaksa to instruct the Sri Lankan Navy to desist from firing on Indian fishermen. This was unacceptable, he said. The two leaders agreed to work on practical arrangements to prevent such incidents. The telephonic conversation comes a day after Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon summoned Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner C. R. Jayasinghe to express India’s concern.

The Foreign Secretary asked the envoy to communicate to his government the need for urgent steps.

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