KADIRGAMAR TELLS IN WASHINGTON DC THAT INTERIM RULE PROPOSAL IS A BLUE PRINT FOR A FUTURE SEPARATE STATE
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles
May 12, 07.30 PM:Sri Lanka’s visiting Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar in Washington D.C. addressing the Brooklyn Institute said that the Interim Self Governing Authority proposed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eeelam (LTTE) was a blue print for a future separate state and it would be very difficult for any sovereign government to accept the proposal.
During the talk the Foreign Minister also said that the Norwegian facilitators in the peace process had been encouraged to play a lower profile than during the former regime due to suspicions and resentments created in the Sri Lankan society. The internationalization of the Sri Lankan issue also should not go too far, he warned.
The foreign Minister who is on a state visit to the United States addressed the Brooklyn institute Wednesday evening under the topic, ‘Third World Democracy in Action: The Sri Lanka Experience.’ and in the morning met with US Secretary of State Colin Powell, Assistant Secretary Richard Armitage and Security Advisor to President Bush, Condaleeza Rice.
During his Brooklyn Institute talk Kadirgamar said the LTTE put forward the proposal for Interim Administration as a vehicle for rehabilitation and reconstruction of North East.
“However the interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) proposal,” said Minister Kadirgamar,”on the face of it will be very difficult for a sovereign government to accept. It has no reference to a parliament, claims a separate Auditor General and demands 200 mile maritime zone along two thirds of Sri Lanka’s coast It is a blue print for a future separate state.”
Referring to the past talks between the Sri Lanka government and the LTTE leadership the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister said that the negotiations broke down in April 2003 when LTTE walked out after six sessions of talks in different parts of the world . He reminded that a LTTE leader had told that the talks were a waste of time since the people in North East had not received any tangible results from the peace process.
Lakshman Kadirgamar said that if relief and development did not reach the people then it would be difficult for any ruling party to maintain support from their people. Speaking about the intentions of the new government the foreign minister said that they would work to get international help in rebuilding north East devastated by war.
The Sri Lanka Foreign minister also said the government had encouraged the Norwegians to take a lower profile now: He said, “ We have encouraged the Norwegians to take a lower profile than they took during the term of previous government When people become suspicious and if this creates resentment these are legitimate reactions in a democracy we have to deal with . Also I think the internationalization of Sri Lanka process has gone too far.”
Paying high tributes to the Sri Lanka governing coalition’s s main partner the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Lakshman Kadirgamar said the island nations two major parties were tired, flabby, very corrupt and inefficient. He said that was one reason the Sri Lankan voters turned in a big way to the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) at the last general elections. . He said, “ the JVP clearly shows a very sound approach to politics.” he said among the qualities that impressed was a healthy respect for punctuality and a swift grasp of the process of survival in Parliament.
“They do solid homework, one speaker at a time, and no duplication., because they have good communication among themselves, hardworking , dedicated. Committed with a good deal of idealism thrown in. you may not like them, but they are the choice of the people.” Kadirgamar said in Sri Lanka there was no substitute for democracy
Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar said the basic message from the people at the elections was a reminder to the government that the basic needs of the people should be kept in mind all the time. He said whenever during action in the international arena the people of the country wanted the government to remember the rural people
The Minister commenting on the emergence of a party of Buddhist monks said it was a very interesting phenomenon. He said it remained to be seen how the monks adjusted to the social conditions they had chosen to be in. For instance, he said the monks did not have white clothes draped on the seat s of parliament, as the custom would require , and the monks were shown that they were treated as any other member of parliament. When they were stepping out of line with Parliamentary procedures, the present Secretary General of parliament, a woman, had to instruct them to be seated, which in the context of the Buddhist practices in Sri Lanka was a unique situation.
The Minister also called the remarkable absence of violence of the past at the last general elections as a huge victory for democracy during a time of turbulence.
He also said that he wanted to clear some misrepresentations of truth. Kadirgamar said his comments about the LTTE ‘being the sole representative of the Tamil people’ were in the context of the negotiating table. The LTTE would be the only party at the table representing the Tamil people. But he insisted that there would be a structure in place to entertain representation so that all parties , communities and groups would be heard and their concerns addressed. He said the government had learned many lessons from the past negotiations shrouded in secrecy and were very exclusive. He said this time the process would be very inclusive.
