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Ranil says peace deal in two years
Friday, 4 November 2005 - 2:42 AM SL Time
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Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe visited the main military garrison in the Tamil heartland of Jaffna Thursday and vowed peace within `two to three years` if he is elected president this month.
He made a rare visit to this sprawling military complex at the northern tip of the arid Jaffna peninsula to address troops who are observing a shaky truce with Tamil rebels.
`We cannot have peace in a day or two,` Wickremesinghe told the security forces. `A permanent peace will take two to three years. Yes, I can promise you peace. The ceasefire was the first step.
`In the meantime we need to strengthen the security forces. We need to modernise the armed forces to meet the new challenges.
We must keep up with the developing technology.`
He said he expected to raise at least one division, or 10,000 troops, for United Nations peacekeeping duties following any peace deal with the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The United States had shown a willingness before his government was sacked in February 2004 to help Sri Lanka boost its peacekeeping capabilities, Wickremesinghe told AFP.
`I want to have a 10-year plan to modernise the army and boost the strength to meet the new challenges. Things like policing the international shipping lanes and being prepared to meet any terrorist threat.
`In the short term, we need to build up at least six out of our 43 brigades to full strength,` he said adding that all brigades were under-strength due to years of conflict.
`I am happy that the patients I visited at the military hospital here today are not battle casualties,` Wickremesinghe told AFP. `Some of them were wounded playing volleyball. Others had some common ailments.`
However, he told reporters that security authorities had warned him against travelling to Jaffna town just outside the military complex because of fears of attacks.
Military sources told AFP that pro-rebel sympathisers had planned a protest in Jaffna if Wickremesinghe visited the city.
The opposition leader met a few civilians who crossed military checkpoints to attend a Hindu service inside the Palaly military complex, which was the main staging post for security force operations against the Tigers before the truce in February 2002.
`We have been forced out of our homes here and we are hoping that we will be able to come back if there is a peace agreement,` said elderly Hindu devotee Geevaratnam Sellamma.
Peace talks between the Tigers and the Colombo government have remained deadlocked since April 2003 and diplomatic efforts to revive the negotiations have failed.
Peace broker Norway has said the parties on both sides may be awaiting the outcome of the presidential election, a likely face-off between Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse.
Wickremesinghe is campaigning to push the peace talks and revive the peace process while Rajapakse`s main plank is a promise to overhaul the peace initiative.
The premier wants to re-negotiate parts of the truce although the rebels have warned against any unilateral action.
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nandalal
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3 Nov 2005 21:08:06 GMT Report for Abuse
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Ranil has a vision !!!
But, how he is going to implement it or the method, he did not specify.
He did not tell whether he has already an agreement with the wanni tigers or the wanni butchers, as familiarly identified by a large majority of anti ltte, peace loving people.
He could have used a language, a common man could understand.
He did not tell whether he intends giving a big chunk of the island to a group of minority, brutal terrorists. I, like millions of undecided voters, would have liked to hear it from Ranil's mouth!!!!
Edited By - nandalal - 3 Nov 2005 21:23:57 GMT |
ravi_r
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3 Nov 2005 22:44:18 GMT Report for Abuse
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| Why take two years? He should deliver now as he has been bragging if he wins! |
BiCUBIC
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3 Nov 2005 22:46:23 GMT Report for Abuse
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But, how he is going to implement it or the method, he did not specify.
---
All the people who were not living under a rock for the past four years know what Ranil has been saying all along to reach peace in Sri Lanka : a federal solution of devolution of power within a united sri lanka. |
newbie
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3 Nov 2005 22:53:17 GMT Report for Abuse
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I think the heading of this article shoul be corrected as
'RANIL SAYS PIECE DEAL IN TWO YEARS' |
hewageJ
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3 Nov 2005 23:24:53 GMT Report for Abuse
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Whoever, whatever, the peace should come to the country. Commitment of both leaders is really appreciable.
Whoever come to the power should punish the 'Prabakaran? for killing thousand innocent people, Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslim in this poor lands. The Tamil leaders should be wakeup and work together for peace and harmony of N-E people.
Only the Sri Lankan opticians who do not have a backbone repeatedly says they are going to talk with world's most ridiculous terrorist group. These leaders must get examples from Great G.W.B. No matter left-or-right, JVP's stance on this issue is very important. If not, Pirapaharan already started the war with Tsunami support.
Do you disagree with me HELAYA? |
YamunaI
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4 Nov 2005 00:26:21 GMT Report for Abuse
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Ravi_r
Ranil has no magic formula to achieve peace.He is being realistic when he gives a time frame of two years.Chandrika and Mangala with his sudu nelum movement were not able to achieve even a semblance of peace in the last 11 years.In fact they have not even been able to agree as to the venue of the talks leave alone the substantial issues. |
amilasssr
Joined: Sep 2005
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4 Nov 2005 01:08:48 GMT Report for Abuse
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Dear all join with us unplanka yahoo group....
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unplanka
nice to meet you all there...... |
Cobbler
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4 Nov 2005 01:24:39 GMT Report for Abuse
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| See the difference between maturity & immaturity. Ranil does not speak rubbish. |
Mucha-linda
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4 Nov 2005 01:37:37 GMT Report for Abuse
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Ranil is very efficient.
In fact, the original Don Juan Dharmapala took good 4 years (in 1597) to give the peace (piece) Portuguese wanted.
-Muchalinda
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Mucha-linda
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4 Nov 2005 02:10:13 GMT Report for Abuse
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DEAR ALL:
Please go and join the UNP Lanka Yahoo Group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unplanka) which AMILASSR gave. This group desperately need new members and during the last 7 days, it had just 1 new message.
Tell all your friends to join this group as well. These people need our help.
-Muchalinda
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