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No lifting of LTTE ban until it gives up terrorism: Britain
Wednesday, 13 June 2007 - 5:28 AM SL Time
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Britain yesterday said it would not lift the ban on the LTTE and allow it to resume fund raising and political activities there until the rebel outfit gave up terrorism.
In a media statement after the completion of his brief visit to the country, British Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister Dr Kim Howells justified the proscription of the LTTE in Britain, largely because of the rebels targeting the lives of civilians.
`Before we change our views on this, the LTTE must renounce violence in word and deed,` Dr. Howells said.
During his visit to the country, Dr. Howells met President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar, Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa, several other politicians and civil society leaders.He said the effects of the conflict were being felt directly in Colombo and drew reference to the terrorist bombing during the rush hour bombing on May 28 killing eight people including seven civilians and the abduction and murder of two Red Cross volunteers.
The British Minister said while some believed the only way to address the LTTE`s violence is to `fight fire with fire`, he did not agree with such sentiments because for the past 24 years the front lines had moved north and south along the A9 road, but neither side had been able to make a decisive victory.
`And in any event even if the security forces were able to win - what then? There would still need to be a political deal, otherwise resentment will build up and there will be more violence, in twenty-five or fifty years,` he said.
Dr Howells also said human rights abuses not only played into the hands of propagandists, but also damaged Sri Lanka`s image overseas making it more difficult for the international community to give the Sri Lankan government the political support it needed.
`There has been some concern voiced in Sri Lanka about international attention focussing on human rights. Some claim that comments about human rights are interference in Sri Lanka`s internal affairs. But Human Rights are not a purely domestic matter. Both Sri Lanka and the UK are signatories to the United Nations human rights conventions, which means we both have an obligation to uphold the highest standard of human rights. If either of us is perceived to fall below those standards we can and should expect difficult questions,` he said.
The British Minister says in order to guarantee stability, Sri Lanka needs a sustainable political solution, one that allows its Tamil population to feel they will be able to prosper within a Sri Lankan state that takes pride in the identity of all of its people.
`No one pretends this will be easy. The All Party Representative Committee provides a clear opportunity to move the debate forward if it publishes ambitious enough proposals. The way to defeat terrorism is not through relentless military action, but by winning the battle of ideas and with it the support of moderate Tamils,` he said.
Dr Howells says Britain is ready to help with the search for peace and the need for all parties to the conflict to move away from the path of violence and respect human rights.
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emco4
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 80
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12 Jun 2007 23:03:23 GMT Report for Abuse
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| This is simply lip service deceiving the sri lanka govt. unlike France or the united states who are proactive in trying to curb the activities of the ltte by arresting fund raisers. arms procuring agents, shutting down of the propaganda tv station of theirs in france while a british idiot of an mp opens another in the uk, who are proscribed terrorist group. The sl govt should vigorously protest to the british high commissioner and question the validity of the proscription in the uk if an mp is allowed to blatantly breach the proscription which is in place in the entire EU |
Damed
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 266
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12 Jun 2007 23:31:28 GMT Report for Abuse
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Search for peace should start from foreign soils.Specially UK who should take active measures to curb LTTE funding.
GOSL should come hard on these mentors of terror,while UK politicians open new Television Network for LTTE in UK,How come if there is a ban ? Why muzzle GOSL to sit with LTTE.
UK should compensate GOSL for bringing in kallathoni from India or they should take them back to UK. |
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