End killings of innocent Tamils, India tells Lanka : India

By M.R. Narayan Swamy

New Delhi, June 22 - India Thursday politely but firmly made it clear to Sri Lanka that its security forces must stop killing innocent Tamils in the name of combating the Tamil Tigers.

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samraweera was conveyed the message by India's political leadership which while being firmly committed to the island's unity is bothered by increasing reports of attacks on innocent Tamils.

An informed source told IANS: 'The minister was told that civilian casualties should be avoided... and we hope that Sri Lankan security forces will not respond to provocations and be restrained.'

Samaraweera, who flew in Wednesday night from London on a previously unscheduled trip, first met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan exclusively and then had an extended meeting along with officials. Before flying to Colombo he met Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed at the Indira Gandhi international airport.

India's concern follows rapidly worsening situation in Sri Lanka where more than 800 people have been killed since December.

The cycle of killings and counter-killings, for which blame has fallen on the security forces, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and anti-LTTE Tamil groups, has made a mockery of the 2002 Norway-brokered ceasefire between Colombo and the Tigers.

The violence has led to a panic run of distraught Tamil civilians to Tamil Nadu, the Indian state separated from Sri Lanka by a narrow strip of sea.

This in turn has generated a lot of heat in Tamil Nadu, where both the ruling DMK and opposition parties have pressed New Delhi to take steps to try to bring peace in the island nation.

Samaraweera, who was also in New Delhi last month, told Manmohan Singh that President Mahinda Rajapakse was committed to peace no matter what stand the LTTE took.

Samaraweera quoted Rajapakse as saying that 'war is not an option' for Sri Lanka.

'We are committed to a political solution and want to go in for devolution of powers based on discussions at the all party conference (in Sri Lanka),' he told the Indian premier and Narayanan.

Colombo, the minister went on, wanted to talk to the LTTE to resolve the decades-long ethnic conflict. 'For this government and for our president, war is not an option,' Samaraweera insisted.

Manmohan Singh heard out Samaraweera and expressed happiness over the minister's assurances that Sri Lanka was not readying for war.

Narayanan is expected to fly to Tamil Nadu shortly to appraise Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi about the discussions with Samaraweera.

Among other things Karunanidhi is seriously concerned over continuing attacks by Sri Lankan security forces on fishermen from Tamil Nadu.

In a statement here, the Sri Lankan high commission said Samaraweera told Manmohan Singh that Colombo 'remains committed to the ceasefire agreement despite the grave provocations and violations by the LTTE'.

It added: 'The president has reaffirmed the government's commitment to a negotiated political solution based on democracy and human rights that meets the aspirations of all communities in Sri Lanka and will preserve the territorial integrity of the country.'

The president, the statement said, stood for 'a negotiated political solution based on maximum devolution of power in an undivided Sri Lanka'.

Diplomats in Colombo, however, fear that both Colombo and LTTE appear to be inching towards a full-fledged conflict although neither side wants to earn flak from the international community by provoking a war.

India follows the Sri Lanka situation closely and is in touch with Norway, which is engaged in desperate efforts to rescue the derailed peace process.