“We are on genuine way”

"Notwithstanding the absence of any shortage of food and essential items in the North, the Government of Sri Lanka nevertheless appreciates the gesture of goodwill of friendly countries offering humanitarian assistance to the people of Sri Lanka."

Statement by Rohitha Bogollagama, Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Diplomatic Corps on 19 November 2008

(November 19, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) I am glad to meet you once again as part of our regular dialogue with the Diplomatic Corps based in Sri Lanka. Our meetings here in the Foreign Ministry have given us an opportunity of exchanging views on important developments in Sri Lanka, as well as to brief you on the government’s agenda. Today, in fact is the 3rd anniversary of assumption of office by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

I thank all of you who have accepted our invitation and are present here today.

As you are aware, the Sri Lankan armed forces regained the strategic town of Pooneryn in the North Western coast on Saturday the 15th of November. Pooneryn has been under the LTTE for more than one and a half decades. Taking into consideration the strategic location of Pooneryn, this victory is a significant milestone in the current military engagement in the Northern Province which is being undertaken with the objective of restoring democracy to that region.
It is noteworthy that this victory was achieved without any civilian casualties, which has completely debunked the many wild and unfounded allegations being spread by the LTTE and its international network of sympathizers, of indiscriminate aerial bombing and shelling. In fact, there are preposterous reports of a genocide of Tamils in the Wanni! I have categorically dismissed these allegations with the contempt they deserve. Our security forces deserve our highest tribute for this accomplishment, due to their scrupulous adherence to the government’s zero civilian casualty doctrine.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has demonstrated his personal commitment to finding a lasting solution to the conflict in the country, ever since he assumed the Presidency three years ago. In the Mahinda Chintana Policy document of the government, the President has elaborated on his perspective of the conflict in the following words:

Quote “I am deeply convinced that we need to think from a fresh perspective and devise a new approach if we are to find a sustainable solution to the conflict in the North and the East. The violent conflict and the stalemate in the peace talks over the past years have gradually led to this issue progressing beyond the North and the East to engulf the entire country. Thereafter, it widened further and became regionalized and internationalized. This situation also led to external interferences into the issue, thereby making it even more complex.

The ceasefire agreement entered into by the United National Front Government in much haste and in a short–sighted manner without consultations further complicated this problem. Democratic institutions in the North were destroyed. The Muslim and Sinhala people living in the East were subjected to abuse, resulting in continuous unrest in the areas. National security was compromised. Attempts were made to foist such agreements on the people of our country while the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam did not abide by such agreements”. Unquote

It is in this context that the LTTE compelled the government into military action when they denied water to fifteen thousand farmer families in the Trincomalee district by closing the Mavil Aru sluice gates in July 2006. The humanitarian operation that we undertook to restore the supply of water to the affected farmers was taken further to clear the entire Eastern Province of the terrorists. The armed forces carried out a successful campaign in the Eastern Province with minimal harm to civilian life and property. The subsequent holding of elections to the Eastern Provincial Council culminating in the election of a former child soldier of the LTTE, as the Chief Minister is a triumph of our democracy, which is deeply rooted in our national ethos.

It is not the government which elected the Chief Minister but the people of the Province belonging to the Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim and Burgher communities. There were many prophets of doom both in and outside Sri Lanka who predicted that the government will never be able to defeat the LTTE in the East and there were others waiting for a humanitarian crisis to follow the military operations. President Rajapaksa was able to prove all of them wrong.

The President’s sincerity of purpose in making democracy work and meaningful to the people in the Eastern Province has been amply demonstrated by the enhanced allocation of funds for the development of the Province in the 2009 Budget. A sum of almost Rs. 15 billion has thus been allocated, which represents a 50% increase compared to the 2008 allocation.

The regaining of Pooneryn offers many strategic advantages to the Government and I will provide more details through the presentation by the Defence Ministry which will follow. From a humanitarian point of view, the people of the Jaffna peninsula who have had to depend on sea and air routes for travel as well as supplies of food and essential items will now have the benefit of a land route link to the South. There will be many associated benefits that will accrue to the people of Jaffna and those who live on the A 32 main road. In this context, you would be aware of the many instances where the LTTE had attempted, albeit unsuccessfully to disrupt the supply of food and essential items to the people in the Jaffna peninsula, by attacking unarmed ships, as well as to the people in the Wanni itself by targeting the road convoys carrying humanitarian aid.

It should be mentioned that the LTTE have continued to use the North Western coast to smuggle supplies of arms and ammunition from South India. In this exercise, the LTTE have used the cover of Indian fishermen who have been straying into the Sri Lankan waters. There have been many instances where the LTTE have deliberately shot Indian fishermen and blamed the Sri Lanka Navy. With the capture of Pooneryn, we can expect a significant reduction in the smuggling activities of the LTTE across the Palk Strait.

Announcing the success of the Pooneryn campaign, President Rajapaksa said, Quote “In this situation my clear message to Prabhakaran and the LTTE is to lay down their arms and come forward for discussions with us forthwith” Unquote. The President said that the laying down of arms now and surrendering was the greatest service the LTTE could do to the people in the areas of armed conflict and the people of Sri Lanka.

I also would like to briefly refer to the visit of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to New Delhi last week to attend the BIMSTEC Summit, where he held bilateral talks with the Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh. The President briefed the Indian leadership on the progress we have achieved in the humanitarian operation in the North to afford relief and ensure the welfare of the civilian population. He assured that the safety and the well being of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka is being taken care of. While meeting the Press in New Delhi, the President said that looking after the Tamil people was his responsibility as the President.

I should also mention that both India and Sri Lanka have complete understanding on the imperative need that terrorism should be countered with resolve.

President Rajapaksa has also time and again emphasized his firm commitment to finding a political settlement to the conflict. In this context, it would be appropriate for me to quote from the Mahinda Chintana policy guide of the government Quote “My primary aim would be to arrive at a political settlement where the power of each and every citizen is strengthened to the maximum, without being trapped within concepts such as traditional homelands and right to self-determination. My intention is to devolve power to the level of the citizen. I believe that by developing a strong citizen, we would be able to reach a solution in this national conflict. In that endeavour, I would abide by the majority consensus which is a fundamental premise of democracy. The majority national view shall prevail over my individual view”. Unquote

As you are already aware, the Government Agents in the Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts coordinate the delivery of supplies sent by the government to the civilian population under the direct supervision of the Commissioner General of Essential Services. I wish to emphatically state that there is absolutely no shortage of food, medicine or any essential item in the Wanni, which is clearly demonstrated by the absence of any outbreak of epidemic diseases, or reports of malnutrition, leave alone deaths due to starvation.

Notwithstanding the absence of any shortage of food and essential items in the North, the Government of Sri Lanka nevertheless appreciates the gesture of goodwill of friendly countries offering humanitarian assistance to the people of Sri Lanka.

I believe that Mr. S.B. Divaratne, Commissioner General of Essential Services who is present here will brief you on the current situation, which will provide you a better understanding of the government’s objectives and purposes in ensuring the welfare of the civilian population in the Wanni. - Sri Lanka Guardian