"Stop making statements which infringe on our right to resolve our own problem" - Kadirgamar
[14 Dec 2000]

Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka, Lakshman Kadirgamar urged the international community to desist from making ad-hoc statements which threaten Sri Lanka's right to resolve her own problem.

"I would ask our friends abroad to desist from making statements which infringe on our right to resolve our own problem," the Minister said.

The Foreign Minister was referring to a statement made by British State Minister for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Peter Hein, at the British Council on November 22. 

Hein said: " The LTTE, like the IRA, need to acknowledge that whilst a Tamil Kingdom constitutionally split from the rest of the island will not receive recognition by Europe, the USA or indeed India. The principle of self -determination and control over most, if not all, key policies affecting daily life would be supported by the international community".

Minister Kadirgamar commenting on this rather bold statement said that he would make it clear to the British Government that Sri Lankan Government does not welcome such statements.

"I take rather strong exception to that statement. Because self-determination could very well mean, the right to cessation. The State of Sri Lanka cannot under any circumstances whatsoever, contemplate the possibility of a right of cessation. We must always remember that there are constitutional arrangements, which already exist in this region. India for instance, it is a federal union and there is no question of self-determination for any of the Indian States. And I do not see any reason whatsoever, why we should confer, on anybody in Sri Lanka, on any minority, the right to self determination in the sense of including the right to cessation. 

The Minister further insisted the fact that although the Sri Lankan Government appreciateS the international community's interest in acting as mediators to solve the ethnic crisis, it does not give them the authority to infringe the Sri Lankan Government's right to resolve its own problem.

"I do not welcome statements made by people outside the country, even though they come from very friendly countries, prescribing remedies for our problem. I find some of these remedies are very academic. They are based on the experiences of the other parts of the world, which do not necessarily relate to us. They disturb the domestic scene. They sometimes upset our neighbouring countries who have different kind of arrangements", said the Foreign Minister.

Minister Kadirgamar further said that the statements he does appreciate highly are those which uphold the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka. 

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