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Says LTTE had only one objective- to re-open A9 and not discuss valid problems faced by Tamil people Despite agreeing to participate in the peace talks without conditions, the LTTE delegation seemed to have only one objective from the Geneva discussions and that was to have the A9 road re-opened, said Defence spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella. He said no one was really surprised by the lack of results from the discussions. Speaking at a press conference held at the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) the Minister said it was the President who had sent an invitation through Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar for the LTTE to participate in talks. He further said it was not the government’s decision to close the A9 but that it had to be closed August 11, as there were continuous attacks on the troops with mortar and artillery. He said one attack had gone on for 24 hours, which left no opportunity for the government to even repair the damages caused by these attacks. Questioning the true objectivity of the LTTE wanting the road to be re-opened, the Defence spokesman said the LTTE would force students from the Jaffna University into LTTE training camps in LTTE controlled areas and release them as mercenaries- a unit where according to the category of the atrocity committed the LTTE would pay the perpetrator. He said the LTTE attacks government FDLs whilst there is civilian movement between the two points so as to provoke the SLA to retaliate, which could then be capitalized in the international arena. By controlling the flow of food and other essential items the LTTE can blame the hardships the civilians undergo on the government and said the Minister further the LTTE extorts money on the goods transported on the A9. The Minister stressed that only three Government institutions may impose a tax and that the LTTE did not fall into any of the three. Minister Rambukwella pointed out that if LTTE was genuinely interested in humanitarian issues, then they would allow ICRC to ship food and other essential commodities to these affected areas. The ICRC requires their flag to be flown, to which the LTTE is not agreeable. Hence, the only way that these items have made to its destination is under the protection of the SLA and Sri Lanka Navy (SLN). He said it was therefore, it is very clear that LTTE is not interested in the needs of the civilians, but only of their own selfish needs. Taking the seven points which were on the Government’s agenda for the talks the Minister said to question if these were not valid to address the problems Tamil people are facing for the last 25 years. However, the LTTE was not interested in discussing any one of these points – only the re-opening of A9 on humanitarian grounds.
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