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Saturday, March 14, 2009 - 05.05 GMT |
Sri Lanka on verge of defeating terrorism
–
Hillary Clinton tells President Rajapaksa |
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The US Secretary of State Mrs. Hillary
Clinton acknowledged that Sri Lanka is now
on the verge of defeating terrorism, and
that this presented a great opportunity to
restore peace, leading to reconstruction and
rehabilitation in the country.
These observations were made when Mrs.
Clinton spoke to President Mahinda Rajapaksa
by telephone this evening. The telephone
discussion which was warm and cordial was
originated by the US Secretary of State, who
initially expressed her condolences for
those killed in the terrorist attack at
Akuressa earlier this week. She stated that
terrorists should not be permitted to
destroy the lives of people in such manner.
Speaking on current developments, Mrs.
Clinton appreciated the assurances given by
Secretary Defence that civilians would not
be subjected to any attacks by the military,
stating the US looked forward to working
with Sri Lanka once the current conflict
ends.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa thanked Mrs.
Clinton for the condolences expressed for
those killed in last Tuesday’s terrorist
attack, and informed her of the situation
regarding the ongoing humanitarian
operations by the security forces, to defeat
terrorism in the north of Sri Lanka. He said
there were about 50,000 to 70,000 people
still remaining in a very small area held by
the LTTE, where the LTTE was preventing the
people leaving for safety outside.
The Government hoped to clear the LTTE from
this enclave within the next few days, the
President told Mrs. Clinton.
He also said the people who had managed to
come over to government held areas were
being looked after in welfare villages. The
government was regularly sending food and
medicines to all persons in the affected
areas, including those held by the LTTE,
with the assistance of the ICRC and the
World Food Program.
In the conversation President Rajapaksa
noted that the LTTE had fired on a ship
carrying food for these civilians two days
ago, but the government was continuing to
send supplies despite these obstacles by the
LTTE.
President Rajapaksa told the US Secretary of
State that reconstruction and rehabilitation
in the north would start as soon as the
fighting ended there. He also told Mrs.
Clinton of the political process that had
been initiated through the All Party
Representative Committee seeking consensus
on a political solution to the problems of
the minorities.
He also told the US Secretary of State that
the Government was prepared to hold
elections to local government bodies in
Jaffna as soon as possible, and that he
looked forward to working with the elected
representatives of the people of the north
in the near future.
Mrs. Clinton said she was thankful that the
long conflict in Sri Lanka was coming to an
end, and that the United States looked
forward to working with Sri Lanka in the
building of peace.
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