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| Sunday, 13 October 2002 |
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Lanka bounces back to normal life - G.L. at Japanese Press Club "Sri Lanka is a refreshing example to the international community. We have entered the path of peace and negotiations. LTTE and the government - neither side believes that war is of any use any more. War brings only death and suffering. Everyone is exhausted", Enterprises Development, Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion and Constitutional Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris told over 40 journalists at a press conference held at the Japan National Press Club recently. "Sri Lanka was a country at war but the violence has completely stopped since February. The life has returned to normal, tourists are coming, investments are moving", he said. "The government of Sri Lanka under Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe adopted a strategy for achieving peace within two days of coming to office". The minister emphasised in answering questions that he felt the sincerity of the LTTE statement that they are willing to settle for substantial devolution instead of a separate state. "We have learned and realised from the past mistakes that sequence is as important as the substance and a step-by-step approach has been adopted, the Minister explained. The peace process has started with several phases, first we concentrated on humanitarian issues, resettlement, demining, lifting of economic embargoes, providing food and medicine. 'Secondly we signed a Mmemorandum of Understanding as an interim measure to start talks as the peace talks should begin in a backdrop of confidence. Third was setting up a monitoring committee along with the envoys of the Norwegian Government, which is helping us with the peace process. The fourth step was de-proscription, 10 days before the talks, after we decided on the dates. Last was the actual peace talks which was held in Thailand last month. Three rounds have been decided already in December and January 2003. We have established a spirit of goodwill to enable political, legal and economic activity, and that there are two parties to the negotiations and all these activities are taking place together with the LTTE and the devolution power will be with full convergence and consensus of the LTTE. Mr. Osami Kiyomoto, Deputy Chief of the Editorial Board of Japanese newspaper OMIURI Shimbun presided. |
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