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| Sunday, 2 February 2003 |
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Unstable Sri Lanka bigger problem to India than a peaceful one Since an unstable Sri Lanka poses more of a problem to India than a peaceful one, India wants to see an early solution as much as we do, Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando told Gulf News in an exclusive interview with its Asia Editor Neena Gopal. "I think the real problem lies with India. Frankly, an unstable Sri Lanka poses more of a problem to India than a peaceful one. Despite India having a direct hand in training and arming the Tigers in the past, we have come a long way since. They want to see a solution as much as we do. Therefore, India is fully committed to support our peace process," Minister Fernando who is now on an official visit to the Middle East, said. Referring to the ongoing peace talks the Minister has said that there is no possibility for the LTTE to create a separate State. "Please note they are not going for a confederation with federal powers and the option for a separate state. This is a permanent marriage. There is no divorce later. A lot of work has been done on this by intellectuals, lawyers and constitutional experts." "We in the UNP were part of the committee that helped draft the constitution that backed regional autonomy. But we voted against it simply because Chandrika refused to take it to the LTTE for discussion. We wanted her to approach the LTTE. They do not want to be told take it or leave it - they wanted to be a part of the solution. Ministers G.L. Peiris and Milinda Moragoda are now sitting down with the LTTE and baking the cake with them, not asking them whether they want to add the ingredients later." Responding to a question on President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga's stand on the peace process, Fernando has said that she is totally for peace. "She went public with her support at the SAARC Summit in Kathmandu in January last year, when she said she would back it. She started the process. It was she who started negotiations with the Tigers. It was she who moved her party - which is essentially a Sinhala nationalist party - to the centre." "The fact is when she says we're going too fast, she is talking in terms of the time when she conducted talks with the Tigers which essentially went nowhere. The question that must be asked is, was it going at all?" "When she says we are making too many concessions, she is only reacting to pressure from within her party; it is an ultra nationalist party. And just like Chandrika is under pressure from within her own party, so is Prabhakaran under pressure from his own people. We must not get disturbed," Minister Fernando said. |
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