Tiger air power should be crushed - Govt. Chief Negotiator

by Shanika Sriyananda

While reiterating the government's commitment to find a permanent solution to the on-going conflict, the Chief Peace Negotiator, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said yesterday that the priority of the government now was to crush the LTTE military power including its air wings.

He called the international community to extend more assistance to the government to dismantle the Tiger air power and ensure the security and safety of the region.

Minister de Silva told the 'Sunday Observer' that the LTTE has again proved the world that they have not prepared to negotiations and peace.

"Still the doors are open for the LTTE and the Government is ready to find a negotiated settlement to the national problem. But, it is the LTTE who ran away from the peace talks throughout the history, and it testifies that they are not prepared to negotiations", he said.

"When we participated in the first round of Geneva talks, we emphasised the fact that the construction of Eranamadu air strip is a blunt violation of CFA and therefore it should be destroyed and dismantled", he said.

However, he said that although the government strongly objected to this air strip, the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission was not given access by the LTTE to inspect and monitor this alleged violation.

"The failure in the part of the monitors and the international community to take preventive actions, this air strip has now caused a threat to the region", Minister de Silva pointed out. He said that the important task of the international community now was to pressurise and take necessary actions to dismantle Tiger air power.

Minister de Silva said that when the LTTE has been posing grace threats, the government's prime responsibility was to ensure nation's security by destroying the LTTE's air, naval and all other military powers to end terrorism. "All citizens of this country have rallied around President Mahinda Rajapaksa at this important juncture to weaken the LTTE", he said.