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| Sunday, 7 September 2003 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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'Assassinations undermine confidence in peace process' Statement issued by the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka Currently attention is focused on the LTTE's consultation in Paris regarding their response to the government's proposed interim administrative structure. The National Peace Council considers this to be an important phase in the transformation of the armed conflict to peaceful coexistence. It is expected that the LTTE will make its observations and counter proposals to the government after the Paris consultation. At the Oslo peace talks in November last year, the LTTE together with the government agreed to explore a federal solution based on the principle of internal self-determination. The National Peace Council wishes to request the government and LTTE not to get stuck to their opening positions, and not to view each other's positions as non-negotiable. We believe that the parameters of a federal solution provide an appropriate framework for the interim structure. The NPC believes that an approach based on principles can also meet the interests of all other parties and the people at large. Both parties should look at principles and not simply at their narrow political interests. Further, since the government's proposals envisage opposition participation it is advisable that the government should include the opposition in future negotiations to establish the interim administration. We are very concerned, however, that at the ground level, the ongoing political assassinations of anti-LTTE Tamil and Muslim political party members and a resumption of Tamil-Muslim disturbances undermine the confidence of people in the peace process. Given the past record of the government and LTTE, they should commit themselves to the vindication of human rights, rule of law and political and ethnic pluralism in the interim structures that they jointly establish. A principled approach to the interim administration can alleviate fears of people on both sides. |
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