+- Yarl Forum (https://www.yarl.com/forum2)
+-- Forum: கணணிக் களம் (https://www.yarl.com/forum2/forumdisplay.php?fid=10)
+--- Forum: பிறமொழி ஆக்கங்கள் (https://www.yarl.com/forum2/forumdisplay.php?fid=50)
+--- Thread: Lanka seeks India's help to tame Tigers (/showthread.php?tid=1726)
Lanka seeks India's help to tame Tigers - rajathiraja - 12-29-2005
From Times of india
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/article...how/1349946.cms
NEW DELHI: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse met with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday in a bid to secure New Delhi's increased involvement in the island's troubled peace process.
The two leaders began talks at noon, a foreign ministry spokesman said.
Rajapakse arrived in India Tuesday for a four-day visit, his first foreign trip since taking office after winning the November 17 presidential election.
Indian officials said that during a series of meetings in New Delhi with Indian leaders, the neighbours would explore ways to consolidate bilateral ties, particularly in the economic field.
Rajapakse was slated to meet the leader of the ruling Congress party, Sonia Gandhi, as well as the ministers of commerce and industry, home, shipping, road transport, and highways and planning.
Ahead of his visit, Rajapakse said last week in Colombo that he would use the trip to seek New Delhi's increased participation in the island nation's faltering peace effort with the Tamil Tigers.
"They are our closest neighbour and it is very important for me to have them involved in the process," Rajapakse told reporters.
The president said he expected India to play a similar role to that of the four so-called "co-chairs" -- the United States, the European Union, Japan and Norway.
The diplomatic quartet are Sri Lanka's key backers and they preside over international efforts to raise money in support of the island's efforts to end three decades of ethnic bloodshed that has claimed more than 60,000 lives.
Rajapakse said he was also keen to study India's system of devolution as it could be a model for Sri Lanka to grant extensive power to minority Tamils.
"I am for a unitary state with maximum possible devolution," he said. "I want to study the Indian model and I am sure we can learn from that."
Rajapakse has gone back on a promise by his party to accept a federal system of government in exchange for ethnic peace as initially agreed with the Tamil Tigers during a round of talks in December 2002.
A recent escalation of violence has heightened fears that Sri Lanka could be slipping back to war despite a February 2002 truce with the rebels.
In the latest bloodletting, suspected Tiger rebels staged two bomb attacks in the island's embattled regions on Tuesday, killing 12 soldiers and a constable.
- rajathiraja - 12-29-2005
<b>India, Lanka for early peace talks</b>
<i>from hindustan times </i>
India on Wednesday voiced concern over escalation of violence in Sri Lanka and favoured early talks to strengthen the ceasefire but was non-committal on its direct involvement in the peace process.
The situation and status of peace process in island nation figured prominently in the talks visiting Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajakapse had with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi. Other bilateral issues like increasing cooperation in economic and energy areas also came up at the meeting.
Briefing reporters on the 40-minute meeting, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said India was concerned over the recent escalation of violence and "repeated violations" of the ceasefire in Sri Lanka.
This trend, he said, could "only undermine the search for a negotiated political settlement which is critical for maintenance of peace and for resumption of talks aimed at finding a just solution" to Sri Lanka's ethnic problems.
He said Rajapakse briefed Singh of his assessment of the current status of the peace process in Sri Lanka.
Sarna said "Both sides agreed that peace talks aimed at strengthening the ceasefire should begin at the earliest."
Asked whether India was ready to play greater role in Sri Lankan peace process as desired by Rajapakse, the spokesman evaded a direct reply, saying New Delhi's position was "well known" in this regard.
India has been cautious in getting directly involved in the peace process despite calls made by various sections, including the Sri Lankan government, Buddhists and Norwegian negotiators.
Sarna said Rajapakse had welcomed India's commitment to peace and security in Sri Lanka.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_158...584407,0008.htm