Sri Lanka rebels offer ten-day ceasefire
Updated
Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels have declared a unilateral ceasefire for the duration of the South Asian leaders summit; while the government has rejected the gesture.
Presenter: Joanna McCarthy
Speakers: Dr Jehan Perera from Sri Lanka's National Peace Council.
PERERA: I think that it's a positive gesture on the part of the LTTE. I also think that the government itself would welcome the LTTE's decision not to disrupt the South's summit, even though it is not accepting the ceasefire, in the sense of reciprocating in any official capacity. But I would believe that the government would itself not launch offensive operations during this period in order to safeguard the South's summit from any possible retaliation from the LTTE.
McCARTHY: Why do you think the LTTE have made this offer?
PERERA: Most likely the LTTE says the opportunity to redeem itself internationally at this time, because it is under a lot of military pressure and also internationally, the LTTE's facing more and more sanctions against it with its supporters being arrested in different parts of the world. So the LTTE by offering this ceasefire at this time, when the attention of the world is on Sri Lanka will be able to gain some measure of credibilty or some support for its offer of a ceasefire. Because the ongoing military campaign is very costly to both people of this country, as well as to its economy.
McCARTHY: Do you think there is any chance that the Tamil Tigers further down the track will be prepared to accept the government's conditions for the resumption of peace talks, namely laying down their arms on a more permanent basis?
PERERA: I think laying down of arms is something that will only come at the end of the peace process, and it must happen that way. But it would also require the government to be more reasonable in its own approach to peace talks, because it is not reasonable to expect the LTTE to lay down arms and then come for talks. So I don't think that condition the LTTE will agree to. The government will have to be more realistic about entering into negotiations with the LTTE with arms, but in which, somewhere in the talks, or in the framework of the talks, the issue of decommissioning of weapons is specified.
