Govt reiterates stand on CFA : LTTE must disarm
The Government’s firm stand on the Ceasefire Agreement is unchanged, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said adding there will not be peace negotiations with the LTTE unless it lays down arms and surrenders.
Addressing the media yesterday on the weekly security situation at the MCNS, Government Defence Affairs spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said during the last few days certain elements behind the LTTE proposed a CFA with the LTTE. “This was the normal practice of the LTTE when they were defeated militarily and weakened. They call for peace negotiation to halt the offensive and avoid the Security Forces’ humanitarian mission to liberate uncleared areas.
Our leaders experienced this during the last three decades,” he added. “Whenever the LTTE proposes a CFA, it always ends it with destruction and a calamity to the Government, public and sovereignty of the country,” Minister Rambukwella remarked.
Minister Rambukwella reiterated that the Government categorically rejects any peace negotiation settlement with the LTTE unless the Tigers lay down arms and surrender to Security Forces. “When President Mahinda Rajapaksa took office he immediately extended an invitation for peace negotiations with the LTTE. The President called the LTTE to the negotiation table in Geneva. The CFA was abused by the LTTE in many occasions since then,” the Minister said.
Minister Rambukwella said during the CFA the Jet Liner ship carrying unarmed forces on holiday and a Navy medical team had come under LTTE fire.
A vegetable market too was bombed in Jaffna. 17 Commandos were killed in an attack, then an attempt was made to assassinate the Army Commander finally and Mavilaru sluice gate was attacked to disrupt the daily life of people who depend on farming.
Following these abuses of the CFA by the LTTE, the Government had decided to erase terrorism and liberate civilians from the LTTE clutches. “The East was liberated and the democracy had been restored. The Easterners were allowed the franchise and their political rights restored, the Minister said.
Minister Rambukwella stressed that the North will be liberated and the humanitarian mission will be continued by the Security Forces. The Government has no any intention to negotiate with the LTTE unless it lays down arms and surrender. We embarked on an humanitarian mission in the North and troops are successfully marching forward and are now in the victory of Kilinochchi.
The entire North and our brothers and sisters entrapped in the Tigers’ grip will be liberated in near future. Democracy will be restored in the North as in the East,” he added.
Courtesy : Daily News
Sri Lanka establishes diplomatic relations with Botswana
Sri Lanka and Botswana have established formal diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level, guided by the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of April 1961.
The Joint Communiqué to this effect was signed on 27th October 2008 by the Permanent Representatives of Sri Lanka and Botswana to the United Nations in New York.
The decision to establish diplomatic relations between the two countries has been taken in order to strengthen the existing bilateral friendly relations and to promote mutually beneficial co-operation on the basis of mutual respect and the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference.
Botswana, which is located in the Southern African region, is a steadily developing country. Since its independence in 1966, Botswana has enjoyed political stability and economic growth under a stable parliamentary democracy.
Currently, there are approximately 2000 Sri Lankan nationals living in Botswana, whose consular needs are looked after by the Sri Lankan High Commission in South Africa. They are employed in different fields, in the public sector and the private sector.
Courtesy: Government Information Department
Govt reiterates stand on CFA : LTTE must disarm
The Government’s firm stand on the Ceasefire Agreement is unchanged, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said adding there will not be peace negotiations with the LTTE unless it lays down arms and surrenders.
Addressing the media yesterday on the weekly security situation at the MCNS, Government Defence Affairs spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said during the last few days certain elements behind the LTTE proposed a CFA with the LTTE. “This was the normal practice of the LTTE when they were defeated militarily and weakened. They call for peace negotiation to halt the offensive and avoid the Security Forces’ humanitarian mission to liberate uncleared areas.
Our leaders experienced this during the last three decades,” he added. “Whenever the LTTE proposes a CFA, it always ends it with destruction and a calamity to the Government, public and sovereignty of the country,” Minister Rambukwella remarked.
Minister Rambukwella reiterated that the Government categorically rejects any peace negotiation settlement with the LTTE unless the Tigers lay down arms and surrender to Security Forces. “When President Mahinda Rajapaksa took office he immediately extended an invitation for peace negotiations with the LTTE. The President called the LTTE to the negotiation table in Geneva. The CFA was abused by the LTTE in many occasions since then,” the Minister said.
Minister Rambukwella said during the CFA the Jet Liner ship carrying unarmed forces on holiday and a Navy medical team had come under LTTE fire.
A vegetable market too was bombed in Jaffna. 17 Commandos were killed in an attack, then an attempt was made to assassinate the Army Commander finally and Mavilaru sluice gate was attacked to disrupt the daily life of people who depend on farming.
Following these abuses of the CFA by the LTTE, the Government had decided to erase terrorism and liberate civilians from the LTTE clutches. “The East was liberated and the democracy had been restored. The Easterners were allowed the franchise and their political rights restored, the Minister said.
Minister Rambukwella stressed that the North will be liberated and the humanitarian mission will be continued by the Security Forces. The Government has no any intention to negotiate with the LTTE unless it lays down arms and surrender. We embarked on an humanitarian mission in the North and troops are successfully marching forward and are now in the victory of Kilinochchi.
The entire North and our brothers and sisters entrapped in the Tigers’ grip will be liberated in near future. Democracy will be restored in the North as in the East,” he added.
Courtesy : Daily News
President Rajapaksa to address BIMSTEC summit today
President Mahinda Rajapaksa is scheduled to address the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit which commence this morning (13), President’s Media Unit said in a statement.The BIMSTEC comprising seven members — Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal aimed at promoting multi-sectoral cooperation for economic and social progress of the region.
The 13 sectors are known as trade and investment, technology, energy, transportation and communication, tourism, fisheries, poverty alleviation, agriculture, cultural cooperation, counter-terrorism and transnational crime, environment and disaster management, public health and people-to-people contact.
Over the period of the past decade, the BIMSTEC was able to carry out the endorsement of the framework agreement on the BIMSTEC Free Trade Area, designation of 2004-05 as Visit BIMSTEC Year, establishment of BIMSTEC Chambers of Commerce and holding of the first BIMSTEC youth football tournament in Phuket, formation of the Central Department of BIMSTEC activities in Bangkok and implementation of bio-gas project in Myingyan township in Myanmar.
With a population of over 1.4 billion accounting for 21 percent of the world population, the BIMSTEC registered a gross domestic product of 750 billion U.S. dollars and a trade volume of 33 to 59 billion dollars under the BIMSTEC free trade area scheme.
The first summit of the grouping was held in Bangkok, Thailand in 2004, President’s media unit said.
Combating terrorism prominent at BIMSTEC
Combating of terrorism, transnational organised crime and illicit drug trafficking will feature prominently at the second Summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) which begins in New Delhi today.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa will attend the Summit together with leaders from other BIMSTEC states - Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Thailand.
The second BIMSTEC Summit, which comes after four years since the first Summit was held in Bangkok is scheduled to finalise several agreements for the BIMSTEC region on energy, culture, weather and climate especially counter terrorism and transnational crime. BIMSTEC was formed in Bangkok on June 6, 1997 as a new sub-regional grouping named BIST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lankan and Thailand Economic Cooperation). Myanmar joined the Organisation as a full member at a Special Ministerial Meeting held in Bangkok on December 22, 1997, upon which the name of the grouping was changed to BIMST-EC. Nepal was granted observer status by the Second Ministerial Meeting in Dhaka in December 1998. Subsequently, full membership has been granted to Nepal and Bhutan in 2003. At the first Summit on July 31, 2004, leaders of the group agreed that the name of the grouping should be known as BIMSTEC or the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation.
Seven members of BIMSTEC covers 13 Priority Sectors lead by member countries in a voluntary manner namely, Trade & Investment, Technology, Energy, Transport & Communication, Tourism, Fisheries, Agriculture, Cultural Cooperation, Environment and Disaster Management, Public Health, People-to-People Contract, Poverty Alleviation and Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crimes.
Courtesy : Daily News
