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There would be continuity in policy towards SL if Democrats Come to Power - Fmr US Asst Sec of State for S/Asia
Bandula Jayasekara in Colombo,
SLT 7.40 A.M Tuesday 23 March.
Karl Inderfurth , U.S Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia under
President Clinton said that there would be continuity in the US policy
towards Sri Lanka if the Democrats come to power in November. He said that
he was fully convinced that the US would support Sri Lanka in its effort to
end the war and bring peace to the country. In an interview with this
correspondent in Colombo, Ambassador Inderfurth also urged the Sri Lankan
leaders to take advantage of the high level of involvement that exists in
Washington in the remaining month of the Bush administration and before the
presidential election draws near.
He said " It is only a matter of the calendar that I say that. Because as we
go into the election more and more time will be spent on the campaign and
moving towards the election than focusing on all the problems around the
world. That is a natural fact in any country and once the elections has
taken place, if it is a Democratic administration it would take several
months to get the new team in place and if President Bush is re-elected
there would be likely changes in his team just as President Clinton changed
his National Security team. President Bush may do that which means again
several month before that new team is in place. So, it is only because right
now, I believe we have a strong focus on Sri Lanka, while that focus is
there and before the election becomes too much in motion, I hope as that can
be used to support what is taking place here. " He added " With Secretary
Powell and Deputy Secretary Armitage and Ambassador Jeff Lunstead here in
Colombo, Sri Lanka has a strong and committed US team to work with. I
believe this is a valuable asset that should be fully seized at this time
Published: Mon Mar 22 20:44:04 EST 2004
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Report: renegade Tamil rebel leader warns residents not to help mainstream rebel group
Associated Press,
Tue March 23, 2004 02:26 EST .
- - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) A renegade rebel leader has warned residents of areas under his control not to cooperate with the mainstream Tamil Tiger guerrilla movement, a Tamil Web site reported Tuesday. ``We strongly urge the people ... not to have any secret links with Vanni leadership,'' Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan's faction said in a statement quoted by the independent Eelam Nation Web site. Vanni is the area in Sri Lanka - 's north where the mainstream rebels have their main base. Muralitharan broke away from the main Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam group on March 3, taking with him more than 6,000 troops, or more than a third of the entire rebel force. It was the first time that such a warning has been issued by Muralitharan since the split. ``We also warn the people to vigilant about movements of suspicious persons and to inform us immediately if such persons are seen,'' the statement said. There was no immediate comment from the mainstream rebel group. In the past, the Tigers have killed members who abandoned their ranks. But there apparently has been no attempt on Muralitharan's life. That could be a testament to his abilities as a commander who has won some of the Tigers' most decisive battles. The Tigers began fighting the Sri Lankan army in 1983, accusing the government of discriminating against the country's Tamil minority. The fighting stopped in February 2002 with a Norwegian-brokered cease-fire, but the rebels walked out of peace talks in April. A dispute over how to deal with the rebellion triggered a power struggle between the country's president and the prime minister which led to a decision to hold snap general elections on April 2. On the Web: Tamil Web site: www.eelamnation.com
Published: Tue Mar 23 08:18:25 EST 2004
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President Kumaratunga's alliance wins support from nationalist group
Associated Press,
Tue March 23, 2004 04:53 EST .
- - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) President Chandrika Kumaratunga's political alliance on Tuesday won support from a nationalist group ahead of April 2 parliamentary elections, a move that may boost her chances at the polls. ``The best thing for Sri Lanka - ... is to have a strong government under the freedom alliance,'' Elle Gunwansa, a group spokesman, told reporters. Kumaratunga is locked in a power struggle with her political rival, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, that has threatened to derail efforts to end a 20-year civil war. The president accuses the prime minister of jeopardizing the country's security by giving too many concessions to the rebels. Last month she dissolved Parliament, paving the way for elections nearly three years ahead of schedule. To boost her chances in the polls, Kumaratunga's political party formed the United Peoples Freedom Alliance with the Marxist Peoples' Liberation Front. Before the 225-member Parliament was dissolved, the two parties had a combined 93 seats. Though the Patriotic National Movement had no seats, the group could help influence others to support the president. One member is former national cricket captain Arjuna Ranatunga, who has appeal in this cricket-mad tropical island. Wickremesinghe and the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam rebels signed a truce in February 2002, bringing a halt to 19 years of fighting that had killed nearly 65,000 people. Wickremesinghe had offered the rebels administrative authority in predominantly ethnic Tamil areas of the island for an interim period, in an effort to restart peace talks. The talks were suspended in April after the rebels raised their demands. ``We understand there is a move to have a pro-LTT puppet government and we don't want that to happen,'' Gunwansa said in reference to Wickremesinghe's United National Front.
Published: Tue Mar 23 08:17:16 EST 2004
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