Army supports peace process
Army Commander Lt. Gen. Lionel Balagalle yesterday defended the Army’s position on the issue on 'High Security Zones' in the Jaffna peninsula and said it firmly believes that advising the Government on matters of National Security is its public responsibility.

The Army Commander was responding to the statement issued by the LTTE earlier where it condemned the action of the army regarding the position on the issue of 'High Security Zones'.

The LTTE had blamed the military for placing conditions for the withdrawal from the High Security Zones in Jaffna and said that the army was trying to 'place insurmountable obstacles in the path of peace and normalcy'. The LTTE had said that to raise the issue at this stage of the peace process and stipulate it as a condition for the humanitarian task for resettlement 'has a diabolical motive of disrupting the current peace process'

The Army Commander responding in a statement yesterday said he wished to assert on behalf of all officers and men of the army that they "unequivocally support the peace process."

"However, it must be emphasised that the Army has the sacred responbility of safeguarding the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka. It is with this in view that the Security Forces Commander (Jaffna) has stipulated certain conditions in his proposal," the Commander said.

"To do so, it must be clearly emphasised, is not to jeopardise the peace process. The Army firmly believes that advising the Government on matters of national security that will affect all communities in Sri Lanka is its public responsibility," the statement added.

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