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No promises, Mangala expects US to nudge Tigers for peace talks
Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera is in Washington where he met among others, US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice. Below are excerpts of an interview conducted by the BBC World Service in its “World Today” programme.

The increasing number of ceasefire violations by the LTTE was brought to focus by the BBC correspondent. n World Today (WT): There have been an increasing number of incidents of the ceasefire within the LTTE being breached; and more than 80 people have been killed in the last month alone. What can the US do for Sri Lanka?

Mangala Samaraweera (MS): I think not only the Americans but the international community can perhaps do some gentle persuasion to nudge the LTTE, which has stayed away from the negotiating table for nearly two years, to start talking to the government, especially about strengthening the ceasefire agreement. In fact, Washington and the Co-Chairs (of the peace process) - which are the UK, as the head of the EU, Japan, the US and Norway - have already done some serious groundwork in order to convince the LTTE to return to the negotiating table.

WT: Did you talk about Tamil Tiger fund-raising in America?
MS: Yes, it is an area of concern. Despite the fact that there is a ban on the LTTE in the US, there have been attempts at fund-raising. In fact, this morning, we met the Deputy Coordinator of Counter-terrorism here in the US State Department, and we have given certain information and evidence of fund-raising which is taking place in the US even today.

WT: What promises, though, was Dr. Rice able to make?
MS: There were no promises at all. But we are convinced that the US, as they're actually promoting democracy globally, will also do their best to ensure that one of Asia's oldest democracies will survive - which we feel is under siege at the moment, because of the intransigence of the LTTE.

WT: Why do you think things have slid so much from what seemed extremely optimistic days a couple of years back, to a situation where it seems that the island is again on the verge of all-out war?
MS: No, I certainly don't agree that the island is on the verge of an all-out war - because our government is totally committed to a negotiated settlement. In fact, Sri Lanka achieved a growth rate of 6.2 last year.

The tourist arrivals are reaching nearly 80 per cent after the tsunami, during the season. Prospects for direct investment are looking very good. So for us, as far as the government is concerned, war is not an option. But again I'd like to say that in this situation, even though, the violations of the ceasefire agreement may have increased in the last few months, the deterioration started in 2003, in April, when the LTTE unilaterally decided to stop talking to the government of Sri Lanka.

In fact, President Rajapakse has been in power for only seven weeks; and within the seven weeks he has made six public invitations to the LTTE to start talks immediately. And also, he has invited Norway to continue as facilitators, despite perception problems about Norway amongst the general Sri Lankan public.

And also, although our preference is for talks to be held in Colombo or in any part of Sri Lanka, we have been flexible enough to say that it could be held abroad, especially somewhere in Asia. So we have been very flexible, whereas the LTTE still remains in its position of 25 years ago. It still claims that its position is for a separate state.

It still rejects the Oslo Declaration which it signed four years ago. So the government has been very flexible, and has been committed to peace. It's still willing to walk that extra mile for peace, if the LTTE is at least now willing to show a little flexibility.

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