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Talks with Tigers after arms are given up: JVP

The Ceasefire Agreement is no more and any further talks with the LTTE should be after the Tigers decommission their weapons, said JVP leader Somawansa Amerasinghe.

“As long as they (the LTTE) have weapons it will be difficult to arrive at any settlement. Even in Northern Ireland they had to give up weapons before a settlement could be reached,” he told The Sunday Times.

Mr Amerasinghe said this was his party's position. He was commenting on this week’s Norway sponsored talks in Geneva (on June 8 and 9) on the role of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and the Ceasefire Agreement in the light of the ban on the LTTE by the European Union. He said Norway should convince the LTTE on the need to decommission its weapons.

“At present SLMM monitors are operating only in Government-controlled areas. There is no monitoring in LTTE areas. They cannot go to some of the areas. In the circumstances what is the point in continuing with this role”, he asked.

There should be talks to arrive at a solution based on democratic ideals. People in the North and East must enjoy democratic rights. They are now being denied them, he said. Mr. Amerasinghe said the JVP would request President Mahinda Rajapaksa to make a public appeal to youth in the North and East to lay down their arms and surrender.

“Thereafter, he should assure a good education to these youth. He should find them gainful employment. So far we have only focused on the international community far, far away from our shores,” he said.

He said the Government should appeal to countries in the Asian region to prevent any weapons supplies to the LTTE and make sure the movement is banned in those countries.

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