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Chandrika - LTTE Talks: 1994/95 

Letter from Sri Lanka President
to LTTE Leader

9 March 1995

Mr. V. Pirabaharan,
Leader,
LTTE,
Jaffna

Dear Mr. Pirabaharan,

I gather from a press release issued by the Political Committee of the International Secretariat of the LTTE on 7th March 1995 that there are two major issues regarding the LTTE's dialogue with the Government.

1. According to the communique, your letter to me dated 25th February 1995 said:

'It is our desire that the talks between the Liberation Tigers and the Sri Lanka Government should be open and not secret. In a situation where the international community as well as our people are closely watching the progress of our talks with the Government, we do not see that it would be proper or advisable for us to exchange views in secret through a private individual. We have examined with care the questions that you have raised in your letter. We desire that the talks should take place between representatives appointed by you on behalf of the Sri Lanka government and those appointed by us. Your representatives can make clear your views and our representatives can do the same on our behalf. It is talks on this basis between the two sides that will be fruitful. Our problems have today attracted international attention. The international community and our people are today giving their close attention to the Tamil ethnic question.

Our people wish and expect to be kept informed of the talks between the two sides and its progress. In this situation, it will not be proper for me to exchange views with you through a private individual in secret." I have received only one letter from you dated 25th February 1995, and the above-stated paragraph from the communique does not appear in the said letter.

We regret to note that the Political Committee of the LTTE is obviously not aware of the contents of your letter dated 25th February and are speculating on its contents. This has led to a misconstruction of the facts contained in the only letter written by you to me on the said date.

I would like to specifically draw your attention to the fact that my letter to you dated 20th February 1995 states thus:

"The French Government, which I have approached, is ready to put at our disposal for this purpose, a respected French person.......a former Ambassador for France .....on the condition that his mission would receive your formal approval and that his security would be guaranteed by both of us. It would be well understood that this person would only act as an intermediary between us without involving the French authorities in our exchanges...."

It was thus made clear that the person proposed would undertake this mission under the patronage of the French Government and that in fact he was selected by the French Government for our joint approval. He would be acting according to the wishes of our Government and the LTTE, without any interference by the French Government in the exchanges between us.

The statement that the intermediary suggested by the French Government is a private individual and that he was a close friend of mine is wholly unfounded. In fact he was not known to me at all. He was selected by the French Government and I met him for the first time when he arrived in Colombo. In these circumstances the Government regrets that the LTTE appears to have misconstrued the facts on the basis of an non-existent letter.

(2) The communique also says that the LTTE has been always ready for talks but the said letter of the LTTE dated 25th February 1995 does not anywhere state what 'talks' you mean.

Despite my requests to you for fixing an early date for political talks, you have so far not acceded to that request. Instead you have laid down certain pre-conditions for the resumption of the talks which had started on rehabilitation and reconstruction. These conditions are as follows:

(i) the removal of the Pooneryn Army Camp

(ii) total lifting of the ban on fishing in the North eastern sea.

(iii) the possibility of free movement for armed LTTE cadres in the Eastern Province

(iv) the total lifting of the embargo on goods.

All of these demands could have serious military repercussions if granted outside the framework of an established and durable peace. In the case of all these requests the Government has made the maximum possible concessions without compromising national security.

The Government has also insistently stated that negotiations with regard to these matters need not delay the commencement of political talks since the two could proceed parallely. This continues to be the position of my Government. The Government proposal is that instead of trying to solve issues one by one, simultaneous talks should be held concerning the day to day problems of the people of the North and finding a political settlement to the ethnic problem.

I appreciate the suggestion made in your letter dated 25th February 1995 that 'the negotiating process should be conducted by the accredited representatives of the Government and the LTTE'.

I accept this suggestion and now propose that the said talks regarding the political settlement of the ethnic problem should commence on any dates between 2nd to 10th April. We would send our delegation to Jaffna for a two day period initially. Our package of proposals for a political settlement would be sent to you in advance.

I shall be grateful for an early reply.

With kind regards
Yours sincerely,
Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga

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