Dumeetha Luthra, BBC News reporting from Colombo, 19 November 2004 -

"Mrs Kumaratunga said she did not want a war."

Comment:

"...The would be conqueror is always a lover of peace, for he (or she) would like to enter and occupy our country unopposed..." - Clausewitz quoted in Philosophers of Peace and War, edited by Professor Gallie

"... In a function room in the Presidential Secretariat, (broadcast live on Sri Lanka television), Sri Lanka's leader (President Chandrika Kumaratunga) stood gravely before a line of tough-looking military officers. Deputy Defence Minister Anurudha Ratwatte, fresh from hoisting the flag in Jaffna town, presented her with a scroll rolled up inside a red velvet container. The scroll was dated "full moon day of the month of Uduwap in the year 2939 in the Buddhist Era." It read, "Your Excellency's rule and authority has been firmly re-established" in the historic city. The territory was not referred to as Jaffna, its official name, but "Yapa Patuna" the term used by conquerors in medieval times..."  Time Magazine, 18 December 1995

"Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has urged the Tamil Tiger rebels to restart negotiations. The president told the BBC she was willing to discuss the Tamil Tigers' proposal for interim self-rule and also a long-term federal solution."

Comment: "long term federal solution"?

"...Why are we opposed to the federal system? We Marxists, we proletarian revolutionaries oppose the division of the country and decentralization.  We oppose it without the least hesitation. Our teacher Marx was called a great centralist by his greatest disciple himself Lenin. Yes this is correct. We Marxists are centralists. We proletarian revolutionaries know very well of the immense benefits of large states and centralism.… The proletariat opposes the establishment of a federal system as a form of decentralization. The proletariat which realizes perfectly that greater and more centralized states serve their historic purpose better, opposes the decentralization of countries as well as always disagreeing to the decimation of countries.…. … the proletariat cannot agree to the use of the federal system to decentralize an existing united centralized state…” Rohana Wijeweera, Founder of JVP, Major Coalition Partner of  President Chandrika Kumaratunga's Government

"But she firmly stated that the ball was now with the Tamil Tigers and she had done as much as she could to come to the talks table. The peace process stalled last year when the Tigers pulled out of talks."

Comment: "The peace process stalled last year when the Tigers pulled out of talks" -  the Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth or  'political 'spin'?

"...The international community was perhaps shocked at the decision of the President the Hon. Chandrika Kumaratunga to dismiss key ministers and dissolve the Parliament just at the very time when the peace process with the Tamil LTTE was achieving results. These moves and the subsequent elections virtually destroyed the peace process while at the same time the LTTE or Tamil Tigers were showing a considerable openness to seek a resolution to the conflict..." Intervention by Charles Graves, Interfaith International (Non Governmental Organisation with Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC under Agenda Item 2:Question of the Violation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, 28 July 2004

"..It is pertinent to point out that in the context of the LTTE's request for dates to be fixed to commence talks when it submitted its ISGA proposals on 31 October 2003, the LTTE would have been at " the negotiating table" in November 2003 itself, but for the actions taken by the President on 4 November 2003..." Tamil National Alliance on SL President's UN Speech, 24 September 2004

"Mrs Kumaratunga said she did not want war and also felt the Tigers did not want war unless they were pushed - something she said she had no intention of doing."

 Comment: "no intention of pushing LTTE into war"?

"...The plan is to destabilize the Tigers, bait the group into confrontation and ultimately launch an offensive aimed at destroying the fractured Tamil movement once and for all," the analysts at Strategic Forecasting (Stratfor) said quoting unnamed sources inside the Sri Lankan government....Colombo probably hopes a renewed guerrilla war will be tempered by internal struggles and that, once weakened, the Tigers can be destroyed, the US analysts said....According to the US analysts, in the event of a renewed war “the Tigers will likely end up weaker - perhaps no longer in a position to make the demands for autonomy that helped cause the internal strife in the first place.” “On the other hand, baiting a wounded tiger could be a dangerous game," they cautioned. Colombo promoting Karuna to destroy LTTE with tacit approval of US  says US based think tank Stratfor, 14 July 2004

"...for the first time  (the LTTE) has split into three. So things are changing. It is not because, I think, the personality of Prabhakaran may change... I do not expect much change from this particular leader. But movements change, other people may change, circumstances and political conjecture change. I think there is some hope..."The Words of a President concerned to negotiate in good faith with the LTTE?, 13 November 2004

"..History records that even Kings Dutugemunu, Gajabahu, Vijayabahu and Parakramabahu have suffered defeat at the hands of the enemy at some stage. But each time they faced such setbacks, they had faced the enemy with renewed strength and achieved victory. Dear war heroes, we too have to follow in the footsteps of our past heroes... As Head of State. I assure you that the Government will lend you all support and assistance to accomplish that task. Your blood is boiling to liberate your motherland and I am confident that no one can undermine your enthusiasm and commitment... Heroic soldiers ultimate victory will be yours." Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Sri Lanka State Controlled Daily News, 12 May 2000

"She said she had moved 75% of the way towards their position and accused the Tigers of not compromising at all. Significantly, she stated that she was speaking for all members of her coalition. The leftist JVP had previously opposed any devolution of power to the rebels, but she rebutted claims that they were still an obstacle to talks."

Comment: "leftist JVP no obstacle to talks"?

"...(Ruling Sri Lanka Government Coalition Partner) the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).. propaganda secretary Wimal Weerawansa gave the lecture at Colombo’s Youth Council Centre (on 17 August). He began by demagogically denouncing all those promoting the peace talks as stooges for the LTTE. He branded the previous United National Front (UNF) government, which signed the ceasefire agreement with the LTTE in 2002, as “Green Tigers”—green being the UNF’s official colour. The Norwegian facilitators, he declared, were “White Tigers”. He accused various non-government organisations, which were calling for negotiations, of “crowing for dollars”. Ruling Sri Lanka Government Coalition Partner, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) intensifies its campaign against Sri Lankan peace talks 31 August 2004

" Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Sri Lanka's powerful Marxist Sinhala nationalist party and President Chandrika Kumaratunga main coalition partner, Saturday marked the 15th death anniversary of its founder Rohana Wijeweera with a massive public meeting at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo.Addressing the meeting, Mr. Tilvin Silva, general secretary of the JVP, lambasted the United National Party, accusing its leader Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe of conspiring with the Liberation Tigers to divide the island nation. JVP is stridently opposed to granting regional autonomy to Tamils. Mr. Silva said the party is on the path to victory and that the people would eventually support the JVP to form the government on its own. "The party founded by Rohana Wijeweera cannot be destroyed by anyone", declared Mr. Somawansa Amarasingha, the reclusive leader of the JVP, in his address. 'Will come to power soon' proclaims JVP  13 November 2004

"A recent statement on a rebel website accused the president of deceit and cheating the international community. Since the talks stalled last year a number of attempts by Norwegian mediators have failed to restart the process."

Comment

"Sri Lanka's main opposition has accused the government of taking a cavalier and casual attitude towards the peace process with Tamil Tiger rebels. United National Party spokesman GL Peiris said the government had again changed its stand on resuming talks..." Sri Lanka's U turn attacked reports BBC