Sri Lanka refutes LTTE claim of sovereignty 18 May 2006
Sri Lanka Daily News
[see also LTTE refutes SLMM's
statement on Rights to Sea
]
COLOMBO: The Government said its attention has been drawn to a
news item on Tamilnet of May 12 headlined, 'SLMM has no mandate to rule on Tamil
sovereign rights' in which LTTE Political Wing Leader S.P. Thamil Chelvam is
quoted as stating; "We entered into the peace process based on the status quo
achieved in the battlefield in our country. Nobody has the right to pass
judgement on the sovereign rights of our access to the adjacent sea and airspace
of our homeland." The Government categorically rejected this assertion
which is contrary to the recognised position under International Law. The
Government said the assertion of sovereign rights, jurisdiction or any form of
control over maritime zones is an essential attribute of a State and accordingly
such rights could be asserted only by States under International Law.
It said:
"No other entity could assert such rights unless recognised
by the international community as a State entity. A unilateral assertion by
an entity of attributes of statehood does not confer on such entity any
legal status. The assertion by the LTTE is yet another feeble attempt by
them to exploit the Ceasefire Agreement to confer on themselves attributes
of sovereignty.
The Ceasefire Agreement was concluded by the Government with the LTTE for
the specific purpose of setting in place the modalities of a ceasefire with
the objective of bringing an end to hostilities.
The agreement does not confer any right or legal status to a non-State
entity which is a party to the agreement, outside the specific scope,
purpose and context of that agreement. It does not apply nor was ever
intended to apply, nor is capable of being interpreted as applying to issues
such as the so-called sovereign attributes of a non-State entity.
The internal waters, the territorial sea and the territorial air space
above, form part and parcel of the State territory over which it exercises
sovereign authority. Accordingly, no sovereign State will acknowledge any
other entity, state or non-state, exercising any rights or jurisdiction
within its maritime areas or airspace.
The Government of Sri Lanka shall continue to take all necessary measures in
the performance of its legitimate task of safeguarding the sovereignty and
territorial integrity of Sri Lanka."
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