"Immediately, a whole range of areas of conflict
confront us, in Africa, Europe and Asia. All of us are familiar with
these, which range from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola and Sudan
on my own continent, to the Balkans in Europe and Afghanistan,
Tajikistan and Sri Lanka in Asia. Clearly, this
Organisation and especially the Security Council acting together with people
of goodwill in the countries and areas concerned, has a responsibility to
act decisively to contribute to the termination of these destructive
conflicts."
Response by Sri
Lanka President Kumaratunga:
"We in Sri Lanka are particularly conscious of
the capacity of terrorist groups to resort to the strategy of using
front organisations for raising funds which end up in the LTTE war chest
to contribute towards
murdering and
brutalising our people.
Moral
and legal sanctions against terrorists are not enough. Laws must
be effectively implemented.
Only by such concerted action would we be able to ensure
that terrorists are compelled to renounce violence and
enter the
democratic process. I would like to thank
India and the
United States of
America in particular for having recognised and declared the LTTE to be
the terrorist organisation that it is, and for encouraging my Government to
settle this problem
by political means. I would like to add here that
this is an
internal problem that Sri Lanka is fully able and ready to resolve with
the full support of its peoples.
We will not tolerate any outside interference whilst we appreciate
all the support given us by our friends abroad in resolving the conflict."
..."The LTTE's claim to be a 'liberation organisation'
is an insult to
organisations such as the African National Congress and the South West
African People's Organisation, which courageously struggled against minority
rule, racism and oppression and, with equal courage, negotiated the
creation of the democratic, non-racial States of South Africa and Namibia."
....."The LTTE's claim to be a 'liberation organisation'
is negated by
its unilateral resort to violence and its reluctance to put its claims
to the true test - that of
participating in an open, democratic and peaceful process of
consultation with the people."
