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for Joint Mechanism with LTTE
" The President conveyed to the Prime Minister her commitment to ensure the full
participation of all communities in the country to ensure the delivery of relief and
reconstruction assistance to those affected by Tsunami. In this context, she apprised
the Prime Minister of her efforts to establish a Post Tsunami Operational Management
Structure (P-TOMS) for coordinating relief and reconstruction in areas affected by the
Tsunami. The Prime Minister expressed understanding of and support for these
ongoing efforts. The President of Sri Lanka briefed the Prime Minister on the current
status of the peace process in Sri Lanka. The Prime Minister reiterated India’s
support for the process of seeking a comprehensive, negotiated settlement
acceptable to all communities, and reflecting the pluralistic nature of Sri Lankan
society, within the framework of a united and democratic Sri Lanka. In their
discussions on the peace process, concern was expressed over ceasefire violations.
Particular concern was expressed over the illegal acquisition of air capability"
By Ramesh Rajagopal
in New Delhi
India has come out in support of a controversial Sri Lankan Government proposal to
involve the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in a joint domestic mechanism for
administering post-tsunami operations in that country. The India-Sri Lanka joint
statement issued here on Friday during the ongoing working visit of Sri Lankan
President Chandrika Kumaratunga notes that she apprised Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh of her efforts to establish a Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure
(P-TOMS) and that the "Prime Minister expressed understanding of and support for
these ongoing efforts".
New Delhi's endorsement of P-TOMS assumes significance in the light of the strong
opposition by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and other Sinhala political forces to the
involvement of the LTTE in any administrative mechanism. Those opposed to the
`joint mechanism' had claimed that India had reservations about the plan, and New
Delhi's official silence on the issue helped fuel rumours in Colombo that this was
indeed the case. Anxious to clear the air, Ms. Kumaratunga came to Delhi on
Thursday with the principal aim of discussing the `joint mechanism' with India at the
highest level.
According to officials the Sri Lankan President explained the importance of P-TOMS
in the context of the ongoing peace process. "For the first time, the LTTE is going to
involve itself in an administrative process with the Sri Lankan Government", a Sri
Lankan official said. . "And this will be in an open, transparent mechanism with
observers from the donors".
When the joint mechanism gets off the ground, it would represent the first time
Colombo and the LTTE engage each other since April 2003, when the latter broke off
talks with the then UNP government. Not only is the Tigers' cooperation needed to
make the disbursal of relief more effective, say officials, in the long-term this process
might help generate trust and give an impetus to the peace process.
In a separate meeting on Friday, Ms. Kumaratunga briefed Congress president Sonia
Gandhi about the proposed plan and received a positive response, say officials.
In an attempt to allay Colombo's fears about the proposed Sethusamudram ship canal
project, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is understood to have given his "personal
commitment" that India will modify the design and other parameters of the
controversial project if Sri Lanka's environmental concerns warrant it.
Though the joint statement issued on Friday only commits India to continuing the
exchange of views between Indian and Sri Lankan technical experts on "environmental
concerns and prospects of closer economic cooperation between the two countries in
the Palk Bay area," senior officials said that Dr. Singh assured Sri Lankan President
Chandrika Kumaratunga that her country's worries would be accommodated.
The project, which received Cabinet clearance last month, will create a 20-km long,
300-metre wide channel between India and Sri Lanka. Once completed, experts
estimate it will knock 36 hours off the time ships take to travel between the east and
west coasts of India. The Rs. 2,427 crores project requires major dredging operations
in and around Palk Bay, the Palk Straits and Adam's Bridge.
All the dredging work will take place entirely within Indian territorial waters but Sri
Lanka is concerned about the impact this ” and the estimated annual traffic of 3,000
ships ” might have on its own coast and territorial waters, including fish stocks.
Sri Lankan officials say Dr. Singh was "very generous" in his response to these issues
and gave a personal commitment to Ms. Kumaratunga that if environmental concerns
required it, the project would be redesigned.
Indian officials said that India too was interested in analysing the full environmental
implications of the Sethusamudram project as any negative impact was likely to affect
both countries adversely.
Among the other issues that came up during Ms. Kumaratunga's meeting with Dr.
Singh on Thursday was the G-4 draft resolution on the expansion of the United
Nations Security Council. Noting Colombo's support for a permanent Indian seat in the
UNSC, Dr. Singh asked Sri Lanka to co-sponsor the G-4 resolution in the General
Assembly later this month. According to senior officials, the Sri Lankan President said
her Government was studying the draft and would consider India's request.
Though the Sri Lankan side is keen to sign the proposed defence agreement with
India, Colombo is now reconciled to the "political reality" that this will not be possible
until the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections are held next year. However, officials on both
sides say the substance of the proposed agreement ” an expanded defence
relationship” is already being implemented.
Ms. Kumaratunga was also keen to stress in her meeting with Dr. Singh that involving
the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the proposed `joint mechanism' for post-
tsunami operations did not mean her Government was letting down its guard in any
way. In Friday's joint statement, both sides ” without explicitly naming the LTTE ”
expressed concern over the ceasefire violations and "the illegal acquisition of air
capability."
Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee was present during Dr. Singh's meeting with Ms.
Kumaratunga and concurred with the need to proceed with the `joint mechanism'.
Indian officials say New Delhi is willing to support any initiative that furthers the peace
process.
The joint statement also noted the fact that bilateral trade had reached $1.8 billion in
2004 and that the trade balance between the two countries had narrowed
significantly. The two leaders took stock of the ongoing negotiations on a
Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and directed that these
negotiations "be concluded by the end of 2005" so as to give an impetus to business
and investment activity
Text of the Joint Statement
1. Her Excellency, Mrs. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, President of Sri
Lanka, paid a working visit to India from June 2-4, 2005.
2. The President of Sri Lanka held cordial, wide-ranging discussions with the Prime
Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh. The discussions were substantive and
covered the gamut of bilateral relations between the two countries, post-tsunami
reconstruction efforts in Sri Lanka, and regional and international issues.
3. The President of Sri Lanka met with Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of the UPA.
Shri P. Chidambaram, Minister of Finance, and Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar, Minister of
Petroleum & Natural Gas and Minister of Panchayati Raj, called on the President of Sri
Lanka.
4. The two leaders noted that the forthcoming visit of the Indian External Affairs
Minister for the sixth meeting of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission on June 10,
2005 in Colombo will provide a further impetus to bilateral cooperation.
5. During the discussions between the President of Sri Lanka and the Prime Minister
of India, both sides expressed their satisfaction with the excellent state of bilateral
cooperation in diverse areas. On the subject of economic cooperation, they noted that
bilateral trade recorded a volume of US$ 1.8 billion in 2004 with the trade imbalance
between the two countries having narrowed significantly. Taking stock of the
encouraging progress on negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership
Agreement (CEPA), the two leaders directed that the negotiations on the CEPA be
concluded by the end of 2005 so as to give a new thrust to overall bilateral business
activity as well as to encourage investments in several areas of mutual interest and
thereby strengthen the partnership in economic development between the two
countries.
6. The President of Sri Lanka thanked the Prime Minister and the Government and
people of India for the generous assistance sent to Sri Lanka immediately after the
tsunami and for the further aid pledged. The Prime Minister of India reiterated that
India remains committed to assist Sri Lanka's remarkable efforts to recover from the
tragedy of the tsunami of December 2004. Indian assistance would consist of a grant
of Rs. 100 crores for relief and reconstruction projects, a moratorium on debt
repayments for three years, as well as the factoring of post-tsunami reconstruction
priorities into existing and proposed lines of credit.
7. The President conveyed to the Prime Minister her commitment to ensure the full
participation of all communities in the country to ensure the delivery of relief and
reconstruction assistance to those affected by Tsunami. In this context, she apprised
the Prime Minister of her efforts to establish a Post Tsunami Operational Management
Structure (P-TOMS) for coordinating relief and reconstruction in areas affected by the
Tsunami. The Prime Minister expressed understanding of and support for these
ongoing efforts.
8. The President of Sri Lanka briefed the Prime Minister on the current status of the
peace process in Sri Lanka. The Prime Minister reiterated India’s support for the
process of seeking a comprehensive, negotiated settlement acceptable to all
communities, and reflecting the pluralistic nature of Sri Lankan society, within the
framework of a united and democratic Sri Lanka.
9. They emphasized the need for the early resumption of negotiations in the peace
process that will lead to a durable political solution that maintains the unity and
territorial integrity of Sri Lanka, and guarantees the fundamental rights of all
individuals while ensuring the safety and prosperity of the people.
10. In their discussions on the peace process, concern was expressed over ceasefire
violations. Particular concern was expressed over the illegal acquisition of air
capability.
11. The Prime Minister of India stated that India maintains an abiding interest in the
security of Sri Lanka and remains committed to its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
12. With regard to the Sethusamudram Canal Project, it was agreed that the
exchange of views between the Indian and Sri Lankan technical experts should
continue. This would be with regard to environmental concerns and prospects of
closer economic cooperation between the two countries in the Palk Bay area.
13. The discussions between the two leaders reflected a large measure of
convergence of views between the two countries on a number of international issues,
including reform of the United Nations, the elimination of terrorism, SAARC, and
regional cooperation.
14. The President of Sri Lanka stated that her Government and people looked
forward to the visit of the Prime Minister of India to their country at an early, mutually
convenient date. The Prime Minister said that he looked forward to visiting Sri Lanka
stating that he attached the highest importance to the furtherance and strengthening
of India-Sri Lanka relations.
