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JVP
Statement for all party conference on 06th March 2006
The two-day
Geneva talks although not fulfilling all the objectives of the
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and the people of Sri Lanka was a step in
the correct direction of regaining Sri Lanka's full sovereignty and
the spread of democracy. Unlike the previous so-called peace talks
held in Thailand, Norway and Japan the government was not supine in
front of LTTE and Norwegian demands. The preparations for the talks
this time were completely transparent. In previous rounds of talks,
the political parties in power at the time did not conduct an all
party conference to discuss their thoughts and exchange ideas with
others. The agendas were unilaterally set in secret without
consulting other political parties or without the expertise of those
who were well versed in political negotiations.
The
preparations for the latest round of talks were done in a manner
that was completely open and transparent. The opinions of other
democratic parties such as the JVP as well as the opinions of
experts contributed to the forming of the opening statement in
Geneva.
The GOSL's
agenda was designed in keeping with Mahinda Chintanaya. From the
time the talks started, the GOSL team pointed out the faults of the
LTTE's opening statement and succeeded in getting the LTTE to
concede much more than they ever had in any previous talks. Unlike
the previous teams the GOSL team this time did not bend over
backwards to appease the LTTE. This marked the first time that the
LTTE was forced on the defensive and conceded points to the GOSL
negotiating team.
However, the
JVP is in complete disagreement with the joint statement presented
at the conclusion of the talks. This joint statement seems to have
been drafted by the Norwegian "Facilitators" and is overtly
contradictory to Mahinda Chintanaya. We regret that the GOSL team
agreed to such a statement after having successfully negotiated for
two days.
The next round
of talks will be held once again in Geneva and there is much hope by
the government as well as the people of Sri Lanka that this round of
talks would lead towards a lasting solution to the armed conflict.
The JVP, however, begs to differ. We do not believe that the LTTE
Tigers will ever change their stripes. Their objective, as always,
remains unchanged and we urge the Government not to be lulled into a
false sense of safety and become complacent. GOSL should be ever
vigilant of the LTTE and ensure that they do not once again gain the
upper hand in negotiations.
Therefore, we
recommend after analyzing the results of the talks, the GOSL be
aware of the issues that still remain unresolved and be watchful
that complacency does not set in. LTTE is a very dangerous foe and
as such, we must at all times remain extra careful in our dealings
with them.
The JVP
believes that the only way to keep the LTTE at the negotiating table
is to strengthen the armed forces. In prior rounds of talks, the
government was lulled in to a sense of false security which enabled
the LTTE to further strengthen their forces. During the past four
years, the government neglected to create and maintain a strong
military which put the government of President Rajapakse in a very
difficult situation during the past few months. We must not repeat
this mistake.
A strong
military is the most important, if not the only, deterrent to the
LTTE's separatist ambitions. While continuing the dialogue with the
LTTE, the GOSL should also ramp up its strengthening and training of
the armed forces so that the LTTE will realize that going back to
war is not an option for them. In prior rounds of talks, the LTTE
was successful in weakening the government forces while continuing
to strengthen their armed cadres. A return to war a threat that the
LTTE always used against the government. Unfortunately, previous
governments were so scared of going back to war that they caved into
LTTE's demands. This attitude by the government weakened their
bargaining position. By having a strong and fully prepared military
at their disposal, the government will be negotiating from a
position of strength. The GOSL should "speak softly and carry a big
stick", which will greatly negate the LTTE threat of a return to
hostilities.
In the next
rounds of talks in April, the GOSL team should actively work to
rectify the mistakes made at the previous round of talks. We are of
the opinion that the GOSL team did very well up to the point of the
joint statement. These mistakes should not be repeated and those
mistakes made should be rectified in future rounds of talks.
In future, all
steps taken at the negotiation table should be in full accordance
with the JVP's agreement with H.E. President Mahinda Rajapakse and
his vision for Sri Lanka, Mahinda Chintanaya. We firmly believe that
it is better to walk away from the negotiating table without any
progress being made, rather than agree to any conditions that would
be detrimental to the sovereignty of Sri Lanka.
Political Bureau
People’s Liberation front
06/03/2006
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