India will never allow Eelam 8212; Colombo

COLOMBO, AUG 25: Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar has said that the formation of an independent state of Eelam in north-e...

COLOMBO, AUG 25: Sri Lanka8217;s Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar has said that the formation of an independent state of Eelam in north-east Sri Lanka was an impossibility especially because India would never allow it.

8220;The region and the world have to accept a separation, and the will of India is extremely important in this respect. India8217;s position is against separation, and internationally also, separation does not enjoy support,8221; Kadirgamar told a meeting of the Foreign Correspondents8217; Association of Sri Lanka on Tuesday.

He said that because of geographical proximity, India had a 8220;legitimate8221; concern regarding events in Sri Lanka and would 8220;never allow8221; the formation of Eelam.

Kadirgamar8217;s remarks came amid reports in the local press describing as 8220;successful8221; the visit of a high-level delegation from Sri Lanka led by Defence Secretary Chandrananda de Silva to New Delhi last week to discuss issues of security arising out of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam LTTE activities in the PalkStraits.

Describing the militant approach of the LTTE which is fighting for an independent Tamil Eelam, and of its leader Velupillai Prabhakaran as 8220;passe8221;, Kadrigamar said that 8220;an old tribal battle8221; was now 8220;indefensible8221;.

8220;What I would like to say to him now is that the guns and violence must stop. Come and look for a reasonable solution and let us see whether we can do something on that basis,8221; Kadirgamar said.

The foreign minister, who is rated as the present government8217;s biggest success for achieving a turnaround in Sri Lanka8217;s international relations and ably lobbying against the LTTE with various governments, said the LTTE8217;s 8220;intransigence8221; had a 8220;devastating8221; impact on the Tamil community.

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Kadirgamar said the resolution of the conflict had no textbook solutions because the government was dealing with the 8220;huge imponderable8221; of the LTTE. 8220;We are dealing with a party that has intransigence, fanaticism, all these elements. There is a mismatch between expression of intent andaction, between words and deeds. How do you read their mind?8221; he asked.

He said the problem was compounded by the absence of co-operation from the opposition United National Party UNP. Asked which was the government8217;s bigger problem 8212; the LTTE or the UNP 8212; Kadirgamar said, 8220;Both the LTTE and UNP have considerable charm. There is an embarrassment of riches on both sides. They are both so co-operative!8221;