One-sided pressure will not work- Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 June 2006, 09:45 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is prepared to demonstrate the power of balance and the parity of status beyond any doubt to the Sinhala polity, if the the deteriorating relationship between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE forces us to do so, said LTTE's Political Head S. P. Thamilchelvan in Kilinochchi responding to a question on Oslo meeting, sources in Kilinochchi said. The Sri Lankan delegation walked out from the Oslo meeting on a dispute on parity of status.



Mr. Thamilchelvan further said an important aim of the LTTE delegation's trip to Oslo was to clarify the Tamil leadership's stand to the facilitators and to the International Community. We wanted to convey the message that the Tamil leadership will not give-in to one-sided pressure.

"Only neutral, reasonable, fair and responsible actions by the International Community, will help the Tamil leadership to engage in talks.

"Conducive environment must be created on the ground if the CFA is to succeed," Thamilchelvan said.

"LTTE's Oslo Communiqué, through a walk-through of events during the four-year CFA period, has clearly stated our stand to the International Community," Thamilchelvan said.

"We have pointed out that the thinking is misplaced if anyone thought that Tigers can be pressured after the EU proscription. Instead, the international community should tell Sri Lanka in unequivocal terms that if Sri Lanka is interested in peace Colombo should work towards radically reconfiguring Sri Lanka's polity with innovative constitutional changes that satisfy the aspirations of Tamils," LTTE's Political Head said.

LTTE's Political Head, Tamileelam Police Chief B. Nadesan and the Director of LTTE's Peace Secretariat S. Puleedevan, arrived in Kilinochchi Wednesday in a Norwegian facilitated Sri Lankan Airforce Helicopter around 2:15 p.m. Sri Lanka airport officials caused unnecessary delays to the arriving LTTE delegation at the airport, LTTE officials said.