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India opposes Sri Lanka buying arms from China, Pakistan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 May 2007, 11:51 GMT]
Sri Lanka should not seek weapons from Pakistan or China and it should come to India whatever might be their requirement, National Security Advisor M K Narayanan was quoted by India media as saying Thursday. "We are a big power in the region. We don't want the Sri Lankan government to go to Pakistan or China. Whatever may be their requirement, the Sri Lankan government should come to us," he was quoted as saying. However, he said, "India will not provide weapons with offensive capabilities to Sri Lanka."

To a query on opposition from political leaders in Tamil Nadu for providing radars to Sri Lankan government, Narayan said, "Radars are seen as a defensive capability. Hence, we have provided the Sri Lankan government with them."

Mr. Narayanan was speaking to media after meeting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in Chennai, Thursday.

On coordinated patrolling along the Tamil Nadu coast to protect fishermen, he said, "I will check with the navy if there is a problem for functioning under a unified command. I think it is a good idea."

When asked whether the fishermen should be instructed not to cross the international boundary line between Sri Lanka and India, he said, "Fishermen are going there for their livelihood. We have told the Sri Lankan navy not to fire at them and they have assured us that there will be no firing. By and large they are adhering to this. Fishermen will go wherever there are fishes. To prevent them from crossing the boundary line is asking for too much."

Reacting to a question whether he saw air capabilities of LTTE as a threat to India's security, he said, "We are not in favour of any terrorist organisation having air capabilities."

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