> Sri Lanka rejects West 'lectures' > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8026639.stm > [image: Mahinda Rajapaksa] Mahinda Rajapaksa: It is my duty to protect > the people > > *Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa has again ruled out a ceasefire > with Tamil Tiger rebels and says the West should not lecture him about it. > * > > He was speaking a day after visiting UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband > and French counterpart Bernard Kouchner had called for a truce. > > Mr Rajapaksa said the rebels still had "a little time left" to surrender. > > He said foreign envoys should not preach about civilian welfare or believe > "the propaganda of terrorists". > > The Sri Lankan military has restricted Tamil Tiger rebels to a 10 sq km (6 > sq miles) area of land in the north and believes it is close to defeating > them. > > *See a map of the region* <#120f7b185073bcca_120f7affb253a5d1_map> > > Tens of thousands of civilians have been trapped in the area or are in > government-run camps for displaced people. > > *'Winning the peace'* > > Mr Rajapaksa said: "We have no plans to go for a ceasefire with the Tigers, > but they have a little time left to drop their weapons and surrender even > though our military operation is at a final stage." > > Mr Rajapaksa said foreign envoys were "trying to preach to us about > civilians". > > "*We have seen how Afghanistan is bombed. Those who come to preach to us > [have] seen how Afghanistan is bombed. It must be made clear that before > accusing others, you must have the strength to know what you do yourself," > he said.* > [image: David Miliband shakes hands with President Rajapaksa watched by > Bernard Kouchner] The French and UK envoys had called for a truce > > "*It is my duty to protect the people of this country. I don't need > lectures from Western representatives."* > > The UN and EU have persistently called for a ceasefire and expressed > concern at civilian deaths. > > The Sri Lankan government this week said it had stopped using heavy weapons > in the conflict zone but the Tamil Tigers say artillery and air attacks are > continuing. > > Mr Rajapaksa said: "If I say we don't use heavy weapons, that means we > don't. But these foreign envoys are prepared to believe the propaganda of a > terrorist organisation." > > The pro-rebel TamilNet website said the UK and French mission had "failed" > and the Tigers were expecting "the worst phase of massacre any time soon". > > A Tamil Tiger representative, Puleedevan, saying he was speaking from the > war zone, told the BBC's Charles Haviland that the rebels would not > surrender until they had - as he put it - safeguarded the "legitimate > rights" of Tamils, rights which, he said, were all denied to them. > > On Wednesday, Mr Miliband said: "Now is the time for the fighting to stop. > Sri Lanka's military advances have been spectacular, but winning the peace > is as vital as winning the war." > > He repeated his call for a truce when speaking in the House of Commons on > Thursday, saying the Sri Lankan government should "give unhindered access to > the UN and other aid agencies to provide much needed relief to tens of > thousands of civilians trapped by the fighting". >
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ ****************************************************** This is the Best Sri Lankan E-Mail Group. ****************************************************** IF you like to join us, Send an E-mail to, [email protected] visit this group at http://groups.google.lk/group/sricom *********************:::SriCom:::************************* ****************************************************** ===================================================================== If this email is addressed wrongly, or if you no longer wish to receive emails, kindly inform us so that we may correct and update our lists. ===================================================================== -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
