'Colombo is procuring weapons from Pakistan'

Sri Lanka is on the brink of civil war. R Sampanthan, secretary-general of Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), which is Lanka's oldest Tamil political party and now a member of the pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance, indicates that the peace talks are headed nowhere. Sampanthan tells Frances Bulathsinghala that LTTE has realised the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was a mistake:

There have been at least four suicide attacks and hundreds of assassinations in the past months. Is LTTE serious about peace?

Yes. It is up to the government to engage LTTE and reach a solution that is acceptable to the Tamils.

Hundreds of Tamils have been killed by LTTE, including eminent Tamil politicians, at least six of them from TULF.

It is regrettable that these killings occurred. It should not have happened.

Is it fear for your own life that prevents you from criticising LTTE?

No. no.

But other Tamil politicians who criticised LTTE have been killed.

As I said it is regrettable. It is horrible.

Do you think LTTE are the sole representatives of the Tamil people?

They are the representatives of Tamil people in the current negotiations based on the mandate given by the people in the last general elections.

Election monitors from European Union had stated that the elections were rigged by LTTE.

Well, there would have been some overenthusiasm by the Tamils for this election. Tamils in uncleared areas (LTTE-controlled territory) had been deprived of their votes in a number of elections.

How independent of LTTE is TNA? Why does it not tell LTTE to stop the killings?

We have told them. We oppose all killings. We oppose the extrajudicial killings taking place in the north and east. We have indicated this to President Mahinda Rajapakse.

There are people disappearing everyday in the north and east. There have been gruesome killings and there have been no investigations by the government.

But it is LTTE that stands accused of a bulk of the killings which have taken place following the ceasefire.

There are killings and killings. It is not only LTTE which is killing in this country. There are killings from both sides.

How do you see LTTE leader Anton Balasingham's apology for the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi?

Well, it's a realisation of the grave mistake that has been made.

LTTE is preparing for war and is giving combat training to thousands of civilians. Aren't you disappointed?

The government too is preparing for war. The government military too is recruiting. It is procuring weapons from Pakistan.

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1778792,prtpage-1.cms)