Move beyond resettlement of displaced Tamils: India to Lanka

T V Sriram
Colombo, Sep 2 (PTI) India Thursday asked Sri Lanka to
move beyond the resettlement of people displaced due to the
civil war in the country's north and find a political solution
to the long-pending Tamil question.
Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao conveyed the
message to top Sri Lankan leadership, including President
Mahinda Rajapaksa, and other leaders during her discussions.
Rao, who arrived here on Monday on a four-day visit to
oversee the resettlement process of the nearly 3 lakh
displaced Tamil civilians in the war-ravaged north, also met
with leaders of Tamil political parties to get to know their
point of view.
"One of the points I sought to articulate in my
meetings with the various representatives of the government,
the people I met on my visit was that apart from pursuing the
rehabilitation and resettlement of the IDPs we would also have
to move beyond to the political processes involved," she told
reporters Thursday, wrapping up her visit.
She said while the focus on development and
rehabilitation is very welcome "but a long term perspective
that also includes the issues relating to the political
settlement that would meet some of the needs of the minorities
should also be kept in mind."
Asked whether she raised the issue of political
settlement during her meeting with Rajapaksa, Rao said the Sri
Lankan head of state was focussed on the matter.
"He (Rajapaksa) has constantly said that he is
focussed on that (political solution) need and that he plans
to move on it. He has set his sight on that."
"And this point about the need to be more than just
focused on the economic issues and the development issues and
to look beyond. Everybody in the government got a sense of
how we look at it. From that point of view I think they know
how India is approaching or looking at this issue," she said.
India has been pressing Sri Lanka to quickly follow up
the military victory against LTTE with a political solution
that satisfies the minorities, especially Tamils.
The Foreign Secretary had on Tuesday and Wednesday
visited the camps, where the displaced civilians are lodged,
and interacted with people lodged there. PTI TVS
MYR