PM assures Lanka of all support for resettlement of IDPs

T V Sriram

Colombo, July 18 (PTI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
has assured Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa of all
support for resettlement of the Tamil civilians, displaced due
to fighting between security forces and the LTTE in the north.

During an interaction shortly after the conclusion of
the 15th Non-Aligned Summit at Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt on
Thursday, Singh told Rajapaksa that he had won the war against
the LTTE and can now also win the peace.

"President Rajapaksa thanked India for the
understanding it had shown in the need to defeat the terrorism
of the LTTE, the assistance it had already given in bringing
relief to the IDPs and the offer of continued support in this
regard," an official release said here.

President Rajapaksa also hailed the strong support
extended to Sri Lanka in the Special Session of the UN Human
Rights Council in Geneva recently, it said.

"His (Rajapaksa's) enormous talent should help solve
the long drawn out issue in Sri Lanka permanently," Singh told
the Rajapaksa.

Singh said he had the highest confidence in
Rajapaksa's capability in resolving the tasks presented in the
post- conflict situation in Sri Lanka, as he had a clear
vision of what has to be done in the current situation, the
release said.

The discussions between the two leaders covered a wide
range of issues of mutual interest such as the IDPs in the
north, proposals for devolution of power and a political
solution in Sri Lanka, the release said.

The issue of fishermen of the two countries in the
waters north of Sri Lanka, the current Development in the
North and East, and continued cooperation between India and
Sri Lanka also figured during the talks.

Rajapaksa assured Singh that the Government was taking
all steps to keep to its target of re-settling the displaced
Tamils in 180 days.

This programme was first announced to the high-level
Indian officials who visited Sri Lanka for exchange of views
shortly after the defeat of the LTTE in May.

The government was keen to expedite the process of
resettlement and rehabilitation, but it had to also be
conscious of the need to ensure the safety of these citizens,
especially from land mines and other dangers, Rajapaksa said.

He said the people there were also to be provided with
the necessary infrastructure facilities and new livelihood
opportunities.

Sri Lanka saw both the North and East as new areas for
economic development, with the many opportunities available
for investment, now that they had been cleared of the grip of
terrorism, Rajapaksa said.

The possibility of Indian investment in these areas,
mutually beneficial to the two countries, was also discussed
with the objective of further exploring the opportunities that
are now being worked out. PTI