The Sri Lankan government has reiterated its commitment to a political solution amid rising concerns from the West over its recent withdrawal from a troubled ceasefire.
Government officials on Sunday cited the Foreign minister Rohitha Bogollagama as saying that although the government had taken a decision to withdraw from ceasefire, it had not given up plans to introduce a political package as a solution.
Sri Lanka's donor co-chairs, the United States, Japan, Norway and European Union said on Saturday in a statement that they "urge the Government of Sri Lanka to finalize a politically sustainable devolution plan."
Bogollagama told a media gathering late Saturday in the central town of Kandy that the government would definitely come up with a political package through the All Party Representatives' Committee.
The government said on Jan. 2 that it would be withdrawing unilaterally from the Norwegian backed ceasefire with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on Jan. 16. The LTTE however said it would still want to keep on observing the truce.
With the fear of escalation of the armed conflict, the co-chairs expressed deep concern about the human rights situation and protection of civilians in Sri Lanka, and called for continued monitoring of the human rights situation.
Military leaders have vowed to crush the LTTE by the end of 2008 and "liberate" the north from Tigers control.
The rebels in July of 2007 were evicted from the Eastern Province by government troops in a major military success over the LTTE.
The upsurge in violent clashes in the north and east since December 2005 has cost over 5000 lives.
Claiming discrimination at the hands of the Sinhala majority, the LTTE has been fighting the government since the mid-1980s to establish a separate homeland for the minority Tamils in the north and east.
Source:Xinhua
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