Government 'preparing for war'
Minority Tamil politicians have accused the government of Sri Lanka of getting prepared for war while talking peace.
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said the President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government is not genuine in its efforts to enter into negotiations with the Tamil Tigers. TNA parliamentarian MK Sivajilingam questioned as to why the government could not provide helicopters for the purpose of peace. “They used those helicopters for war for more than 20 years but why can’t they use those for peace,” he questioned in an interview with Elmo Fernando of BBC Sandeshaya. “It is as if the government is saying that you (Tamils) don’t belong to Sri Lanka and you may go away,” he added. The legislator said the situation in Trincomalee port town is similar to that of the ‘Black July’ in 1983. Hundreds of Tamils were killed by the Sinhala mobs in July 1983 after the LTTE killed 13 Sri Lanka soldiers. Civilians from both Sinhala and Tamil communities are being killed in eastern port town of Trincomalee in the recent weeks. Both the LTTE and the Sri Lanka security forces are accused of killing civilians. The government has however accused the LTTE of deliberately employing ‘delaying tactics’ not to engage in talks with them.