"Immediately, a whole range of areas of conflict confront us,
in Africa, Europe and Asia. All of us are familiar with these, which range from the
Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola and Sudan on my own continent, to the Balkans in
Europe and Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Sri Lanka in
Asia. Clearly, this Organisation and especially the Security Council acting together
with people of goodwill in the countries and areas concerned, has a responsibility to
act decisively to contribute to the termination of these destructive
conflicts."
Response by Sri Lanka
President Kumaratunga:
"We in Sri Lanka are particularly conscious of the capacity
of terrorist groups to resort to the strategy of using front organisations for
raising funds which end up in the LTTE war chest to contribute towards
murdering and brutalising our people.
Moral and legal sanctions against terrorists are not
enough. Laws must be effectively implemented.
Only by such concerted action would we be able to ensure that
terrorists are compelled to renounce violence and
enter the democratic process. I would like
to thank India and the
United States of America in particular for
having recognised and declared the LTTE to be the terrorist organisation that it is,
and for encouraging my Government to settle this problem
by political means. I would like to add here that
this is an internal problem that Sri Lanka is
fully able and ready to resolve with the full support of its peoples.
We will not tolerate any outside interference whilst we
appreciate all the support given us by our friends abroad in resolving the
conflict."
..."The LTTE's claim to be a 'liberation organisation'
is an insult to organisations such as the African
National Congress and the South West African People's Organisation, which
courageously struggled against minority rule, racism and oppression and, with equal
courage, negotiated the creation of the democratic, non-racial States of South Africa
and Namibia."
....."The LTTE's claim to be a 'liberation organisation' is
negated by its unilateral resort to violence and
its reluctance to put its claims to the true test - that of
participating in an open, democratic and
peaceful process of consultation with the people."
