12 June 2003
Armitage Says Sri Lanka Peace Would Be "Tremendous Signal"
(Speaks with Japanese and Sri Lankan media in Tokyo following donor's
conference) (2640)
The fifty-one nations that assembled at the Sri Lanka Donor's
Conference in Tokyo voted "with their pocket books, [and] with their
wallets" that they believe the peace process between the Sri Lankan
government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) will be
successful, said Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage.
Armitage spoke with Japan's TBS-TV, and Sri Lanka's MTV and Tamil TV
June 10 after the conference participants pledged $4.5 billion over
the next four years for the reconstruction and development of Sri
Lanka, following almost two decades of conflict.
"[I]t will be such an important achievement for the world if Sri
Lankans themselves are able to resolve their differences," he told
TBS-TV. "This will be a tremendous signal for the world."
He said the amount of money pledged "exceeded both the needs of the
Sri Lankan government and the wildest expectations of the organizers,"
and added that it was a "fantastic tribute" to Japan, who organized
and hosted the conference.
The deputy secretary told MTV and Tamil TV that he believed "the
people of Sri Lanka -- all ethnic and religious groups -- will settle
for nothing less than a full effort by the government for peace," and
criticized the LTTE for ending its talks with the government and
choosing not to participate in the Tokyo conference.
"I think it was a very common statement by the international community
that the LTTE should immediately come back to the table and have the
courage to do the very difficult thing -- that is, to seek peace,"
said Armitage.
On TBS-TV, he said the United States was now "in for the long haul" to
achieve peace in the country, and said that with Norway's role as
facilitator in the peace process, the Bush administration saw its role
as exerting political and financial pressure upon the LTTE in an
effort to convince them to give up "once and for all, [the use of]
violence as a political weapon."
He also assured TBS-TV that despite the U.S. involvement in North
Korea, Iraq, the Middle East, and Sri Lanka, "I can assure you that
the administration of George Bush is capable of doing more than one
thing at the same time."
Following are the transcripts of Deputy Secretary Armitage speaking
with Sri Lanka' MTV and Tamil TV, and the Deputy Secretary's interview
with Japan's TBS-TV:
(begin transcript)
u.s. embassy-tokyo press office
TRANSCRIPT
For more information, contact Acting Press Attaché Judith L. Bryan
3224-5262 (E-mail: BryanJL@pd.state.gov)
Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage
Interview by Sri Lanka media (MTV and Tamil TV)
Akasaka Prince Hotel, Tokyo, Japan
June 10, 2003 11:30 a.m. local time
MTV: Mr. Armitage, the international community has come out strongly
in support of Sri Lanka's peace process and pledged an unprecedented
US$4.5 billion dollars for the reconstruction and development of the
country. What do you now expect of the government and the LTTE to
start the peace process back on track? What can the international
community and the United States in particular do to bring the two
parties back to the negotiating table?
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE: First of all, it was the position of the
United States government that this Tokyo conference should absolutely
be held -- notwithstanding the fact that the LTTE chose not to
participate. The international community cannot be blackmailed by a
group who refuses to take part in the peace process. Regarding what
does the international community expect, we expect the government of
Sri Lanka and the LTTE to immediately come back to the negotiating
table and delineate a series of steps, which will lead to peace. I
don't think the people of Sri Lanka will settle for anything less.
MTV: Mr. Armitage, is there anything else that the government of Sri
Lanka can do? It has already proposed an innovative strategy of
reconstruction authority to the American administration according to
the administrative structure. What more can the government do to bring
the LTTE back to the table?
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE: I must say that I was very heartened by the
comments of Prime Minister Ranil regarding a new infrastructure to be
able to provide assistance transparently to all segments of society
very openly, so they can be audited very well. I think that it is very
much a step in the right direction. It's not a secret that the
government of Sri Lanka and the Prime Minister and the President have
to be able to resolve their differences in order to be able to find a
common platform to seek peace.
MTV: Thank you very much.
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE: Thank you.
TAMIL TV: Mr. Armitage, I would like to ask what is the message that
you are giving to the Tamil community in Sri Lanka?
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE: I think the message was quite clear in my
remarks, that all segments of the Sri Lankan society -- Hindu,
Buddhist, Tamil, Sinhalese, Muslim, and Christian -- all have equities
in a peaceful future. I believe that the people of Sri Lanka -- all
ethnic and religious groups -- will settle for nothing less than a
full effort by the government for peace. In that regard, I think it
was a very common statement by the international community that the
LTTE should immediately come back to the table and have the courage to
do the very difficult thing -- that is, to seek peace.
TAMIL TV: Do you have any specific comments for the people in the
north and the east?
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE: It was clear from the discussions yesterday
and today that the North and the East are very much in the minds of
all the people in the international community. Both their social and
economic infrastructure has to be rebuilt, has to be developed. They
are very much on the minds of the international community. But without
a process for peace that has steps that are visible, and that can be
taken towards a resolution, then I'm afraid their future will be put
on hold for a while -- and that is a terrible thing.
TAMIL TV: Thank you very much.
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE: Thank you.
(end transcript)
(begin transcript)
u.s. embassy-tokyo press office
TRANSCRIPT
For more information, contact Acting Press Attaché Judith L. Bryan
3224-5262 (E-mail: BryanJL@pd.state.gov)
Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage
Interview with TBS-TV (Tokyo Broadcasting System)
Mr. Yuji Ito, foreign news editor
U.S. Embassy Tokyo
June 10, 2003
1:45 p.m. local time
QUESTION: Thank you Deputy Secretary.
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE: Thank you for having me.
QUESTION: Tokyo Conference has agreed to give financial support or
every kind of support to Sri Lanka totaling the amount of $4.5
billion. At the outset, can I ask you your evaluation of the outcome
of this conference?
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE: I think the amount of money, US$4.5 billion
pledged over four years, exceeded both the stated needs of the Sri
Lankan government and the wildest expectations of the organizers. I
think it's a fantastic tribute to Tokyo, and to the government of
Japan, for organizing and carrying through with this conference. I
think some of success has to do with the fact that Prime Minister
Koizumi kicked off the conference on the first day.
QUESTION: I myself have been committed to the Sri Lankan issue and to
my eyes it is quite surprising that the United States has not been so
eager to commit to the Sri Lankan issue. Are there any good reasons to
change your policy?
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE: As a matter of fact, because of the
nagging, neuralgic war that was dragging on for almost twenty years,
the United States, about two or two and a half years ago, was thinking
about stopping our assistance program. When the Prime Minister Ranil
Wickremesinghe came into office, he seemed to offer a real chance for
peace. We re-evaluated and we think that Sri Lanka, which becomes a
multi-ethnic, multi-religious society which can be involved
successfully in conflict resolution -- that could be a great, great
signal for the rest of the world. We are in for the long haul now.
QUESTION: When it comes to southwest Asia -- India and Pakistan
including Afghanistan and some people include Iran -- in light of the
current situation, the United States has made a great success in
Afghanistan, still the bilateral relations between Pakistan and India
is a flashpoint in the region. In that context, has the United States
turned its eyes to Sri Lanka?
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE: Not quite in the context of South Asia. We
see Sri Lanka in the context as I have described -- the possibility of
a multi-ethnic, multi-religious democracy, successfully resolving a
very neuralgic conflict. Now the question of India and Pakistan is in
a way a more heated one because of the possession of nuclear weapons.
The British and the U.S. governments spent a lot of our time and
energy trying to lower the temperature. I think we've been successful,
but more importantly the two governments in Islamabad and in Delhi
have decided to reason there way through these problems. That is a
good thing for all of us. By the way, you were very kind to mention
the success in Afghanistan, that's not over yet. But Japan has played
a role in Afghanistan -- a role both in providing assistance to
Pakistan -- which is related -- and in provision of assistance to
build the Kabul-to-Kandahar road, which is extremely important to the
government of Hamid Karzai.
QUESTION: Deputy Secretary, you pointed out the role of Japan to be
played in that region. Japan previously hosted the peace process in
Aceh, in Indonesia, until finally it collapsed. This time Tokyo, our
government, hosted this conference which has been highly interesting
and of great importance. Mr. Deputy Secretary, what kind of role
should Japan play, what initiative, when it comes to the Sri Lankan
issue?
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE: I think the role right now is an
appropriate role. We have a facilitator and that is Norway. We have
the two sides to the question -- the government and the LTTE. Japan
has, I think, applied both her political and diplomatic muscle as well
as a good contribution of assistance following Mr. Koizumi's
constructive peace initiative. I think you play both an appropriate
role and one that is extraordinarily helpful. I don't think there is
anything else envisioned.
QUESTION: Although the Tokyo Conference declares US$4.5 billion, on
the other hand LTTE, as you mentioned, did not attend this meeting, so
it means that the peace process or peace solution has not yet been
attained.
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE: That is exactly correct.
QUESTION: Under such circumstances, what kind of role or initiative is
the U.S. government taking?
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE: As I say, the facilitator in this is
Norway. The role of the U.S. government is actually, in a way, to be
the bad guy. We have designated the LTTE as a foreign terrorist
organization. They will not be eligible to visit our country or have
visas, etc. In fact we will hunt them down and try to stop their
finances if we can catch them. We would like them to work into a
situation in which they are no longer a foreign terrorist
organization. They could do that by giving up, once and for all,
violence as a political weapon.
QUESTION: LTTE or Tamil people have their historical or religious
background basis in India. Initially they came from Tamil of the
southern part of India so influence of the Indian government is
vitally important to realize a cease-fire or peace process. Deputy
Secretary, the U.S. government, you having a shuttle diplomacy between
Islamabad and Delhi. Do you have any concrete plan, you yourself, to
visit Colombo -- the capital of Sri Lanka?
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE: No, I visited not too long ago, and was
involved in some de-mining projects there. You are exactly right about
the role of India. India is Sri Lanka's second largest business
partner, after the United States, and has a lot of influence. Of
course, India had a very of bad experience after introducing peace
keeping forces for several years and having them very bloodied trying
to bring about a better situation. I know that the government of Ranil
Wickremesinghe keeps Indian officials well advised of the status of
talks and the status of deliberations in Colombo. I think that is the
proper way ahead.
QUESTION: Allow me to get back to the initial question. Southwest
Asia, which has not been a stable region for U.S. or Japan or the
western countries, we have a lot to do that has remained untouched. In
that context, at the same time southwest Asia is one of the
flashpoints of the world -- while both India and Pakistan have been
competing with each other for nuclear development, we turn our ideas
to northeast Asia. The southeast is OK, but the northeast -- like the
Korean peninsula, also the flashpoint of the world.... For the United
States, which region is more vitally important, more pending or
menacing?
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE: I don't think you can make a choice. If you
make a choice, you condemn perhaps one region to a bad fate. In 1950,
a famous statement was made that Korea was outside our area of vital
interests and, shortly thereafter, the North Koreans attacked. It
would not be a good policy to try to pick one over the other. The fact
of the matter is we have nuclear concerns in the DPRK, North Korea, we
also have nuclear flashpoint concerns with India and Pakistan, and we
have real terrorism concerns with Afghanistan. So we can't chose
between them. We have to try to resolve both at the same time. There
is no other choice.
QUESTION: Does the Bush administration still sees Asia as vitally
important?
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE: Absolutely, there is no question about it.
Although it may seem difficult to be able to concentrate on North
Korea at one time and southwest Asia at another and indeed Iraq a
third, I can assure you that the administration of George Bush is
capable of doing more than one thing at the same time.
QUESTION: Lastly, do you believe that the peaceful solution or
diplomacy can be effective to sort it out and attain peace in Sri
Lanka?
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE: Yes, I do indeed. I think that that was the
overwhelming sentiment voiced by the 51 donor nations who attended the
Tokyo Conference and the more than 20 international financial
institutions. They are all voting with their pocket books, with their
wallets, saying that they believe that Sri Lankans will be successful.
They are also saying that history will judge very harshly those who do
not take advantage of this time for peace.
QUESTION: Needless to say, not only the Sri Lankan issue, but also the
world conflict ethical issues or conflicts -- Palestine, Israel. Tamil
people and Sinhalese people have a long history of mistrust; it might
be quite difficult to reconsider.
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE: Yes, it might be difficult, but it is more
than Sinhalese and Tamil. It is Christian and Muslim and Buddhist and
Hindu. We have a mix of religious and ethnic tensions. That is why I
say that it is so important, and it will be such an important
achievement for the world if Sri Lankans themselves are able to
resolve their differences. This will be a tremendous signal for the
world.
QUESTION: Thank you very much, Deputy Secretary.
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE: Thank you, sir.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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