Military

Lanka says "LTTE is linked to India's northeast separatist group"

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, Oct 20, IRNA
COLOMBO Sri Lanka-ULFA-LTTE
Urging the global community to join hands in fighting terrorism unitedly, Sri Lanka has branded the LTTE as a terrorist organisation linked to dreaded groups like al Qaeda and the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) in India.

"Sri Lanka in its battle against terrorism has set examples and its successes have given other democracies hope that terrorism can be fought and overcome," Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said.

"One must be conscious that in taking action against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), foreign governments are not merely helping Sri Lanka, but they are also acting in their self-interest, for it is well-known that the LTTE has links to other terrorist organizations," Bogollagama said while addressing an 'international conference on countering terrorism' in Colombo Friday, Zeenews portal reported here.

Bogollagama said the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was linked with global terrorist organizations such as United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) in India, the Afghan Mujahideen, the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) and the al Qaeda.

"It (LTTE) has the ability to contribute to copy-cat terrorism through its suicide bomb technology, acts of maritime terrorism and nascent air strike capability," the foreign minister told the participants at the three-day international seminar.

Foreign Minister Bogollagama said in the long and arduous struggle against terrorism, not withstanding some impediments and setbacks, Sri Lanka can in several aspects count itself having been a success story in the battle against terrorism.

"We have come long way from the time when Sri Lanka's plea to the international community not to harbour terrorists, to stem money flows and to apprehend those conniving to continue to cause mayhem in Sri Lanka fell on deaf ears," he said.

Bogollagama said Sri Lanka has never compromised on terrorism despite constantly upholding the idea that the present conflict in Sri Lanka must be resolved through political means.

The Minister said Sri Lanka is engaged in building a consensus through the All Party Representatives Committee.

"Our people have not only shown courage in the face of terror, but normality has been restored within a short period when Sri Lanka has faced crisis situations," Minister Bogollagama said.

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