India to support political settlement of ethnic issue in Lanka
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, Feb 18, IRNA -- Reiterating support for a negotiated political settlement of the ethnic issue in Sri Lanka, India Wednesday said, "The resolution has to be acceptable to all communities including the Tamils living there in an undivided Sri Lanka.
"More than 35,000 civilians have fled Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held areas in the last two weeks," said Pranab Mukherjee, India's external affairs minister, making a suo-moto statement in Lok Sabha (Lower House of Indian Parliament).
He regretted that some of the civilians were killed in the cross-fire besides becoming the targets of LTTE cadres.
The minister said that the present circumstances provide an opportunity to Sri Lanka to restore normalcy in the northern province and throughout the island nation after 23 years of conflict.
Expressing concern over the condition of civilians in the conflict zone, mostly Tamil- speaking, he assured the House that the government will prevent any further deterioration of humanitarian conditions.
The minister said that relief material has been dispatched twice for the affected people, and another is being sent shortly.
Mukharjee informed the House that during discussions with Sri Lankan leaders last month, he urged them to stop their offensive for a while, to give an opportunity to civilians and internally displaced people to leave LTTE-held areas.
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