ID :
57158
Fri, 04/24/2009 - 07:22
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/57158
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India asks Lanka to 'pause' hostilities
New Delhi, Apr 23 (PTI) Concerned over the humanitarian
situation in Sri Lanka, India Thursday asked Colombo to
"pause" hostilities till all civilians come out of the
conflict zone as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reviewed the
situation in the Island nation for the second time in as many
days.
India, which underlined that there can be no military
solution to the ethnic problem, also started reaching out to
the US, Britain and other important countries over the
situation in Sri Lanka.
"We are requesting Sri Lankan authorities to have a
pause or cessation of hostilities till the last civilian comes
out of the conflict zone," India's External Affairs Minister
Pranab Mukherjee told reporters here.
"Repeatedly we have asked Sri Lankan authorities that
military solution is no solution. Ultimately it will have to
be a political solution," he said.
Mukherjee spoke as he proceeded to attend a meeting
convened by the Prime Minister to review the situation in Sri
Lanka's north where between 10,000 to 30,000 civilians are
trapped in the conflict between advancing army and LTTE.
Defence Minister A K Antony and Home Minister P
Chidambaram also attended the meeting.
Earlier in the day, India's envoy to Sri Lanka Alok
Prasad, who has been called for consultations, briefed
Mukherjee and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon on the
latest situation in the island nation.
"We have no sympathy for the terrorists but we have very
deep concern for the civilians," the External Affairs Minister
said.
He said the area has to be made secure and thereafter
rehabilitation and other things should be taken care of.
Mukherjee said he had last night held a telephonic talk
with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband.
"I told him and he agreed with me that the problem is
basically humanitarian and we talked about the plight of
civilians caught in the conflict zone," he said.
He said he would be talking to US Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton after this evening's meeting and other Foreign
Ministers.
"I will appeal to them to express their concern about
humanitarian aspect of the issue," Mukherjee said. PTI SGI
SAK
NNNN
situation in Sri Lanka, India Thursday asked Colombo to
"pause" hostilities till all civilians come out of the
conflict zone as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reviewed the
situation in the Island nation for the second time in as many
days.
India, which underlined that there can be no military
solution to the ethnic problem, also started reaching out to
the US, Britain and other important countries over the
situation in Sri Lanka.
"We are requesting Sri Lankan authorities to have a
pause or cessation of hostilities till the last civilian comes
out of the conflict zone," India's External Affairs Minister
Pranab Mukherjee told reporters here.
"Repeatedly we have asked Sri Lankan authorities that
military solution is no solution. Ultimately it will have to
be a political solution," he said.
Mukherjee spoke as he proceeded to attend a meeting
convened by the Prime Minister to review the situation in Sri
Lanka's north where between 10,000 to 30,000 civilians are
trapped in the conflict between advancing army and LTTE.
Defence Minister A K Antony and Home Minister P
Chidambaram also attended the meeting.
Earlier in the day, India's envoy to Sri Lanka Alok
Prasad, who has been called for consultations, briefed
Mukherjee and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon on the
latest situation in the island nation.
"We have no sympathy for the terrorists but we have very
deep concern for the civilians," the External Affairs Minister
said.
He said the area has to be made secure and thereafter
rehabilitation and other things should be taken care of.
Mukherjee said he had last night held a telephonic talk
with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband.
"I told him and he agreed with me that the problem is
basically humanitarian and we talked about the plight of
civilians caught in the conflict zone," he said.
He said he would be talking to US Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton after this evening's meeting and other Foreign
Ministers.
"I will appeal to them to express their concern about
humanitarian aspect of the issue," Mukherjee said. PTI SGI
SAK
NNNN
