Sri Lanka accuses LTTE of engaging in vicious propaganda

Sri Lanka's powerful Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa today accused the LTTE of engaging in a vicious propaganda campaign against the country and said its cadres were still trying very hard to revive the conflict. Making a key note address at Pakistan-Sri Lanka Joint Seminar on 'Political and Diplomatic Challenges Faced by Nations during and after Conflict Confined to Borders', Gotabhaya said that international governments are being pressurised by the LTTE supporters to act against Sri Lanka. "Tamil populations domiciled abroad and engaged in a vicious propaganda campaign against Sri Lanka internationally. Although the LTTE's military leadership was destroyed it is important to understand that this was only one part of the LTTE's vast organisation. "The rest of the organisation is still at large, and although it has adopted a democratic face in its international dealings, there is no doubt that its members will try very hard to restart the conflict in Sri Lanka," Gotabhaya, the brother of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said. The secretary lamented that due to misinterpretations of the government's plans some international donor organisations did not understand the extent of the problem that had been caused by the LTTE in the areas the civilians had been displaced from. He said lack of trust in the Government's intentions on the part of the representatives of these International Organisations was very unfortunate, and it is still more unfortunate that such mistrust continues to be voiced amongst some in the international community even today. He revealed that many LTTE activists in Tamil expatriate communities have projected an incorrect picture about the humanitarian operation in their host nations and due to that those Governments exert pressure on Sri Lanka at various forums, including the United Nations Human Rights Council over the last few years that has become a major challenge that the Government has to face in the present and the future context. The seminar was organised by the High Commission of Pakistan in collaboration with the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Affairs (LKIIRSS). This is the first ever seminar between Pakistan and Sri Lanka that has brought together eminent personalities from both countries to the deliberate on the ramifications of conflicts on nations.