If the LTTE lays down arms and decides to have talks, the Government is ready to accommodate them and commence talks on core issues.

The Government is constrained to launch offensives against the LTTE to crush terrorism and the offensives are not intended to cause harm to the Tamil community, Plantation Industries Minister D.M.Jayaratne told Indian Deputy High Commissioner Vikram Misry when the latter called on him at his Ministry.

Minister Jayaratne said that a majority of Sri Lanka’s population was in favour of non-violence and the Government was determined to safeguard democracy and rule the country in the righteous way. The Government had also taken a wise decision to vest powers in Tamil politicians to govern the Eastern Province. Funds had been released to develop the Eastern Province and a plan was formulated to cultivate coconut in the Eastern Province and the coastal belt, he said.

The Sinhala, Tamil and the Muslim communities had been living in the country amicably. Former LTTE leaders Karuna Amman and Sivanesathurai Chadrakanthan had shouldered a heavy responsibility of political leadership in the Eastern Province and the Government had allowed the functioning of administrative affairs and court proceedings in Tamil in Tamil speaking areas.

Minister Jayaratne recalled that a few decades ago Tamils were holding plum positions in the administrative field because they were able to get a sound education during the British Crown Colony era. They also possessed a high command of the English language and became a privileged class. But the Tamils in the up country suffered untold hardships in the same era and Indian labourers had to be recruited to work in the plantation sector.