Move beyond resettlement of displaced Tamils: India to Lanka

Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao conveyed the message to top Sri Lankan leadership, including President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and other leaders during her discussions. Rao, who arrived here on Monday on a four-day visit to oversee the resettlement process of the nearly 3 lakh displaced Tamil civilians in the war-ravaged north, also met with leaders of Tamil political parties to get to know their point of view.

"One of the points I sought to articulate in my meetings with the various representatives of the government, the people I met on my visit was that apart from pursuing the rehabilitation and resettlement of the IDPs we would also have to move beyond to the political processes involved," she told reporters today, wrapping up her visit.

She said while the focus on development and rehabilitation is very welcome "but a long term perspective that also includes the issues relating to the political settlement that would meet some of the needs of the minorities should also be kept in mind."

Asked whether she raised the issue of political settlement during her meeting with Rajapaksa, Rao said the Sri Lankan head of state was focussed on the matter. "He (Rajapaksa) has constantly said that he is focussed on that (political solution) need and that he plans to move on it. He has set his sight on that."

"And this point about the need to be more than just focused on the economic issues and the development issues and to look beyond. Everybody  in the government got a sense of how we look at it. From that point of view I think they know how India is approaching or looking at this issue," she said.

India has been pressing Sri Lanka to quickly follow up the military victory against LTTE with a political solution that satisfies the minorities, especially Tamils. The Foreign Secretary had on Tuesday and yesterday visited the camps, where the displaced civilians are lodged, and interacted with people lodged there.