'Operations to stop if LTTE opens sluice gates'

Chennai, Aug 3: Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner P M Amza today said the Government was left with no other option than to launch military operations and urged the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to immediately open the sluice gates of the Mawilaru Anaicut in Trincomalee to stop the operations.

Talking to newspersons here, he said the military operations to open the sluice gates would cease, only if the LTTE opened it.

''If the LTTE is prepared to open the sluice gates even now, the military operations will be ceased immediately'', he added.

Mr Amla said about 15,000 families, including Tamils and Sinhalese, and more than 30,000 acres of paddy land were affected because of the LTTE closing the sluice gates on July 20. The military operations began on July 26.

The Lankan Government drew the attention of the Norwegian peace makers and the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission to restore water supply, but in vain.

''We have no other option but to launch the military operations'', he said and added that it was carried purely on humanitarin grounds to protect the interests of the civilians. The LTTE was informed about the operations in advance and was given sufficient time to open the gates.

UNI

Related Stories