Sri Lanka More Optimistic on Ending Civil War: FM

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, July 29, 2002

Sri Lanka More Optimistic on Ending Civil War: FM

Sri Lanka is now more optimistic about ending its two decades of civil war than ever before, visiting Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando saidhere Sunday.

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Sri Lanka is now more optimistic about ending its two decades of civil war than ever before, visiting Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando saidhere Sunday.

Since the signing of a cease-fire accord with the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in February, the Sri Lankan people had seen the "dividends of peace," giving realistic hopes for optimism for the first time in the conflict which has claimed some 65,000 lives, Fernando told reporters here.

"In the last six months, there has not been a single dead by a bomb. The people have travelled along the highway to the (troublednorthern) Jaffna peninsula, traded with them (the Tamil rebels), done business with them and even prayed with them. This is something which never happened before," said Fernando who is on a two-day visit to Malaysia.

He said that this peaceful situation was achieved largely because the Sri Lankan people themselves had given a massive mandate to the United National Party (UNP) which came to power in December last year to talk peace with the rebels.

"For the first time, the people are taking the matter in their own hands. The people have given us the mandate to bring about a settlement," he said.

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