Sri Lanka has no plans for a major offensive on uncleared areas in the North, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said yesterday.
Government Forces have largely cleared the LTTE from the East, fanning talk they might soon attempt to drive the Tigers out of their main stronghold in the North.
"There's no plan for a major offensive in the North," Bogollagama told Reuters in an interview during a visit to Malaysia, insisting the Government's main priority was to look instead for a political solution to the 24-year-old conflict.
"We want the LTTE to return to the negotiating table."
Bogollagama said consensus proposals from an All Party Representative Committee should be ready to announce within a few weeks. The committee is expected to come up with a new proposal for devolving power.
The international community hopes the initiative can revive the peace process.
Bogollagama said the proposals would need Parliamentary approval but the government would back the recommendations of the Supreme Court as the ultimate authority over the process.
"In the event that it is recommended that we have a referendum, it will be placed before the people," he said.
Bogollagama also defended the Government against allegations it was too slow to probe rights abuses by the military.
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