By NNN-PTI,
Colombo : Seeking to address New Delhi’s concerns over the worsening conflict in Sri Lanka and its impact on Tamil civilians, Colombo today said it would send a high-level delegation to India to keep it abreast on the prevailing situation in the strife-torn island nation.
“President Mahinda Rajapaksa has directed me to finalise the names of five MPs and two senior officials to visit India to apprise New Delhi of the latest situation,” Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena told PTI.
The move came after India repeatedly expressed concerns over the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka’s rebel-dominated north, which saw displacement of thousands of civilians due to intensified fighting between the LTTE and the government troops in recent weeks.
New Delhi today summoned Lankan High Commissioner to India C R Jayasinghe and told him that Colombo should address its concerns over the humanitarian situation. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee have already asked Colombo to look for a negotiated settlement of the ethnic problem and protect the rights of civilians.
Denying any allegations of Tamil civilians being targeted, the Sri Lankan Minister said the government knew the difference between the Tamil civilians and the LTTE terrorists.
In a statement, Abeywardena said the government was making all efforts to avoid civilian casualties during its intensified operations against the LTTE in the north.