Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka, right, stands next to photographs of former Tuol Sleng prisoners during an official visit to the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum in the capital Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2006. The Cambodian government will not allow any weapons to be smuggled out of the country to Tamil Tiger rebels fighting for an independent homeland in Sri Lanka, an official said Thursday. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith) November 30th 2006
DPA
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wikremanayake finished a visit to the Cambodian capital Thursday with a tour of a genocide museum after finalizing an agreement with Cambodia to cooperate on combating terrorism.
In his last day in the capital before heading for the northern tourist town of Siem Reap and the famous Angkor Wat temples, Wikremanayake toured S-21, or Toul Sleng Genocide Museum, Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot's secret prison where thousands of prisoners were tortured before being executed.
A visibly moved Wikremanayake told reporters as he left that "S-21 is a terrible place," but his attention was soon drawn back to his country's own civil war involving the Tamil Tiger rebels, which has been fighting the government for a separate state for the minority Tamils.
"The Tamil Tigers are terrorists," he said. "We have asked them to come and negotiate for the sake of the stability of the country."
The Tigers are known for suicide bombings, but both sides have been accused of atrocities in the conflict.
Earlier in the day, Wikremanayake met with Prime Minister Hun Sen and thanked him for ensuring that weapons smuggling that had once helped supply the Tamil Tigers from war-torn Cambodia had been stopped, government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said.
Hun Sen in turn condemned Tamil Tiger violence in Sri Lanka and pledged full support for the Sri Lankan government.
Wikremanayake also announced he would be leaving a senior Sri Lankan general in Cambodia for an unspecified period of time to work closely with the Defence Ministry and police to exchange knowledge on combatting terrorism and "counterespionage," Kanharith said.
Kanharith said Hun Sen had told his counterpart that Cambodia understood that fighting terrorism was "important to assure the safety and stability of a country" but he declined to give the cost of the anti-terrorism cooperation between the nations pledged Thursday.
The two delegations also signed off on memorandums on education and scientific and technology exchange, and Wikremanayake extended an invitation for Hun Sen to stage a return state visit to Sri Lanka.
Wikremanayake is to fly to Siem Reap Friday morning. His visit was scheduled to end December 3.
In his last day in the capital before heading for the northern tourist town of Siem Reap and the famous Angkor Wat temples, Wikremanayake toured S-21, or Toul Sleng Genocide Museum, Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot's secret prison where thousands of prisoners were tortured before being executed.
A visibly moved Wikremanayake told reporters as he left that "S-21 is a terrible place," but his attention was soon drawn back to his country's own civil war involving the Tamil Tiger rebels, which has been fighting the government for a separate state for the minority Tamils.
"The Tamil Tigers are terrorists," he said. "We have asked them to come and negotiate for the sake of the stability of the country."
The Tigers are known for suicide bombings, but both sides have been accused of atrocities in the conflict.
Earlier in the day, Wikremanayake met with Prime Minister Hun Sen and thanked him for ensuring that weapons smuggling that had once helped supply the Tamil Tigers from war-torn Cambodia had been stopped, government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said.
Hun Sen in turn condemned Tamil Tiger violence in Sri Lanka and pledged full support for the Sri Lankan government.
Wikremanayake also announced he would be leaving a senior Sri Lankan general in Cambodia for an unspecified period of time to work closely with the Defence Ministry and police to exchange knowledge on combatting terrorism and "counterespionage," Kanharith said.
Kanharith said Hun Sen had told his counterpart that Cambodia understood that fighting terrorism was "important to assure the safety and stability of a country" but he declined to give the cost of the anti-terrorism cooperation between the nations pledged Thursday.
The two delegations also signed off on memorandums on education and scientific and technology exchange, and Wikremanayake extended an invitation for Hun Sen to stage a return state visit to Sri Lanka.
Wikremanayake is to fly to Siem Reap Friday morning. His visit was scheduled to end December 3.
1 comment:
Any mean necessary to be free in self rule.
Sri Lankan PM must considerTamil sacrifices in blood and flesh.He shall
allow Tamil autonomous rule under Sri Lanka government if he wants peace.Learn from East Europe and USSR lessons.
For Khmers,Tamil was oppressed and suppressed by Sri Lanka for all these years,so are the Tibetans,Chams or Chechens or Sioux or Navajo. Thus the secession endeavor is not bad if we understand our own fellows of Khmer Krom or Khmer Leu plight.
The remarkable exception in KKrom movement is non violent and diplomatic.
Hats off to their bravery!
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