Donald Camp, US diplomat for South and Central Asian Affairs, met his Indian counterpart in South Block on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Sri Lanka and Nepal.
While commenting on developments in Nepal he said, "We are cautiously optimistic," and regarding the situation in Sri Lanka he said, "Omens are very bad."
Camp, who is principal deputy assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, told the media in New Delhi on Wednesday that during his recent visit to Sri Lanka he had met many people and political parties leaders. He feels that US, being the co-chair of the peace process which is negotiated by Norway, needs to strengthen the peace process to help Sri Lanka de-escalate the violence.
Camp was categorical in denouncing the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and said that recent actions of LTTE doesn't augur well.
On Tuesday, while talking to the Sri Lankan media he reiterated the US position on LTTE by saying, "The LTTE is a terrorist group of the first order."
He also said in a reply to a question, "The LTTE should not be proud of its claim to be the originator of suicide bombings as a tactic. In fact, they were not; our marine barracks were attacked in 1983 in Lebanon (by suicide bombers). I think the LTTE should reassess its methods and should abandon terrorism."
In New Delhi, he also assured that stern action will be taken against people funding the LTTE from US soil and that other nations should also help curb the flow of funds to LTTE.
He added that the international community should offer assistance to Sri Lanka, but neither US, India or Norway can help Sri Lanka to solve the crisis, Sri Lankan government itself will have to chart out their own strategy.
He thinks that getting LTTE to join the political process could be one such move.
When asked what kind of role international communities particularly India and US can offer, he said, "I think we have thought for long (that) international respectability was an important goal (of LTTE). We could hold out the possibility of delisting of LTTE from the list of banned terrorist organistations (and) getting them to join political system. I must say that events of recent weeks suggests that the LTTE is not deterred by losing international respectability."
Camp said that in the given situation "other option" is to track money flow.
He said that US has banned LTTE since 1997 and the flow of money to LTTE will not be tolerated. He said, "We will be very active in (implementing) our laws."
In a reply to a question he said, "My office tells me that in the recent assembly election in Tamil Nadu the LTTE was not an election issue."
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