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Sri Lanka coalition in survival talks, police tear-gas monks
COLOMBO - Sri Lanka's president held talks with opposition leaders to seek
support after a key coalition partner threatened to quit over a tsunami aid deal
with Tamil Tiger rebels. "She is going to discuss the present political climate and the tsunami aid distribution mechanism with political parties to get their support," the official said. The one-on-one meeting was being held at Kumaratunga's tightly-guarded official residence. Saffron-robed monks tried to march on the residence but were beaten back by police using clubs and tear gas. Despite the mounting protests and opposition from within the ruling coalition, the president was determined to go ahead with the "joint mechanism" to disburse aid with the Tamil Tigers, an official in her office said. "She met with ruling party legislators and indicated that a deal could be concluded in a day or two," the official said. "The president met with MPs from the (opposition) Tamil National Alliance separately to discuss the issue." The government's main coalition ally, the Marxist JVP, or People's Liberation Front, has said it will quit on Thursday unless the president withdraws the joint mechanism proposal by Wednesday night. The JVP has 39 seats in the 225-member assembly and any pullout could lead to the collapse of the 14-month-old government, which has a slender five-seat majority. However, political sources said the JVP -- which claims a tsunami aid deal will lead to a separate homeland for Tamil Tiger rebels -- was more likely to quit its four cabinet positions and remain on the back bench rather than defect to the opposition and topple the administration. "Even if the JVP quits, there are enough legislators in the opposition who support the idea of a joint mechanism and they can ensure that the government remains in office," said a senior official close to the talks. Protestors from the National Monks' Front were halted by anti-riot squads while marching toward Kumaratunga's official residence. It was the second time in three days that police had clashed with Buddhist monks. "First they tear-gassed and used batons to beat up the protestors," the witness said. "There were several monks staging a sit-down protest but they are all gone now." Riot police used similar measures to disperse dozens of monks and lay supporters who blocked a main road to Kumaratunga's residence on Friday. Police Monday also evicted protestors at the Colombo Fort railway station where a monk, Dhabara Amila, has been on a "death fast" since Saturday protesting the deal with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in aid distribution. "The monk who is fasting may die and if one life is not enough for the president, we will mobilise another 1,000 people to sacrifice their lives to stop this," monk Kalawelgala Chandraloka told reporters before they were dispersed. A death fast is a popular form of threat but has not been carried out by monks in Sri Lanka in living memory. The Monks' Front said it opposes involving the Tigers in any effort to disburse aid to survivors of the December 26 tsunamis. Another Buddhist monk gave up a "death fast" Saturday after Kumaratunga promised that she will consult the Buddhist hierarchy before finalising the aid deal. Some 31,000 people were killed in the tsunami disaster in Sri Lanka and one million were initially left homeless. Much of the destruction was in the northeast, parts of which are dominated by the guerrillas. International donors who have pledged three billion dollars have called on Colombo and the rebels to jointly disburse the tsunami aid. |
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