Lanka ready to handover LTTE chief to India

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said Colombo would extradite LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran, if caught alive, to India but after first putting him through trial in his country.


"Why should I keep him... India has the right... a man who is responsible for killing Rajiv Gandhi, one of the greatest leaders," he said and added that right now the effort is to catch Prabhakaran alive.


In an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN, Rajapaksa also said that Sri Lanka will immediately stop air strikes and use of heavy weapons in the war zone but he made it clear that it was not a ceasefire.


"It is not a ceasefire. Freeing the people who are kept there as hostages is my duty,” Rajapaksa said
On ceasefire


No, it is not ceasefire. It is freeing the people who are kept there as hostages. That is my duty. The army is only helping the civilians. We just want to get the civilians out from there. When you say that we are not using heavy weapons and air attacks, then what is it? It is almost like ceasefire. It is only now that the soldiers are moving forward. When we use all this it looks like a real war. But when you are not using that, then what is it?


Surrender or face the army


Intelligence reports say that they (LTTE) are still there but we are waiting. We have asked them to surrender and lay down their arms. But they haven’t done that. As far as we can see now either they have to surrender or face the army, that’s all.


It is over for Prabhakaran


Now it is almost over. They have to surrender, there is no other option for them. This is only six-square kilometers, so we will be cleaning up. Till the last hostage is taken out from the LTTE hold we will continue. We are not worried about Prabhakaran or any other person.


India may get Prabhakaran


First he (Prabhakaran) has to go through our trial. For what he has done he will have to face that prior to anything. Then if anybody wants them (the rebels) then they can take them. This is because I think India has the right. The man who killed Rajiv Gandhi… he is one of the greatest leaders of India. Whichever government comes they have to deal with this man. This is my personal view about it.