Sept 24, New York: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa today said that his government would be ready to hold talks with the Tamil Tigers only if they decommission their arms and dismantle their military.

Addressing the 63rd session of the United Nation General Assembly, the President said his government would not allow the LTTE, an illegal armed and terrorist group to hold the Tamil community in the North hostage and deny their democratic rights. “Our Government would only be ready to talk to this illegal armed group when it is ready to commit itself to decommissioning of its illicit weapons and dismantling of its military capability, and return to the democratic fold,” President said.

President also made it clear that his Government will not permit undermining the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka and its division.

Rajapaksa pointed out that Sri Lanka has achieved the difficult but essential task of building democracy in the Eastern Province and said he is confident that it can be done in the North as well.

“Significantly, the restoration of democracy in the east of Sri Lanka was achieved in less than one year of it being freed from the clutches of terror,” he said.

The President also addressed other issues on the humanitarian efforts for the IDPs in Sri Lanka, global food crisis and the energy crisis. Click here for the full speech of the President’s address to the UN.