rediff.com: India has a key role in resolving Sri Lanka's civil war: US official

India has a key role to play in ending Sri Lanka's ongoing civil war, US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Karl Inderfurth said in remarks published on Thursday.

Indefurth told The Hindu newspaper in Washington that the US believed India had to be involved if there was any foreign intervention in Sri Lanka. "We believe that India is the key outside power and that any action taken by the international community must include India," Inderfurth said.

He said the US was "well aware of the legitimate interest that India has in Sri Lanka" and added that New Delhi was "moving cautiously to determine the most appropriate role for India to play. "We certainly understand India's desire not to become involved militarily," he said.

India has rejected any military intervention in Sri Lanka's northern Jaffna peninsula, where government troops are battling the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels. The LTTE is determined to retake Jaffna, which is considered by the Tamils to be the cultural capital. New Delhi has, however, said it could consider humanitarian assistance at an appropriate time or play a political role if asked by both parties.

Inderfurth said the Clinton administration was "very concerned" about the "humanitarian crisis" in Sri Lanka and stressed that the US would not support a Tamil homeland carved out of the island's north.

"We would not, nor do we believe would the international community, recognise a unilateral assertion of independence," adding that the US supported a Norwegian peace initiative aimed at talks between the Sri Lankan government and the rebels.

He said US Under Secretary of State Thomas Pickering had met Norwegian parliamentarian Erik Solheim, appointed by Oslo as key adviser in March to mediate between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil rebels.

Inderfurth said Solheim had impressed US officials "with his knowledge of the situation and his commitment to performing his role" but added that the fighting in Jaffna "was a setback in terms of an immediate (peace) effort."

He said Pickering, who is due to visit New Delhi later this month, would also go to Colombo. Underlining the fact that the Sri Lankan crisis was "clearly at the forefront of the international community's concerns at this point," Inderfurth said Washington wanted both sides in the battle "to observe relevant international standards of conduct with respect to both combatants and civilians."

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