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09-01-2006

LTTE 'committing Harakiri'

Minister says the govt. is committed to a negotiated settlement. The government of Sri Lanka is seeking international support to exert pressure against the Tamil Tiger atrocities against security forces, a senior minister said. Government spokesman minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said President Rajapaksa’s administration do not have other option than seeking international help for pressurising LTTE to stop killings in the north and the east.

The senior minister said that by such ‘brutal attacks’ the LTTE is committing suicide (Harakiri) as an organisation in the face of the international community.

Banning the LTTE

The minister however told BBC Sandeshaya that ‘merely by banning the LTTE that is not the solution.’He said: ‘Our commitment to go ahead with the peace process has not been diminished by this barbaric attack by the LTTE.’ LTTE accused of killing 13 Navy personnel Thirteen sailors were killed in a suicide bomb attack on a Dvora naval boat near Trincomalee on Saturday night.

The government has been flexible by relaxing the earlier decision on the venue of the talks, but the Tamil Tigers are still adamant on Oslo as the venue, the minister added. ‘Still we are committed to go through the negotiating process, and we are awaiting positive response from the LTTE with regard to the venue.’

Fishing ban

The authorities have confirmed they're enforcing a ban on fishing in the port of Trincomalee while they search for the bodies of the crewmen killed in the attack. The army spokesman, Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe, told the bbcsinhala.com that fishing in the harbour was forbidden at night. The spokesman also said fishermen needed written permission from the navy to go to sea during the day.

The Tamil Tiger rebels, who had not commented on the attack, said the move prevented Tamil fishermen from earning a living and was affecting nearly a thousand families. Fishermen organisations have demanded compensation for loss of income.

Minister de Silva said the cabinet would take the issue of compensation into consideration.

Source-BBC