Kadirgamar a man of courage, integrity - Rice

I want to say to the President, with whom I spoke just a couple of days ago, that we have been impressed with her vision and with the people of Sri Lanka and how they have responded to this tragedy (the assassination of Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar), US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said after a signing a Condolence Book at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Washington. She visited the Embassy on behalf of President George W Bush and on behalf of the American people to honour the memory of Minister Kadirgamar.

"I had the honour and pleasure of meeting him just a few weeks ago when he was here in Washington. He will be greatly missed.

He was a man of courage. He was a man of integrity. He was a man who dedicated his life to the search for peace and for a better life for the Sri Lankan people," Rice said.

She said: "I want to say to the people of Sri Lanka that we mourn him, we mourn your loss, we mourn the loss for his family, and they will be remembered in our thoughts.

I also want to note that it is the great hope of the United States that out of this tragedy people will once again commit themselves to a path to peace. There can be no cause that is justified by terrorism and by violence. We call upon all parties to try and find a way to peace."

Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the US Bernard A.B. Goonetilleke called for concerted international action that is immediate and tangible against the LTTE, to include not only those that have a bearing on the LTTE, but also its numerous front organisations in many countries through which the organisation continues its reign of terror in Sri Lanka.

The Ambassador noted that following Foreign Minister Kadirgamar's assassination last week, he had emphasised to the US Government, the need to send a strong message to the LTTE and had urged the US Government to examine what options are available to it, in view of the rapid escalation of provocative terrorist activities by the LTTE.

Goonetilleke addressing media personnel, who attended the signing of the Condolence Book opened at the Sri Lanka Embassy in Washington, by US Secretary of State Dr. Rice on Tuesday said Sri Lanka appreciates the accurate characterisation of the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar as a "terrorist act" by many distinguished international statespersons, in their messages of condolence.

The evidence was incontrovertible that the assassination of the Foreign Minister was committed by the LTTE. The need of the hour is now to follow up on the recognition of the nature of the terrorist act, by taking practical and effective measures as required by international law, for the prevention and suppression of terrorism.

These measures could include sanctions and internationally isolating responsible entities and individuals, and engaging in international law enforcement cooperation, against terrorist activities, the Ambassador said. He appreciated the important role played by the international community in the face of terrorism, and particularly naming of the LTTE as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation by the US Government as early as in 1997, which had forced the LTTE to enter into a ceasefire agreement in February 2002 and subsequently to the negotiating table.

It was now clear that the LTTE had only done so to 'buy time' in the international climate that they faced in the aftermath of 9/11.

According to Scandinavian truce monitors (SLMM), upto May 2005, the LTTE had committed 2,903 ceasefire violations, including assassination of members of the democratic political parties, government officials, civilians and members of the Armed Forces and the police; abductions for ransom, forcible recruitment of young boys and girls in their early teens and a host of other criminal activities.

In contrast, the troops has violated the ceasefire 131 times, which has largely been instances of harassment. The group also does not permit democratic dissent in the areas dominated by them and has systematically eliminated all political opponents through assassinations. Regrettably the international response has not been adequate for the LTTE to change its unacceptable behaviour.

He saw the important role that can be played by the four co-chairs (Norway, Japan, US and Europe) in this regard.

The Ambassador said despite this grave provocation, the Sri Lankan Government will continue to restrain itself from taking action that could jeopardise the ceasefire. The commitment of the Sri Lanka Government to the Ceasefire Agreement and devolution of power was clearly enunciated in President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga in her speech to the Nation on Monday, he added.