To review truce after FM's assassination:

Govt seeks urgent talks with LTTE

PRESIDENT Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga yesterday wrote to Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, seeking immediate talks with the LTTE to review the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) in the wake of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar's assassination.

The President requested "an urgent meeting between the Government and the LTTE...to review the practical functioning of the ceasefire with a view to preventing further killings and other violations," the Presidential Secretariat said.

It said the President wanted Norwegian and Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) representatives to participate in the talks.

The Presidential Secretariat said that on the direction of President Kumaratunga, the Government had, before the assassination of the Minister Kadirgamar, requested the SLMM to arrange a meeting between senior military personnel and senior LTTE cadres in order to devise ways and means of ending the political killings that had taking place recently, in contravention of the CFA.

Having noted the statement of the President of the United Nations Security Council, President Kumaratunga has also condemned the violation of the UN offices in Killinochchi by the LTTE and regrets that this incident has taken place, besmirching cordial relations between Sri Lanka and the United Nations, in the 50th year of Sri Lanka's membership in that organisation.

Earlier, the President has informed Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Petersen to apprise the LTTE of a lacuna in the enforcement mechanism of the CFA.

Cabinet Spokesman Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said yesterday that the Government did not want to amend the CFA but insisted that some procedure should be agreed upon for its enforcement.

Addressing the media at the weekly Cabinet briefing, the Minister noted that what was really necessary was an honest and genuine commitment to preserve the CFA. "As far as the Government is concerned, we are honest, genuine and we abide by the CFA," he said.

"If the LTTE engages in Ceasefire violations anymore, it could pose a severe danger to the peace process," the Minister said.

"The Government is acting under a lot of constraints. We have categorically stated that we don't want war and respect the CFA. The LTTE while saying that they don't want go to war is engaged in a killing spree and also puts forward conditions.

The LTTE should refrain from creating conditions against the Peace Process. This is the Government's appeal even at this moment."

When Petersen called on the President early this week, the President expressed her great concern over ceasefire violations by the LTTE.

The President categorically stressed the reciprocal obligations of both parties. The obligations must be reciprocal. Both parties should comply with the CFA. It was the President's view that the enforcement mechanism in the CFA should be revived. "The enforcement mechanism of the CFA seems to be very weak now," the Minister said.

"The Government is committed to continuing with the CFA and it has no intention of going back to war. But the LTTE should not drag any party to war. At the same time our concerns have to be addressed and strongly taken note of and complied in terms of the CFA."

Minister de Silva noted that as yet the LTTE response in this regard had not been conveyed to the Government. But President Kumaratunga informed Minister Petersen to indicate this situation to the LTTE.

The Government categorically states that the LTTE should be honest in their intentions not only merely by word when they say they don't want to go to war. They must not create conditions where the Government will be forced to pursue another direction. The Government is acting with lot of restraint, he said.

The Government expects the situation to improve. "It is keeping in touch with the international community. We hope they will exert pressure on the LTTE.

"If the international community is really interested in genuine peace for Sri Lanka, they should take note on this present situation. They should act firmly. There can be many forms of actions the international community could take. It is up to them. Because they closely observe the situation in Sri Lanka they know for themselves the best thing they could do.

"It is a combination of many things which could put more pressure on the LTTE. We strongly believe this is the obligation of the international community at this moment."

On his return from Sri Lanka after attending Kadirgamar's funeral Monday, Petersen met the LTTE's chief peace negotiator Anton Balasingham in London on Wednesday.

Details of the meeting were not available but it was believed to have focused on the aftermath of the assassination.