Defeat all attempts to resume hostilities - Anti-War Front

The Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) is in a deep crisis. Although there are continued violations of the CFA over the years, the current phase of accelerated attacks against the armed forces in the North and East and the attacks of the para-military groups against the LTTE seems to be pushing towards the resumption of hostilities between the Government and the LTTE, a news release by the National Anti-War Front said.

It said: "We condemn all forms of violations of the CFA. The CFA cannot be protected without genuine commitment of the parties to the agreement - the Government and LTTE.

Any disputes arising in ensuring their commitment and obligations to the CFA have to be resolved only through negotiations. It is immoral to use violence in violation of the CFA to address grievances while the CFA is in operation.

The very purpose of signing the CFA is to prevent the destruction of human lives and to create an environment conducive to negotiate a political settlement. Although both parties have been verbally expressing their preparedness and willingness to resume negotiations with the facilitation of the Norwegian Government, very little have been done for the people to believe their commitment.

The majority of the people in the country did not want to see a return to war. We call upon the Government and the LTTE to make every step to stop all the violations of CFA and to demonstrate their commitments in a visible manner for the CFA and their preparedness for unconditional negotiation.

We believe that the sustainable and visible public support for negotiations is indispensable to safeguard the CFA and to prevent the breakdown of the hostilities. Therefore, we call upon our fellow citizens to demonstrate their opposition to all the violations of CFA and to demand the resumption of peace negotiations in a visible manner."