UNP and other parties condemn attack

COLOMBO: The Sri Lanka Freedom Party deplored the LTTE bomb attack at the Colombo Army Headquarters yesterday.

SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena, who himself was targeted by the LTTE recently, said this dastardly attack seriously undermined the peace process. It was a major violation of the ceasefire.

Sirisena said the LTTE should give up all forms of violence if it was serious about peace. On the other hand, the Government and the Security Forces have always stood for peace and acted with restraint even in the face of grave provocations by the LTTE. The Government will continue to be committed to the peace process.

UNP Deputy Secretary General Tissa Attanayake told the `Daily News' that the UNP as a party always condemned the violent actions of the LTTE. "We absolutely condemn the attempt to murder the Army Commander Sarath Fonseka," he added.

The LTTE should immediately control their violent actions if the peace process is to be fruitful, Attanayake added. "No party will benefit by such violence, as both the Sinhala and Tamil people die by such actions and we drift further away from peace," Attanayake said.

He said the Government should take immediate action to control this situation before it worsens. " If this situation worsens and a war develops, the public will have to suffer and therefore the Government should take prompt action to keep the situation under control. Under any circumstances the LTTE carrying out such violence cannot be justified and should definitely be condemned," he said.

The JVP vehemently condemning yesterday's LTTE's suicide bomb attack appealed to the nation to join hands to defeat LTTE terrorism.

JVP Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa told the Daily News that the barbaric act by the LTTE clearly indicates that it has no intention whatsoever of abiding by the Ceasefire Agreement but wants to continue in its terrorism and killing sprees.

He said: "We call upon the international community to view with seriousness this brutal attack by the LTTE without remaining silent. We also call upon the nation to rally as one to defeat this LTTE terrorism without losing courage."

MEP Leader Minister Dinesh Gunawardene said the LTTE suicide attack has once again exposed its barbarism to the entire world.

This is a complete violation of the CFA on the part of the LTTE showing that the LTTE does not follow conciliatory negotiations with the Government and is bent on carrying out their killing spree.

Minister Gunawardena said all Governments and civic organisations committed to peace and democracy should vehemently condemn this barbaric act of the LTTE. "We call upon the all citizens to act in a responsible manner to protect all civilian life against this LTTE terrorism."

An EPDP spokesman stated that this was a serious violation of the ceasefire. "We have come across several such incidents before. The LTTE attempted to assassinate Minister Douglas Devananda too but fortunately it was unsuccessful. The LTTE will go on doing this. We condemn terrorism. We want the international community to take action and to carry on peace negotiations".

Meanwhile, Government Peace Secretariat (SCOPP) Secretary General Dr.Palitha Kohona condemning yesterday's suicide attack on the Army Commander said "this is an extremely deplorable act at a time the Government, the Norwegian facilitators and all other interested parties were working so hard to resume negotiations".