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“A reminder of LTTE methods”

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama told Parliament on Friday that the government is confident that LTTE chief Velupillai Prabakaran’s overtures to India while delivering his “Hero’s Day” speech on Thursday will not have any takers.

“After all, was it not the LTTE that brutally assassinated one of India’s greatest sons and an outstanding Prime Minister, Shri Rajiv Gandhi on May 21, 1991 in Sriperumpudur in the Indian State of Tamil Nadu? Rajiv Gandhi had to pay the supreme sacrifice for his unshakable stand on supporting Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and his outright rejection of the LTTE’s separatist and fascist agenda,” he told the House in a suo moto statement on the Mumbai terror attacks and Prabakaran’s speech.

He reminded members that the New Delhi High Court, in a recent ruling, had upheld the Indian government’s decision on May 14 to ban the LTTE.

Mr. Bogollagama added that all is not lost for the LTTE, and even at this late stage, it should heed to call of Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s to lay down arms and enter the democratic path, in order to be part of the political process.

Regarding the Mumbai attacks, Mr. Bogollagama contended that the methodology and precision of these savage attacks are reminiscent of the terror tactics employed by the LTTE against innocent civilians and vital infrastructure in Sri Lanka. “I have no doubt in my mind that terrorist groups the world over, study and mimic the modus operandi of each other to cause maximum death and destruction. We in Sri Lanka are all too familiar with the stark reality of the cruel hand of LTTE terrorism, which has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians over the last 25 years, as we have seen many times over in our country,” said Mr. Bogollagama.

World leaders have closed ranks to denounce the Mumbai terrorist outrage with one voice, which has been described as “India’s 9/11,” he said.

Separately, the military in a statement said soldiers are closing in on Kilinochchi town despite inclement weather conditions.

“Two offensive divisions are currently lined up along the western and southern boundaries of the Kilinochchi built-up and moving in with no hurry considering weather and the terrain,” said the Defence Ministry.

Meanwhile, the military said 134 civilians from 51 families sought the security forces’ protection at Omanthai, Vavuniya, on Friday.

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