I would like to thank you for your presence today.

This briefing will focus on the recent escalation of LTTE terror attacks and ceasefire violations as well as on the security forces response thereto. I would also like to touch on the terrorist attack two days ago on the vehicle convoy of His Excellency the High Commissioner of Pakistan, a dimension of LTTE terrorism which is of grave concern to the government and I am certain to the diplomatic community as well.

Firstly, as you are aware, the government condemned the brazen attack on the vehicle convoy and the investigations are under way on this matter. The attack carries the all hallmarks of the LTTE and their modus operandi. The owner of the vehicle laden with explosives has been traced and the Police and the Government Analyst's Department are conducting further investigations. The government has taken the necessary measures to strengthen the security of His Excellency the High Commissioner of Pakistan as well as of the diplomatic community.

At my Ministry's request, the Ministry of Defence has designated a special focal point at the level of a DIG to consult the Diplomatic Missions and make necessary arrangements for additional security where necessary. The Chief of Protocol of my Ministry and DIG, Mr. S.A.D.B.R. Solangaarchchi who is present here at this briefing will be available for consultations, on a regular basis, on security concerns and requirements of the Diplomatic Corps.

As you are aware, on Saturday last, Ketheshwaran Loganathan, the Deputy Secretary General of the Peace Secretariat was assassinated by the LTTE, ironically on the very same day my predecessor Lakshman Kadirgamar was killed by the LTTE one year ago. He was a prominent Tamil Political activist and an intellectual with a long history of commitment to peace in Sri Lanka. He was also the Secretary to the All Party Representative Committee appointed by His Excellency the President in July this year. The only crime committed by Ketheshwaran was to be a Tamil dissident voice which challenged the sole representative status of the LTTE. The attempted assassination of the former EPDP Member Sivadasan last week was also a further manifestation of the LTTE's antipathy towards any form of political dissent.

We are thankful and appreciative of the support and understanding received from the diplomatic community in condemning such acts of terrorism and would like to reiterate the government's commitment to take all necessary measures to reassure the international community at this stage of the commitment of the Government of Sri Lanka to a negotiated settlement.

Secondly, I had already briefed you concerning the security forces' action to reopen the Mavil Aru sluice gate at the last briefing held at this venue. As mentioned to you, the government was left with no choice other than to ask the security forces to exert military pressure on LTTE to open this gate as thousands of families were suffering due to the LTTE's usage of water as a weapon of war and blackmail when they encroached into cleared areas and forcibly closed the anicut providing water to the people. It later turned out that the real strategy was that Mavil Aru was a diversion to tie down security forces so that they can engage in even more serious violation of the ceasefire by attacking Muttur and bringing Trincomalee Harbour under threat so that supplies to Jaffna are disrupted or broken.

They have in the process displaced thousands of Muslims again having failed to evict them forcibly before. Here again the security forces' operation was purely in response to this brazen aggression by the LTTE despite appeals by the facilitator and others asking LTTE to refrain from doing so.

Having failed on both the Muttur and Mavil Aru front, the LTTE once again launched in recent days further attacks on Jaffna both in the area of Muhamalai/Nagar Kovil as well as Kayts and Mandathivu island area. Security forces have repulsed these attacks at some cost both to themselves and to the LTTE.

I must emphasize two points here;

a. The Government has not initiated any offensive operation on its own to attack LTTE except in self-defence and in the defence of the positions established by the ceasefire. You would recall that from December last year to April this year, despite a series of brutal killings by the LTTE, the government security forces did not fire a single shot in retaliation or as deterrent measures. Whatever the deterrent operations that were carried out were limited in scope and time. As you know when General Parami Kulatunga was killed by a suicide bomber no deterrent action was taken by the security forces. The government military operations were clearly linked to totally unacceptable actions by the LTTE at Mavil Aru, Muttur and in Jaffna. The air engagements were clearly directed at identified targets related to the supply of cadres to LTTE for these operations.

b. The second point I want to emphasize is that the government is deeply concerned about the killing of 17 NGO workers in Muttur and as you know, the government has initiated a comprehensive investigation with foreign technical assistance and this investigation will be carried out expeditiously as well as on the killing of 50 Muslim youths in Muttur.

The government has always provided unhindered humanitarian access especially to those civilians displaced by the on-going violent activity of the LTTE and the security forces response thereto. At the directive of the President, a senior public servant, Mr. Divaratna, Deputy Secretary to the Treasury has been appointed as Commissioner General of Essential Services to coordinate the supply of essential services to all affected people in consultation with national and international humanitarian agencies the ICRC in particular and the NGOs. I must place on record the government's appreciation of the valuable work done by NGOs in this regard and that they should not be detracted by activities such as the reprehensive killings of the NGO workers in Muttur. Sri Lanka has always been supportive of NGO activities which have played a major role in country's socio economic development.