CHENNAI: Despite grave provocations by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the people of Sri Lanka have exercised "utmost restraint" and this was the strongest indication that they wanted peace, Sumit Nakandala, Deputy High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in southern India, said here on Friday.

"Nobody wants war. Everyone in Sri Lanka wants the talks to go on," he told presspersons here. The Sri Lankan armed forces and society had exhibited great maturity over the years. The LTTE wanted a backlash, but this had not happened despite the repeated attacks.

The Sri Lankan Government was committed to finding a peaceful, negotiated solution to the ethnic issue and the ceasefire was intact despite the innumerable violations by the LTTE, Mr. Nakandala said. It was as an exhibition of this intent that the Sri Lankan Government had appointed a task force for rebuilding the Sampoor area in particular and Trincomallee in general, where the Navy and Air Force launched coordinated attacks, he said. The Government had also sanctioned SL Rs. 100 million for the reconstruction efforts, he added.

The Sri Lankan offensive had a limited intent and the counter-attacks have ceased. "As of today, there is no offensive by the Sri Lankan Navy or the Air Force. We call it a deterrent," he said, referring to the Sri Lankan response to the attempted assassination of its Army Chief.

Mr. Nakandala accused the LTTE of "spreading false propaganda" on the number of affected people in the area. "In Sampoor division, there are only 16,500 people living. So, we do not know how the LTTE has got the figure of 40,000," he said.

On the Indian role, he said that India had always given support that the Sri Lankan Government requested. India was in touch with Colombo on the situation, he said.

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