NEW DELHI: Colombo would act with restraint despite the recent provocation from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to India, C.R. Jayasinghe, told newspersons on Friday. His Government would, however, not tolerate continued escalation from the Tigers.

Mr. Jayasinghe said the Sri Lankan Government asked the European Union to consider listing the Tigers as a terrorist organisation. Holding the LTTE responsible for the attack on Army Commander Sarath Fonseka earlier this week and the August 2005 assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, he said the Tigers would suffer the consequences.

European ban

According to the High Commissioner, a European ban on the LTTE would be a reasonable, prudent measure. "If the LTTE was to change, it can be taken off the [banned] list," Mr. Jayasinghe maintained.

In response to questions, the High Commissioner said the ceasefire agreement had been dented by recent events. The agreement, which came into effect in February 2002, had opened a window to peace. "The Government of Sri Lanka will not close this window," he said.

Mr. Jayasinghe said the attack on Gen. Fonseka was engineered by the LTTE to provoke Colombo into escalating the situation in the country. "The Government has no intention of falling into this trap."

According to him, the air strikes launched by the Sri Lankan Government were a "deterrent" and limited in scope. The LTTE, which was hoping that Colombo would abrogate the ceasefire agreement, had failed in its efforts. He pointed out that there had been no air strikes on Thursday and Friday.

Asked what had been the result of the air strikes, Mr. Jayasinghe claimed there had been some denting of the LTTE's capacity. However, a full assessment could be made only after intelligence reports from the areas bombed were made available.

Suspicion

On whether other Tamil "paramilitaries" could be responsible for recent attacks in Sri Lanka, the High Commissioner said only the LTTE had, so far, deployed suicide cadres. "The finger of suspicion points to the LTTE."

Putting the "basic facts" before the press, Mr. Jayasinghe said the Tigers were responsible for the escalation of the violence. Colombo was not going to renounce the ceasefire agreement, he said in response to another question.

On a possible role for New Delhi, the High Commissioner maintained that India was a close friend and neighbour of Sri Lanka. Colombo wanted India to extend its political and diplomatic support for a negotiated settlement to the ethnic problem within a united Sri Lanka, the High Commissioner added.

Asked whether Colombo had links with the LTTE's breakaway group led by Karuna, Mr. Jayasinghe said the Government had nothing to do with him. Pointing out there had been dissent within the LTTE before, the High Commissioner said the Tigers' deputy leader Mahattaya had been executed.

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