What more proof is needed?

THE ink on our editorial of Wednesday was hardly dry when the vile Tiger terrorists struck again - this time in Galle.

Although the LTTE attack on the Galle naval base was successfully repulsed by the Navy, which destroyed some three out of five Tiger boats, the LTTE spilt innocent blood once again, snuffing out some lives and injuring scores of persons.

If bloodletting on this scale does not underscore the murderous and evil intentions of the LTTE, what would ? It claims to be abiding by the CFA but goes on the rampage, spilling innocent blood and wantonly destroying everything of worth on its path.

As we said in our editorial yesterday 'a deed most barbaric and cowardly' was unleashed by the Tigers when they killed over 100 anarmed, off-duty naval officers in Habarana recently.

We ended our editorial by calling on the world community to do everything possible to take the Tigers to task and to hold them accountable for their heinous, dastardly acts of unspeakable horror.

We know for a fact that the civilized world is raising its hands in horror at these demonic deeds of the LTTE. This is appreciated but what good will such well-meaning gestures achieve if the Tigers continue with their destructive behaviour?

Obviously, verbal pronouncements of outrage just would not do. Concrete, punitive action needs to be taken by the international community to bring the Tigers to heel. We call on our Co-Chairs in particular to do just that without further delay.

The special peace envoys of Japan and Norway are here and we hope they have seen for themselves the callous disregard the LTTE has for world opinion and the peace process in this country.

Even while waxing lyrical about a negotiated settlement, the Tigers take more and more lives with ruthless dexterity. Does such conduct reflect a commitment to peace ?

Since the US led the way in the West in proscribing the LTTE on their soil, many other countries have followed suit.

We are happy about this but much more has to be done to impress on the Tigers that the world community means business when it says that the LTTE should down arms, renounce terror and give negotiations a chance.

The Tigers are not moved by well-worded exhortations and moral pronouncements.

They would only be impressed by biting, punitive actions which hurt their vital interests gravely. Such action has to be collective, concerted, rigorous and consistent.

For instance, not only must the Tigers be thrown out of all countries which denounce terror and swear by democracy, their front organisations too must be fatally crippled and their assets seized. All Tiger activists and their front men should be thrown behind bars and brought to justice.

Nothing short of such punitive, firm and consistent action by Lanka's friends would bring the LTTE to heel and help stamp terror out of Sri Lanka.

Today, the US has won many supporters around the world for its 'war on terror'. This is primarily because the world realises that the US is correct in what it does. Terrorism, in other words, can never be condoned or justified. It is an evil which must be wiped off the face of the earth.

If so, the LTTE must be brought to heel by the rest of the world because the LTTE is one of the most adept practitioners of terrorism.

The world should not be accused of double standards on this question. If the democracies of the world do not want terror organisations on their soil, the same goes for Sri Lanka.

These democracies are obliged to help Sri Lanka to be rid of LTTE terror. The world must have the courage of its convictions to act against the Tigers.

Sri Lankan envoy warns of rising terrorism

SRI LANKA attaches the highest priority to the denial of financial support for terrorist purposes. This is a complex area since the terrorist organisations often use various mechanisms including charitable fronts for fund raising and channel them through unofficial systems.

Full Story

Cowardly act against peace

A republican Congressman likened the Habarana suicide bombing by the LTTE to the terrorist acts of the much hated Al-Queda terrorism all over the world. "Much like 9-11 and the London Subway bombings, yesterday's attack at Habarana,

Full Story

District administration in India

MAHATMA Gandhi once again assumed the reins of the Congress which began its final bid to attain Independence. The Congress a declaration by the British Government that India would get Independence after the cessation of the war and that a Provisional Government representing political India should be formed to prosecute the War.

Full Story