Fri Jul 09, 2004 11:43 pm
Bomb blast not against peace process - UPFA
by Asanga Warnakulasuriya
Wednesday's suicide bomb attack was not aimed at sabotaging the peace process and it will not in any way diminish the Government's efforts to achieve lasting peace, United People's Freedom Alliance General Secretary and Power and Energy Minister Susil Premjayanth said yesterday.
"It was revealed in Police investigations that the sole intention of the suicide bomber was to kill Minister Douglas Devananda which the LTTE had failed to carry out on several occasions," Premjayanth told the media at a special UPFA news conference.
"Although a few media institutions try to point out the blast as a turning point where the two parties might get back to war, then they should also consider the killing of Inspector Thabrew of the Intelligence Unit and the Pettah fire at the Adamalee Complex as turning points.
"The then Government implied it was caused by fire crackers, although it was revealed that explosives was the real cause," JVP Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa said.
Premjayanth at a media briefing at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, said yesterday that unlike during the previous UNP regime, the UPFA Government was dedicated to a lasting solution to the North-East conflict but not at the cost of national security.
During the first few months, the Government took all steps to bolster security, especially in and around Colombo which was brought down to ground zero by the previous Government's actions.
Such steps at least prevented the suicide bomber from taking the life of the Minister Devananda but unfortunately the lives of several Policemen were lost in the blast, the Minister said.
For example at Ministerial level, I have given instructions to officials to guard our strategic points, especially the power plants, the General Secretary added.
Weerawansa said that with the method adopted by the previous regime to bring peace at the cost of national security had led to serious security loopholes where demotivation and relaxation crept in among Police officers in addition to the breakdown of links with the intelligence.
Sat Jul 10, 2004 6:56 am
Sat Jul 10, 2004 7:44 am
Premjayanth at a media briefing at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, said yesterday that unlike during the previous UNP regime, the UPFA Government was dedicated to a lasting solution to the North-East conflict but not at the cost of national security.
Sat Jul 10, 2004 7:48 am
Sat Jul 10, 2004 9:24 pm
Sat Jul 10, 2004 10:56 pm
Asanga Warnakulasuriya