Sri Lanka is likely to reinstate an act aimed at preventing terrorism and may even ban the Tamil Tigers after a failed rebel assassination bid, the government said yesterday, steps analysts say could hamstring future peace efforts.
The cabinet is due to decide tomorrow what sanctions to impose on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam after a suspected rebel suicide bomber tried to kill Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapakse, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse's brother.
"I am sure, for certain, the prevention of terrorism act will come into operation because, with the escalation of violence and terrorism activities, we need to have some control," defense spokesman and government minister Keheliya Rambukwella said.
"With the signing of the ceasefire agreement, that was set aside. It is dormant," Rambukwella told Reuters. "[A ban is being] looked at seriously. We are seriously looking at all options how we can defeat terrorism."
Shadowy rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran last week declared the Tigers were resuming their independence struggle, which analysts say signalled a new chapter in the island's two-decade civil war.
"It appears to us that Prabhakaran is distancing himself from any negotiated settlement and believes strongly in terrorism, as a result of which terrorism has to be banned," Rambukwella said.
Peace mediator Norway said it had been asked to postpone a planned trip by visiting envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer until after the cabinet meeting.
Meanwhile, government soldiers and Tamil Tiger rebels clashed in eastern Sri Lanka yesterday and at least six insurgents and a member of a special anti-terrorist force were killed, the nation's Defense Ministry said.
The ministry said the rebels fired at a Special Task Force patrol, wounding four commandos. The government forces retaliated, killing at least six rebels.
One of the wounded commandos later died in a hospital, it said.
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