Cabraal tells Boucher: Govt. doesn't arm or finance Karuna

Advisor to the President on Economic Affairs and Plan Implementation Ministry Secretary, Ajith Cabraal has told the State Department of the USA that the Government had kept its pledge as per the Geneva statement that it would not allow any armed group to operate in government controlled areas.

He made this observation when he met with Richard Boucher, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs at the State Department on May 18. He further said that the Karuna faction was not a group with an organised structure and camps and assured that the government was not arming or financing the Karuna group in any manner.

Cabraal also reiterated President Mahinda Rajapaksa's firm conviction to evolve a political settlement to the conflict in Sri Lanka.

Emphasizing the viciousness with which the LTTE was operating at present, Cabraal said it was significant to take note of the fact that the LTTE had used a woman, who was five months pregnant as a suicide bomber in their attempt to assassinate the Army Commander. He noted that it would mean that this entire assignment was planned out over a period of time, even while the LTTE was participating in the peace negotiations in Geneva.

He also pointed out that whenever the forces had to retaliate against the LTTE attacks, President Rajapaksa was intent on ensuring that it was a limited operation and should only deal with denting the capacity of the LTTE to threaten strategic targets.

Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Richard Boucher is expected to visit Colombo in early June after attending the Tokyo meeting of the Co-chairs.