The LTTE must first lay down arms, surrender and let the people go, said Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa reacting to reports of an alleged unilateral cease fire by the LTTE, and reiterating the Governments position on the LTTE.

That [ceasefire] is a joke. What is the need for a ceasefire when they are running away, the Defence Secretary said.

The call for the LTTE to lay down arms and surrender, allowing the Tamil civilians held hostage by it to leave to freedom of their own free will has been the consistent demand of the Government of Sri Lanka, repeatedly stated by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

There were two occasions, first in January this year and later during the traditional New Year on April 13 & 14 when the government declared 48 hour restrictions to defensive operations to enable the Tamil civilians held hostage by the LTTE to leave. The LTTE rejected these moves and did not let the civilians move out.

From April 20 there has been a surge of civilians coming to the safety of government held areas from the LTTE held No Fire Zone. They have come in the face of many threats including shootings, grenade, mortar attacks and suicide bomber attacks, to escape the terror of the LTTE. At present nearly 180,000 civilians have crossed over to government held area.

Regarding the references to calls for an “immediate ceasefire” by foreign countries and international organizations in the LTTE’s so-called declaration of a unilateral ceasefire, defence and political analysts said all these countries and organizations were clear in their repeated calls for the LTTE to lay down their arms and surrender, and give freedom to the people held by it to leave of their own free will.

“The LTTE is a terrorist organization and should be condemned for its use of civilian as a human shield. The LTTE should immediately lay down arms and renounce its terror tactics”, said Ambassador Claude Heller, the President of the UN Security Council summing up the views expressed by the Members of the Security Council at a media briefing April 22.

The Tokyo Co-Chairs on April 25, as well as the United States, the European Union, India, the UK, France have all individually or jointly through different fora have also been consistent in their call on the LTTE to lay down arms and surrender, allowing freedom to Tamil civilians held by it.