US hints at clamping down on LTTE

The US on Wednesday expressed concern at the escalating tension in Sri Lanka with the LTTE violating the spirit of ceasefire, hinting at working together with other countries to choke cash inflows to the outfit.

US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Donald Camp on his way back from Colombo today met the joint secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs. According to sources, Camp conveyed Washington’s concern about the disturbing pattern in the violence in Sri Lanka, hinting that the LTTE’s defiance of the ceasefire might force the US to rethink its plans to delist the outfit as a terrorist organisation. ‘‘There is a concern that given the LTTE provocations, Sri Lanka could considerably go back to a major conflict,’’ Camp later

told reporters.

‘‘The ceasefire is holding in the sense that both sides — the Lankan Government and LTTE — are saying that they are obeying the ceasefire. But I would say the kind of attacks that have been taking place are clearly a violation of the spirit of the agreement,’’ he said. Asked if the US was considering choking funds from overseas to LTTE, he said ‘‘certainly there must be a way to work closely with other countries in this regard’’.