Japan, Switzerland condemn claymore attack on passenger bus

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 June 2006, 11:37 GMT]
Embassies of Japan and Switzerland in Colombo, in press releases issued Thursday, strongly condemned the attack on passenger bus in the region of Anuradhapura which killed several dozens of civilians including children and expressed condolences to the Sri Lankan people and the authorities.

Full text of the press release from the Swiss Embassy follows:

Switzerland strongly condemns the attack in Sri Lanka

The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) was shocked to learn of the attack perpetrated on Thursday morning against a bus in the region of Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka, which killed several dozen people, including a large number of children. The DFA very strongly condemns this attack which has plunged the population of the entire region into mourning and which endangers a fragile ceasefire. Switzerland expresses its condolences to the Sri Lankan population and authorities. It hopes that the perpetrators of this act will be rapidly identified and brought to justice.

Switzerland is worried by the progressive deterioration of the situation in Sri Lanka, which is making the ceasefire between the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) increasingly fragile. The terrorist attack on a civilian bus perpetrated this Thursday is unjustifiable. As well as being a personal tragedy for many families, it is a serious violation of the ceasefire agreement.

The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs calls on the parties to take urgent action to avoid an escalation that could have tragic results for the future of Sri Lanka and first and foremost for the civilian population, which is already severely affected. In this context, the DFA deplores that the LTTE's and the Sri Lankan Government's delegations did not meet in Oslo last week. The DFA reiterates its support for the Norwegian facilitator and expects the parties to return to the negotiating table as soon as possible to save the ceasefire, as this is an indispensable prerequisite for any peace talks.

Full text of the press release from Japanese Embassy follows:

Japan strongly condemns terrorist claymore attack on civilian bus

On behalf of the Government of Japan, Ambassador Akio Suda expressed his strongest condemnation of the terrorist claymore attack on a civilian bus on the morning of 15th June 2006 at Kebitigollewa in the Anuradhapura District, deliberately targeting common people. Such dastardly terrorist attacks particularly targeting innocent common people are never accepted by any community in this country or the international community.

Japan is deeply concerned about the recent increase in the incidents of violence and terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka and rejects any form of violence particularly acts of terrorism.

While condemning this attack in the strongest possible terms Japan hopes that despite this provocative terrorist attack a further deterioration of the situation would be avoided by all peace loving people of Sri Lanka.