We will not give in to Intl. puppets - PM

Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake told in Parliament yesterday that international powers are convoluting to thwart the government’s attempts to catch LTTE Leader Velupillai Prabhakaran alive.
He noted that according to available intelligence reports, The LTTE Leader remains trapped in the four square kilometre area to which security forces have now laid siege. However, he accused the international community of placing political and other constraints on the government and acting as “international puppets.” However, he assured that the government would not bow down to any of these alleged pressures.
Intelligence sources say that the person (Prabhakaran) is in this area and the security forces have taken all steps necessary to ensure he does not get away,” the Prime minister said in response to a query in Parliament. Pointing out that the thread of “Prabhakaran’s terrorist net has become tangled,” he stressed that this is prompting certain “concerned” people to panic.
“We are not willing to bow down to any of these forces. We can put our own house in order but everyone in the house must by united,” he said. The Prime Minister also said “There is no question of a ceasefire with the terrorists who are on their deathbed.”
Wickremanayake insisted that Prabhakaran, 54, was still leading his fighters in their desperate battle for survival against an overwhelming military offensive.
“We have information that Prabhakaran is still in a four-square kilometre area in Mullaitivu,” Wickremanayake said in reply to a question about the elusive Tiger leader.
He said the guerrillas still had a large arsenal of weapons, with which they were fighting back against government troops.