The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement the government was going ahead with its plans to present peace proposals despite its withdrawal from a ceasefire with the Tigers.
It said the government's position was made clear by Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama to visiting Japanese Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi during talks between the two.
Akashi is on a three-day visit to the island in an effort to seek an end to the bloodshed.
"Responding to a query, the Foreign Minister expressed the view that there was no need to proscribe the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) at the present time as there was sufficient legal infrastructure already in place," the statement said.
It did not specify the legal infrastructure it was referring to.
Japan, the biggest bilateral donor to Sri Lanka, has said foreign aid could be withheld if violence keeps escalating.
The ministry statement quoted Bogollagama as telling Akashi that despite its withdrawal from the truce signed in 2002, the government "continued to make every effort to realize the goals of de-escalation of violence in spite of the atrocities and serious violations committed by the (Tigers)."
Akashi briefed the government on Japan's concerns regarding the termination of the truce and the need to seek a sustainable peace through dialogue and negotiation, the statement said.
Bogollagama said the government's peace proposals offering devolution of power to minority Tamils would be released by January 23.
Bogollagama noted that Japan's economic assistance continued to be vital to Sri Lanka's development.
"The Minister also cautioned against any international action that could jeopardize the government's initiatives in the peace process and would only strengthen LTTE's intransigence and trigger increased violence in the country."
The government's withdrawal from the truce on the grounds that it was being violated by the Tigers led to reports that it was considering re-imposing a ban on the Tigers.
Source: LBO
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