By Sumadhu Weerawarne and Kesara Abeywardena
The Defence Minister Tilak Marapana yesterday told parliament that the government believed in taking the peace process forward, even as it was aware that it was fraught with dangers.

Minister Tilak Marapana wound up the adjournment debate on national security and the ceasefire agreement.

The minister said that he would take note of the concerns expressed by opposition members.

"There is an element of risk associated with the peace process and any agreement with the LTTE. They also have doubts in turn, but this does not mean that we will not embark on the peace process", he said.

Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakse moving the adjournment motion said that the LTTE was violating the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) smuggling and stock piling arms, even as it denies the democratic rights of people in areas under its control.

"There is clear evidence of this", he said. We asserted that this was a threat to national security and urged the government to commence talks properly to find a lasting solution to the problem.

"The LTTE is using this opportunity to cause division and dissent among the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim communities".

PA MP Nimal Siripala de Silva’s adjournment motion submitted to the Speaker too was taken up.

He called on the government to take immediate steps to halt the anti peace and illegal activities of the LTTE under cover of the MoU and commence talks on substantive issues to bring a viable peace to the country.

The debate centred on "the explicit violation of the MoU by the LTTE" through the import, stockpiling and transportation of arms, the strengthening of its armed units, the autocratic rule of the LTTE in denial of the democratic rights and freedom of the people under cover of the MoU.

The MP called for effective action from the government for peace and the halt to violations as "so far neither the government, nor the monitors nor the Norwegian representatives had been able to control the violations by the LTTE, the actions of the LTTE indicated that it was not prepared for peace, also because the prevalent situation had shattered the hope of the people for peace and as the emerging scenario was a grave threat to the national security of the country".

Giving further example of LTTE violations, Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakse said that the entry and exit of Anton Balasingham too was in violation of the agreements, as is the continuing abduction and extortion. "We have many letters relating the LTTE’s demand for money and children for soldiering.

He also quoted from news reports to indicate the scale of the stockpiling of arms and the re-organising of LTTE cadres. "There is this doubt in the minds of the people, whether the benefits of the MoU are for one party," he said adding that the people of the south were still doubtful whether Prabhakaran has really changed.

"The government is duty bound to enable all people of the country to live in peace" he said.