Apr 29, Colombo: Visiting high ranking foreign diplomats today said that the international community is not attempting to save the LTTE rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran by calling a ceasefire.

Addressing a special joint press conference British Foreign Minister David Milliband along with his French counterpart said the international community wants to free the civilians trapped in the No Fire Zone by a ceasefire.

Speaking at the press briefing French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said that the civilians trapped in the No Fire Zone (NFZ) are treated as prisoners.

He said they have already discussed with the government over the liberating process of those civilians as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile the two foreign ministers have asked Sri Lanka government to allow the International Non Government Organizations (INGOs) and representatives of the United Nations to enter the NFZ and to treat those civilians trapped in the rebel clutch as well as welfare centers.

However the foreign ministers of Britain and France said they had failed to secure an agreement from Sri Lanka to end the offensive against LTTE and allow humanitarian access to civilians trapped by the fighting.

The government says a pause in military operations would only benefit the LTTE Tiger cadres and their leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran, now holed up with thousands of civilians in the narrow strip of land.