Sri Lanka urged the international community to clamp down on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and their overseas supporters - restricting their travel and cutting the flow of money to the insurgents.

The call for crackdown came following the assassination of its foreign minister, who was cremated yesterday.

Military forces fanned out across Colombo as foreign dignitaries mingled with saffron-robed Buddhist monks and thousands of ordinary Sri Lankans to pay their last respects to Lakshman Kadirgamar.

Fears are now growing that the killing could scuttle a three-year-old cease-fire between the rebels and the government. The Tigers have denied they were behind the assassination of Kadirgamar - one of their most vociferous critics - and urged the military to look within its own ranks for the perpetrator.

But Foreign Secretary S Paliakkara said he had briefed foreign ambassadors in Colombo and told them in a meeting on Sunday that "the assassination clearly bears the hallmark of the (Tigers)."

Paliakkara said he had urged the international community to take "strong anti-terrorist measures" against the group. He did not elaborate.

But another official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the requests Sri Lanka has made to other countries, said the island nation wants foreign governments to keep a closer eye on groups and individuals who support the rebels' cause, to restrict their travel and stifle their ability to raise money.

Yesterday was declared a day of mourning, and schools, cinemas and shops were closed. White flags fluttered across the capital to show respect for Kadirgamar, shot by snipers on Friday in Colombo.

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