Sri Lankan Tamil Tiger Rebel Leader Appreciative of Peace Initiatives

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, April 11, 2002

Sri Lankan Tamil Tiger Rebel Leader Appreciative of Peace Initiatives

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Sri Lankan Tamil Tiger rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran told a historic press conference Wednesday that he was appreciative of the peace initiatives launched with Norwegian mediation to resolve Sri Lanka's ethnic strife.

He told his first press conference in 12 years that the time is not yet right to give up their call for a separate state of Eelam. They will consider the matter later on as the peace processproceeds.

Prabhakaran said that their attitude was not affected by the September 11 attacks on the United States.

Rebel theoretician Anton Balasingham will attend talks on behalf of the rebels with the Sri Lanka government at Bangkok to discuss the government's proposal for an interim administration inthe northeast.

Prabhakaran said the rebels initially took up arms as all their efforts through non-violent means had failed and even now they want the ban placed on them to be lifted before negotiations commence in earnest.

He added that the Muslim community have misunderstood them andinvited their leadership for discussions to straighten out matters.He said that other Tamil political parties should also involve themselves in the peace process.

He appreciated the bold role played by Prime Minister Ranil Wickemesinghe in pushing for peace.

The conference was held at a secret location a few miles off Sri Lanka's northern city of Kilinochchi under a heavy security blanket.

The rebels clamped a ban on live broadcasts of the historic event and also disallowed media personnel to use their satellite phones and other communications devices for the duration of the conference.

Prabhakaran's close aides, theoretician Anton Balasingham and his political wing leader Thamil Chelvam, flanked Prabhakaran as he faced a over 350 national and international journalists.

Seen as the biggest press conference in recent times in Sri Lanka it has generated intense interest world-wide. Among the media persons present were several internationally acclaimed journalists, bureau chiefs of news services and the electronic media.

Despite the ban on live broadcasts the press conference is considered a major breakthrough in the peace process and a positive sign for peace in the country.

Prabhakaran's last press conference limited to only a few journalists, was held in 1990 following the departure of the Indian Peace Keeping Force from Sri Lanka.

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