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Sri Lankan Tiger Rebels Rejects Govt's Readiness for Talks
Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels have rejected government's readiness to start peace talks amid the war and urged international community to help them bring about a ceasefire, The Sunday Times newspaper reported.
In a statement issued Saturday from their London Headquarters and quoted by the paper the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) called on the international community to use their good offices and persuade the Sri Lankan government to abandon its "hard-line militaristic approach" and seek a negotiated political settlement to the 17-year ethnic conflict.
The LTTE statement said that it was disappointed about government's categorical rejection of a process of de-escalation of the armed conflict prior to the peace talks, and reiterated that "genuine peace talks could not be held under conditions of war, violence and hostility."
The LTTE statement came as Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, who is currently on a visit to neighboring India, ruled out on Saturday chances of any talks starting before the end of this year.
He also ruled out a reduction in the scale of military offensives against LTTE as the rebels demanded for any possible peace talks.
The minister announced on Tuesday that the government was ready to hold talks with LTTE while fighting is going on.
The government has categorically rejected Tiger rebels' claim over sovereignty of Jaffna peninsula, saying this was not negotiable.
It urged the LTTE rebels not to evade crucial political issues including the ceasefire, the cessation of all terrorist activities and the resolution of the minority Tamils problem through political negotiations, and move beyond rhetoric to the discussion of concrete political issues within a definite time-frame with a clear political outcome in view.
It was the first formal response of the government to LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran's unconditional peace offer made late last month.
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