Sri Lanka's Tiger Rebels Declare Unilateral CeasefireSri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels declared Thursday, December 21, a month-long unilateral ceasefire "as a goodwill measure to facilitate the peace process," according to a statement issued by the rebel headquarters in Vanni in the north of the country.The statement available here on Tamilnet website said that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Velupillai Prabhakaran has issued orders to all units and combat formations of the rebels to cease hostile military actions against government forces starting from midnight on Sunday. The Tamil Tiger rebels expressed the hope that the government will reciprocate positively and instruct its armed forces to observe peace during the festive season of Christmas and the New Year. "Our decision to cease armed hostilities should be viewed as a genuine expression of goodwill indicating our sincere desire for peace and negotiated political settlement. We offer this space of peace to facilitate and promote initiatives to create congenial conditions of normalcy de-escalating the armed confrontation," the statement said. It said that if the government responds positively by ceasing armed hostilities against LTTE rebels and takes steps to implement the Norwegian proposal of mutual confidence building measures, they will be prepared to extend the period of peace to create cordial conditions for a stable ceasefire and direct negotiations. Government officials said so far they have not received this official statement from LTTE. President Kumaratunga has said that she will consider de-escalation in the war areas in the north and east of the country as is required by LTTE leader Prabhakaran when he offered unconditional peace talks with the government late last month. Meanwhile, Police spokesman Rienzie Perera told Xinhua that the LTTE attacked four camps in Ampara Districts in the east of the country on Thursday morning. He said seven LTTE rebel bodies were recovered in the confrontation, adding that one soldier and one policeman were also killed while the other soldier injured. Military spokesman Sanath Munasinghe said that fighting will continue until the cease-fire comes into effect on Sunday. |
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