|
From the "You Should Have Thought of This 5 Years Ago" Dept
Sri Lankan rebels say ready for truce, peace talksSri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels said Tuesday they were ready to negotiate a ceasefire with government forces and restart peace talks to halt decades of ethnic bloodshed. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), cornered in a narrow strip of jungle in the northeast and vastly outnumbered, said they wanted a long-term truce supervised by the international community. "Such a ceasefire should also contain a base for political negotiations," the rebels said in a statement. But Sri Lanka's government quickly rejected the offer and told the guerrillas to first lay down their arms before any negotiations could be held. "They can't talk about a political settlement to buy time to regroup," said government spokesman Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena. "We can finish off the Tigers in two hours if not for the thousands of civilians they are using as a human shield," he added. President Mahinda Rajapakse, who has called a two-day truce only to coincide with the traditional New Year on Monday and Tuesday, also said his troops were on the verge of total victory. "The people of the north will in this New Year see signs of a new freedom and prosperity," Rajapakse said in a holiday message. His army chief Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka said the Tigers had lost over 18,000 cadres since security forces stepped up attacks against them in the past three years. "Those who are still under LTTE detention will see their freedom soon," Fonseka said in a statement. Posted by: ed 2009-04-14 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=267570 |