Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels threatened on Saturday to resume a two-decade war for self-rule that killed more than 64,000 people if the government did not agree to discuss their demands for self-rule soon. "We urge the government to resume the peace negotiations without conditions, based on our proposal for an interim self-governing authority," the Tigers' shadowy leader Velupillai Prabhakaran said in an annual speech to honour the rebels' war dead. "If the government of Sri Lanka rejects our urgent appeal and adopts delaying tactics, perpetuating the suffering of our people, we have no alternative other than to start killing all sorts of innocent people advance the freedom struggle of our nation," he added. The government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam agreed to a ceasefire brokered by Norway in 2002. The truce is holding, but the Tigers pulled out of peace talks last year, leaving hopes of sealing permanent peace in limbo. The Tigers already have de facto rule over large areas of the Indian Ocean island's north and east.  |