The Sri Lankan government said on Wednesday it was committed to holding peace talks with Tamil Tiger rebels, provided the rebels agreed to "a comprehensive and verifiable cessation of hostilities".
Earlier, the government had denied agreeing to unconditional talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), flatly contradicting a statement issued by international mediators in Brussels on Tuesday. Colombo later re-opened the door to dialogue with the rebels, provided they renounced "terrorism and violence".
It also said the LTTE had used peace talks in the past to beef up their military capabilities, and asked mediators to mount an arms blockade on the rebels to prevent this from happening again. "While the government notes the above concerns, it remains fully committed to participate at peace talks with the LTTE," it said.
Comments
Comments are closed.