Ready for Ceasefire

http://news.in.msn.com/international/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1814268

Tuesday, February 17, 2009
LTTE ready for ceasefire, says pro-rebel Tamil party

Colombo: Rebel Tamil Tigers are ready for ceasefire if the Sri Lankan government is willing to halt its military offensive against them, a pro-LTTE political party said on Tuesday.

"We have been told by the LTTE that they are willing to accept a ceasefire if the government ends the offensive against them and will hold talks on the Tamil issue", a senior member of the pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliancev (TNA) Nallathamby Srikantha told reporters here. "Our party appeals to both the LTTE and the government to hold negotiations and to agree for a ceasefire as this will ameliorate the lot of the Tamil Civilians in Wanni", he said.

Meanwhile, the Parliamentary leader of the 22 member TNA party, V Sambanthan said it was not true that the LTTE was stopping the Tamil civilians from leaving the rebel held areas in the Wanni. Sri Lankan parliament has 225 members directly elected by the people.

Sambanthan alleged the government was "determined" to continue the war on Tamil people in Wanni in the north.

Claiming that around 50,000 Tamil Civilians have moved over to the government controlled areas in the northern Wanni, Sambanthan said he wondered how the government can levy this allegation as it would not be possible for people to leave those areas without the approval of the LTTE.

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