Sri Lanka 'preparing for war'

2004-07-06 11:59

Colombo - Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger guerrillas on Tuesday accused government forces of preparing for war in the island's volatile east after the killing of a rebel political activist.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in a statement posted on the pro-rebel Tamilnet website said Monday's violence showed the military was undermining the Norwegian-arranged ceasefire in place since February 2002.

"We have told the Sri Lanka army officers several times during phone conversations and during discussions that stopping killings in the east is in (the) Sri Lanka army's hands," the statement said. "SLA has clearly ignored our notices.

"The killings clearly indicate that security forces are intent on undermining the memorandum of understanding (setting up the February 2002 truce) and are creating conditions for war," it added.

A Tiger activist was killed and three other rebels were wounded in separate incidents on Monday by unidentified attackers, marring the anniversary of the guerrillas' first suicide bombing, known as "Black Tiger Day".

President Chandrika Kumaratunga's office expressed concern at the shootings and said police had been ordered to arrest the assailants.

"These incidents jeopardise the law and order situation in the Eastern province, which the government is firmly committed to upholding," a statement from Kumaratunga's office on Monday said.

The east was the stronghold of a breakaway Tiger leader who disbanded some 5 000 to 6 000 of his fighters in April and went underground after the LTTE leadership crushed the unprecedented split.

The LTTE has accused the government's military intelligence of using the breakaway leader, V Muralitharan, better known as Karuna, to lead a proxy war against them despite the truce.

While the ceasefire remains in force, peace talks have been stalled since April 2003.

- AFP