Tamil Tigers say no to war
2003-05-22 11:44
Colombo - Sri Lanka's Tiger rebels on Thursday vowed not to return to war, but said six rounds of peace negotiations with the government had failed to build enough trust between them.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said it was committed to a peaceful resolution to the island's drawn-out ethnic conflict which has claimed more than 60 000 lives.
The LTTE's political wing leader, S.P. Thamilselvan, told reporters in the northern rebel-held town of Kilinochchi that despite the Tigers' boycott of the Norwegian-brokered talks, there would be no war.
"The LTTE is highly committed to peace through a negotiated settlement," Thamilselvan was quoted as saying by local journalists contacted by satellite phone. "Not for one moment do we think a military solution is possible."
However, he added that six rounds of peace talks with the Colombo government had failed to build sufficient trust between the foes.
- Sapa-AFP
- SAPA