Tamil Tiger ceasefire offer rejected
Unilateral eight-day ceasefire offer from Tamil Tigers rejected by Sri Lankan government
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Tuesday, 22, Jul 2008 10:45
A unilateral short-term ceasefire offered by the Tamil Tigers has been rejected by the Sri Lankan government.
Colombo said it would not recognise the truce, which had been mooted during a regional summit in the country's capital.
Yesterday the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said it would halt attacks during the July 26th to August 4th South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) meeting.
Leaders from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan are in Colombo for the 15th annual summit.
But in parliament on Tuesday the Sri Lankan foreign minister said the government would ignore the offer.
"We will not abide by it and we will neither discuss it with anyone," said Rohitha Bogollagama.
Mr Bogollagama said talks between the government and the rebels could only begin when they completely renounced violence.
The LTTE struggle for a separate Tamil homeland in the north of Sri Lanka has killed more than 70,000 people since 1983.