The Sri Lankan government rejected Tuesday an eight-day unilateral truce offered by Tamil rebels ahead of an eight- nation South Asian regional summit to be held in the country."We do not want to accept any ceasefire and give oxygen for the terrorists who are struggling," Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told parliament in response to questions about the truce.
Earlier Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama told parliament that the government was not bound by the truce and denied reports that Norwegian representatives were to meet with the government to officially convey the rebel offer.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said in a statement that the truce, beginning Saturday and running till August 4, was being declared to extend their co-operation to the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC).
They warned that if the military carried out any offensive operations during the truce, they would be forced to defend themselves. The heads of states of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives are due to attend the summit hosted by Sri Lanka.
"We are always keen to develop friendship with the countries of the world and our neighbouring countries in our region," the LTTE said in the statement. "We are sincere in our efforts to create the external conditions in order to build these friendships. We wish to express the goodwill and trust of the Tamil people." The government has drawn up extensive security plans for the upcoming summit in the capital Colombo.
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