Government rejects ceasefire offer unilateral Tamil Tigers

New Delhi, April 26, 2009. - The Government of Sri Lanka did not take half an hour today or reject a cease-fire announcement of the Tamil Tigers, which is produced in full visit by a UN envoy and hours after the Sri Lankan Army to snatch his junior guerrilla stronghold.
"The LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) is not in a position to ask or demand anything. Intend to declare a cease-fire as long ago have sunk the knee, "Efe said by telephone from Colombo Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary, Palitha Kohona.
The guerrillas had announced in a statement minutes before a unilateral ceasefire and an end to offensive operations in northeastern Sri Lanka, where he is surrounded by the army in a small coastal strip along with tens of thousands of civilians.
"Given the unprecedented humanitarian crisis and in response to calls by the UN, European Union, the Governments of the United States, India and others, the LTTE announced a unilateral ceasefire. All offensive operations will cease with immediate effect, "said the guerrillas in the note.
On Saturday, the LTTE had denounced a situation of "starvation" to "165,000" people in the areas under their control, but the UN estimates that there are actually some 50,000 Sri Lankan Government and the estimates are between 15,000 and 20,000.
And today, the guerrillas warned that "starvation" imminent, accusing the government of deliberately blocking food supplies and medicines and continually attacking civilians trapped in rebel territory.
Complaints, however, that were described by Kohona as a "cynical effort" aimed at UN Undersecretary for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes, who arrived last night to the island to check the situation of civilians affected by conflict.
Holmes today called "urgent" the LTTE to abandon their weapons and enable the output of civilians, and urged the Government to limit the use of heavy weaponry in its offensive against the guerrillas.
"We need a new humanitarian pause to get aid and aid workers in the combat zone," the official was quoted by the Ada Derana TV channel.
The army launched on Monday a bloody offensive that resulted in the move to government areas of around 110,000 civilians housed in camps by the Government for that purpose in the north of the country under very precarious conditions.
"They have been arrested and are in concentration camps where they are subjected to torture in violation of all international conventions. Not allowed to return home this population. Some are used as human shields, "the LTTE.
Holmes, who has defended a "pause" in the conflict and access to the areas of humanitarian personnel, is scheduled to travel to Vavuniya (north) to verify "in situ" the situation of civilians, Efe said UN spokesman in the country, Gordon Weiss.
In recent days have increased diplomatic pressure and international concern about the fate of those trapped in the combat zone, but the Sri Lankan government seems determined to finish the LTTE militarily, fighting for more than 25 years to get a independent state for the Tamil minority.
A few hours before the announcement of the guerrillas, the army said in fact the penultimate making people in rebel hands, Valayarmadam, and the capture of 23 suspected guerrillas, the "rescue" of about 700 civilians and killed 12 rebels in a naval battle.
"They have about 500 guerrillas, who also dressed as civilians so as not to distinguish. They are just 6 square kilometers, "said Efe by telephone military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara.
Convinced of his victory, the Government today also rejected a request from U.S., EU, ​​Japan and Norway, the so-called "Tokyo Quartet" - to offer an amnesty to the guerrillas, who asked to surrender to a third party.
"There will be no amnesty for the LTTE. They will have to surrender or face removal by the Sri Lankan forces, "he was quoted by different means the Secretary of Defense Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.
In a very different side, the combat strategy is seen by analysts as one of the keys to the overwhelming victory today was the ruling Alliance People United for Freedom (UPFA) in regional elections in the West-including the capital, Colombo.

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Thematic area:

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4. UN denounces a "bloodbath" civil fighting in northeastern Sri Lanka
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