Posted on 11/27/2003 5:43:39 PM PST by DeaconBenjamin
COLOMBO - The leader of Tamil Tiger rebels yesterday threatened to secede and form an independent state in the country's north-east if Sri Lanka's government continued to oppress the Tamil minority.
Vellupillai Prabhakaran said he was still open to negotiating a settlement of the civil war that has killed 65,000 people in two decades, but warned that a power struggle between Sri Lanka's President and Prime Minister was destabilising the state and threatening the peace process.
Prabhakaran, wearing the Tigers' combat uniform, denied that the rebels were rearming but said if the government continued to oppress Tamils and deny them their rights, 'we have no alternative other than to secede and form an independent state'.
Secession would likely reignite fighting. Combat has been on hold since a truce in February last year, but peace talks broke off in April when the rebels demanded more self-governing rights than the government was willing to give.
The island's 3.2 million Tamils, who are predominantly Hindu, contend that they are discriminated against by Sri Lanka's 14 million Sinhalese, most of whom are Buddhist.
'We urge the Sinhala political leadership not to create the...conditions that would drive our people to seek this ultimate option,' Prabhakaran said of the secession threat, in a major policy speech honouring the rebel war dead. It was broadcast on a private Sri Lankan TV channel.
He denied charges by President Chandrika Kumaratunga that the Tamil Tigers' fighting strength had risen to 20,000 from 6,000 since the two sides signed the Norwegian-brokered ceasefire deal.
He also accused the military of harassing the Tamils and occupying land in the north-east, causing suffering to thousands of people.
'Oppressive conditions of alien military occupation prevail here,' he said, referring to the presence of an estimated 40,000 troops in the northern Jaffna peninsula, the Tamil heartland.
The guerillas - listed as a terror group by the United States, India and Britain - have in the past demanded a separate Tamil state, but agreed during peace talks to accept autonomy instead.
Efforts to persuade them to resume negotiations were set back on Nov 4 when Mrs Kumaratunga wrested control of the ministries of defence, interior and media from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
She accused him of making too many concessions to the rebels.
Mr Wickremesinghe scored a major victory in Parliament yesterday when his 2004 Budget was approved by a comfortable margin.
His governing coalition has a slim two-seat majority in the 225-member legislature, but 12 other lawmakers backed him, giving him 126 votes for his Budget.
Members of Mrs Kumaratunga's party voted against the measure, and nine lawmakers were not present. -- AP
Good God!!! They need to forget the civil war and get a handle on the names in their country! Oh Vana, I'd like to by a fricken vowel, please...
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