S.Lanka stock market falls 3 pc on rising violence

COLOMBO, Apr 17: Sri Lanka's stock market fell over 3 percent on Monday as traders returning after a week on holiday panicked at a recent spike in violence that has left scheduled peace talks looking increasingly unlikely.

Around 70 people have died since early April in the worst violence since a 2002 truce, with the rebels first postponing talks then refusing to go at all and blaming the government for interfering in the transport of eastern rebel leaders.

''Investors are panicking with the peace talks postponement,'' said Reshan Kurukulasuriya, vice president for marketing at DFCC stockbrokers.

The stock market <.cse> was last open last Monday and was closed for the rest of the week for the Sinhalese and Tamil new year, and so has yet to factor in the recent suspected rebel attacks and ethnic riots.

REUTERS