SL rebels say they have recommitted to ceasefire

Colombo, June 20: Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers said today they had recommitted to the island's 2002 ceasefire and have told mediator Norway that they will ensure the safety of Nordic truce monitors.

''We have committed to the ceasefire agreement and Norway's facilitation role and giving diplomatic immunity and protection to the SLMM monitors who are working in the northeast,'' S.

Puleedevan, head of the Tigers' peace secretariat, told Reuters.

The Tigers said they had sent a letter to Norway to respond to a set of questions asked after the rebels walked out of crunch talks in Oslo earlier this month without meeting the Sri Lankan government delegation.

Violence has soared since then. The Tigers did not comment on their previous demand that Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission members from European Union nations leave after EU banned them as terrorists.

Reuters

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