By Xinhua,
Colombo : Sri Lankan government said here Tuesday that it will not honor a call for a truce by the Tamil Tiger rebels.
“We will not abide by it and we will neither discuss it with anyone”, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama told parliament here Tuesday.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels announced late on Monday that they were willing to observe a unilateral ceasefire during July 26 to Aug. 4.
The Heads of State of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan are to meet in Colombo for the 15th summit of South Asian Association of Regional Co-operation (SAARC) during the period.
“As a sign of goodwill our movement is glad to inform that it will observe a unilateral ceasefire that is devoid of military actions during the period SAARC conference”, an LTTE statement said.
Palitha Kohona, the Foreign Secretary, said earlier that the government had not been formally informed on the rebel offer.
The government maintained that the rebels had been weakened by the military’s current onslaughts in the island’s north.
The military thrust against the LTTE will be continued to a finish, the government leaders have vowed.
The government believed the Tigers make truce offers only when they are weak and they use truce to rebuild and re-arm.