By IANS,
Colombo : The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has urged the international community to effect a ceasefire and initiate a political solution in Sri Lanka rather than insisting that the rebels lay down their arms, a pro-LTTE website reported.
B. Nadesan, the political head of the rebel group, Sunday sent a letter to US President Barack Obama, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Norway Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Japanese premier Taro Aso, tamilnet.com reported.
Nadesan wrote that “when a permanent political solution is reached for the Tamil people, with the support and the guarantee of the international community, the situation will arise where there will be no need for the arms of the LTTE”.
“The world should take note that calls for the LTTE to lay down its arms and surrender is not helpful for resolving the conflict. The LTTE has (earlier) taken part in numerous peace efforts. No one insisted then that the LTTE should lay down its arms.”
He added that expecting the LTTE to lay down arms without a political solution amounts to promoting genocide.
Nadesan’s appeal comes at a time when advancing Sri Lankan troops have cornered the rebels in an area of less than 73 sq km in the north-eastern Mullaitivu district. The military has accused the rebels of holding thousands of civilians as human shields.