By Xinhua
Colombo : The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said Thursday it was still ready to honour the Norwegian-backed ceasefire even as the government gave notice unilaterally withdrawing from the 2002 agreement.
In a statement posted on its website ltteps.org, the rebel organisation said: “The LTTE wishes to state that even at this juncture, it is ready to implement every clause of the ceasefire.”
On Jan 2, the government gave 14 days’ notice required to pull out of the agreement.
The rebels blamed the government for violating the ceasefire, saying, “It has carried out large-scale military offensives creating immense human misery in the Tamil homeland”.
The rebels said they were forced to temporarily withdraw from the ceasefire because of continued army offensive against them.
The international community must lift the ban on the LTTE by respecting the rights of the Tamil minority for political independence, the statement said.