November 26, 2002	Tuesday	Ramazan 20, 1423

OSLO, Nov 25: The United States on Monday led international support for Sri Lanka’s fragile peace bid at a historic meeting here, and urged Tamil Tiger rebels to give up violence and accept Colombo’s sovereignty.

US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage told the “peace support” conference arranged by Norway that Sri Lanka’s Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) must also publicly announce giving up their armed struggle.

The United States, which designated the LTTE as a “foreign terrorist organisation” in 1997, has taken a tougher stance against it since the September 11 attacks and boosted cooperation with the Sri Lankan government.

“Tactics of terror can never achieve legitimate aspirations,” Armitage told the donor meeting, also attended by the LTTE’s chief peace negotiator Anton Balasingham.

“The US is greatly encouraged that the LTTE has made a commitment to the political solution, it has agreed to settle this conflict through peaceful means. We urge the LTTE to go one step further and add to this commitment a public renunciation of terrorism and violence (...) and accept the sovereignty of a Sri Lankan government that respects and protects human rights of all its people.”

Diplomats said Armitage had sent a powerful message to the Tigers, and that this could strengthen the Colombo government as it moved to discuss contentious political issues with the Tigers early next month.

Washington has previously said that if the LTTE renounces its armed struggle, it would be willing to reconsider the “terrorist” designation.

It had also warned the Tigers that if they break the current ceasefire, largely respected since Feb 23, the US-led international “war against terrorism” could be extended to them.

Following the first round of peace talks with the Colombo government in September, the LTTE announced it was giving up its demand for a separate state called Eelam and instead was prepared to accept greater autonomy and self governance.

However, the rebels have not yet said they are ready to give up their armed struggle entirely.

Armitage said his participation was a “clear signal” that the US was ready to increase its assistance to help Sri Lanka’s peace process.

The LTTE, which is known for its trademark suicide bombings, had tried to have its US ban lifted, but the events of Sept 11 saw Australia and Canada also designate the rebels as terrorists and tighten their foreign fundraising.

Britain outlawed the Tigers in 2001 while Sri Lanka’s immediate neighbour India banned the rebels in 1992 after holding them responsible for the assassination of former Indian premier Rajiv Gandhi.

He said the United States was ready to increase its humanitarian assistance in the island’s embattled areas, but stressed that the entire country, rather than only the areas immediately affected by the conflict, should benefit from a peace dividend.

LTTE’s Balasingham for his part said they will “not resort to war and violence”, as pledged in the February truce agreement.

“Both the parties have realised the destructive nature of war,” Balasingham said, speaking after Armitage who remained at the meeting to listen to him despite an earlier suggestion that he would leave the room before the Tigers took the floor.

“We pledge that we will strive our best to avoid all possible conditions of conflict and pursue the path of peace with commitment and dedication, until we establish a permanent peace and a permanent solution to the ethnic conflict,” Balasingham said.

However, Armitage left the meeting before the Tigers and the Sri Lankan delegates began an interactive session on the immediate needs of the island’s embattled northern and eastern regions.—AFP