Tamil Tigers accuse Sri Lanka government

Tamil Tiger rebels on Monday accused Sri Lanka's government of not honoring commitments given at the just-concluded Geneva talks by failing to crack down on an armed member of a rival Tamil group in the north.

Photo: Tamil Tigers accuse Sri Lanka government

The member of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party was seen traveling with a handgun on government-controlled Delft island on Friday and government troops did nothing to restrict him, the rebel group said.

"This is a violation of the cease-fire and words given by the government at Geneva,' said Daya Master, a spokesman for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, as the Tamil Tigers are formally known.

There was no immediate comment available from Sri Lanka's military.

The Eelam Peoples Democratic Party used to be a militant organization but gave up its arms in the late 1980s to join the political mainstream, and today is a coalition partner in President Mahinda Rajapakse's government.

The group accuses the Tamil Tigers of killing at least 40 of its members since the 2002 cease-fire between the rebels and the government.

Government ministers and rebel leaders met in Geneva Feb 22-23 to save Sri Lanka's the faltering cease-fire. They agreed to meet again from April 19-21 in Geneva. A joint statement released after the latest talks said that, until then, both sides agreed to take "all necessary measures to ensure that there will be no intimidation, acts of violence, abductions or killings."

The government also agreed not to allow any armed groups to move in the areas under its control other than the military.

The Geneva meeting was the first high-level contact between the two sides since peace talks broke down in 2003 after six rounds.

Tamils complain of systematic discrimination by the Sinhalese majority, and are seeking autonomy in Sri Lanka's Tamil-dominated northeast, reports the AP.