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Sri Lankan Tamil political party demands to be rearmed
Colombo, Aug 20: An ethnic Tamil political party that opposes the Tamil Tiger rebels is demanding its surrendered weapons back from the government so it can defend itself against the rebels, a party official said today.
Colombo, Aug 20: An ethnic Tamil political party that opposes the Tamil Tiger rebels is demanding its surrendered weapons back from the government so it can defend itself
against the rebels, a party official said today.
The party accuses the rebels of killing more than 29 of its members.
The Eelam People's Revolutionary Party made its demand a day after suspected rebels opened fire and detonated a grenade in an attack apparently targeting Harischandra -- a senior party officer -- said party secretary S Thavarajah.
All Tamil political groups had to lay down their weapons under a Norwegian-brokered February 2002 cease-fire agreement between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tigers. Some Tamil groups had previously abandoned demands for a separate homeland and joined the political mainstream. They'd been allowed to keep their weapons for fear the Tamil tiger guerrillas might attack them for giving up the independence fight.
There was no immediate response from the government.
The rebels, fighting for a separate homeland for Sri Lanka's ethnic minority Tamils since 1983, now say they'll settle for autonomy within a federal system after a conflict that's killed nearly 65,000 people. But in April the Tigers suspended peace talks with the government, accusing it of not doing enough to address their grievances.
Bureau Report
The Eelam People's Revolutionary Party made its demand a day after suspected rebels opened fire and detonated a grenade in an attack apparently targeting Harischandra -- a senior party officer -- said party secretary S Thavarajah.
All Tamil political groups had to lay down their weapons under a Norwegian-brokered February 2002 cease-fire agreement between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tigers. Some Tamil groups had previously abandoned demands for a separate homeland and joined the political mainstream. They'd been allowed to keep their weapons for fear the Tamil tiger guerrillas might attack them for giving up the independence fight.
There was no immediate response from the government.
The rebels, fighting for a separate homeland for Sri Lanka's ethnic minority Tamils since 1983, now say they'll settle for autonomy within a federal system after a conflict that's killed nearly 65,000 people. But in April the Tigers suspended peace talks with the government, accusing it of not doing enough to address their grievances.
Bureau Report