Colombo, Dec 28: The army today rejected charges by Tamil rebels that it was undermining Sri Lanka's peace process by blocking resettlement of thousands of displaced Tamils in the war-ravaged north of the island.

"I wish to assert on behalf of all officers and men that we unequivocally support the peace process," army commander Lt Gen Lionel Balagalle said in a statement. He said, however: "It must be emphasized that the army has the responsibility of safeguarding the sovereignty of Sri Lanka. It is with this in view that security forces have stipulated certain conditions."

Balagalle was responding to Thursday's statement by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam accusing the military of obstructing the peace process by demanding that the guerrillas disarm before Tamils would be allowed to return to their homes in the Jaffna peninsula.
The ethnic minority Tamils fled the region after the guerrillas began fighting government forces in 1983 for a separate homeland, alleging that the majority Sinhalese discriminate against Tamils in education and jobs.
A Norwegian-brokered truce in February stopped the fighting, which has killed more than 65,000 people.
The government and rebel representatives have held three rounds of peace talks since September to end the civil war. They are scheduled to meet again next month.
The rebels accuse the military of occupying more than 30 percent of land and homes in the Jaffna peninsula belonging to Tamils.

Bureau Report