Colombo, July 18: The Sri Lankan government today rejected an opposition charge that it was succumbing to pressure from the liberation tigers in pursuing its initiative to bring peace to the conflict-torn nation. "Pressure has not been the guiding principle at all," cabinet spokesman and constitutional affairs minister G L Peiris told reporters.

"We have not succumbed to any pressure," he said, adding there had been instances when unreasonable demands by the rebels had been turned down.

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The opposition people's alliance has accused the government of yielding to all demands of the LTTE, especially by asking the security forces to vacate all public buildings occupied by them in the north and east.

Peiris claimed that the peace process was not as dormant as it seemed, contending that the parties were making "thorough preparations" for proposed negotiations with the LTTE in Thailand. The Norwegian peace facilitators were in touch with both parties, and they had discussed with LTTE negotiator Anton Balasingham on aspects like preparing the sequence of items to be taken up during talks and the format for the negotiations, he said.

However, he conceded that the no dates had been finalized now and the priority was on implementing the agreement by august 2, when the accord would complete 160 days from the date of its signing in February.
Bureau Report