Colombo, Feb 23: On the first anniversary of a ceasefire with separatist Tamil tigers, Sri Lanka's Prime Minster Ranil Wickremesinghe brushed aside opposition to his peace moves, saying talks did not mean "kneeling down" to the rebels and there was no "alternative". "There is no kneeling before the tigers. Those who say we are kneeling before the Tigers, what do they want us to do," Wickremesinghe said. "Do they want us to return to war. We have to be patient. Do you want me to go back to war," Wickremesinghe said in a television interview with privately- -owned networks here today.

Pointing out that the US as well as India backed the peace initiative and that of his government, he said those who object to this stepped up international support for peace bid must offer an alternative. "This is the last chance. Those who oppose this must tell us what the alternative is.

"My position was that I was not going for talks alone. I have the support of international community. There are some who blame me for getting the support of the US and India.
"What do they want us to do. The support I get is not to fight, but to have peace."

He admitted that there were problems in fully implementing the Norwegian-brokered ceasefire with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on February 22 last year, but the tigers too were now coming under intense foreign pressure to fall in line and honour their side of the bargain as the country moved towards receiving foreign financial support for rehabilitation. Bureau Report