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Wednesday 04 June 2003
Tamil Tigers reject offer
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Tamil Tiger rebels have rejected the Sri Lankan government's latest attempt to bring them back to the negotiating table. The Tigers are insisting on an interim administration for the north east of the island, giving them considerable powers. The government has offered a more limited development council. This report from Frances Harrison. |
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The Tigers are adamant now that the only way out of the current impasse is for the Sri Lankan government to give them control of an interim administration for the north east. If they're given a draft framework for such a body, the rebels say they are willing to resume negotiations.
But the Tigers complain the government's current proposal for a joint development body is just a new bureaucracy created within a system that's failed to deliver. Even the government concedes rehabilitation of the conflict areas has been woefully slow during the last fifteen months of this peace process and it's led to major disagreement about how best to administer development funds for the war ravaged north east.
Mistrust now runs so deep that the Tigers have withdrawn from the pledging conference next week in Japan, as well as peace talks. But the head of the government's negotiating team, G L Peiris, said they still expected to secure three billion dollars worth of pledges from the international community even with the absence of the Tigers.
Frances Harrison, BBC, Colombo
Listen to the words
adamant
determined
impasse
a difficult situation where progress is impossible
interim
temporary
draft
an early version of something
resume
restart
concedes
admits
rehabilitation
renewal, improvement
woefully
extremely, disappointingly
war ravaged
destroyed by the effects of war
pledges
promises
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