Associated Press

Colombo, June 1:

The Tamil Tiger rebels are warning of “calamity and destruction” in Sri Lanka unless the military takes immediate steps to halt assassinations of ethnic Tamils, news reports said today. The Tigers’ statement, appearing on a Web site that reports on Tamil affairs, was their strongest warning of a possible return to hostilities since they signed a ceasefire with the government in February 2002. The rebel group has blamed the military and former Tamil Tiger rebels who have broken with the main guerrilla movement for recent slayings of prominent Tamil figures, including the assassination yesterday of a Tamil journalist in eastern Sri Lanka.

“Killing of intellectuals, journalists and friends of Tamil people is abominable,” said the statement on TamilNet. “Sri Lanka security forces and the (breakaway) militants who are assisting them must realise the consequences. Current situation in Sri Lanka demands that these killings stop.” “Even during this time of peace, anti-peace forces are engaged in barbaric activities. These actions are bound to lead the people of this island to a period of calamity and destruction,” the statement said. Sri Lanka’s military said it was “absurd” for the Tigers to blame the army for the killings. “We are not involved in any,” said military spokesman Col Sumedha Perera.

Norwegian peace monitors,said a Sri Lankan general is scheduled to meet rebel leaders tomorrow to discuss the situation in the east, where most of the recent killings have taken place. “We hope both parties will take concrete steps to create normalcy in the region,” said Disa Finnboga, a spokeswoman for the monitors. Iyathurai G Nadesan, correspondent for the Colombo-based Virakesari Tamil daily newspaper, was fatally shot on Monday while going to his office in Batticaloa.

His slaying followed weeks of unrest in Sri Lanka’s east since the main Tamil Tiger rebel group crushed a 6,000-strong factional revolt last month. Dozens of people have been killed in the fresh violence, including assassinations. An analyst with an independent think-tank, the National Peace Council, said the latest killings could shatter the ceasefire. “While the number of killings so far has been relatively small there is a danger of a sudden escalation in numbers,” Jehan Perera said.