Vredesbesprekingen mislukt

Sri Lankan military, rebels exchange artillery fire after peace talks fail; 1 Tamil killed
Associated Press, Mon October 30, 2006 03:39 EST . DILIP GANGULY - Associated Press Writer - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP)

Tamil Tiger rebels and government troops exchanged artillery fire in Sri Lanka - 's ethnic Tamil heartland on Monday, the military said, a day after talks to salvage a cease-fire and halt more than two decades of conflict ended without a breakthrough. The Tigers, formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, alleged during the weekend talks that Sri Lanka - 's military was preparing for a major assault in the north an allegation the military denied Monday.
``There is absolutely no truth in the claim,'' Samarasinghe said. ``We are defending our positions with the current deployment.''
The Geneva talks between government and rebel negotiators were aimed at salvaging a 2002 cease-fire that has been all but destroyed by a major surge in violence this year.
The talks ended Sunday with the two sides failing to even agree on a date for further talks, said Erik Solheim, Norway's minister for international development and its peace envoy to Sri Lanka - .
The rebels accuse the government of blockading the A-9 highway to strangle the rebels' main supply route and to impede aid agencies' access to the area, where fierce fighting has stranded thousands of people without enough food or other essentials.
The government said during the talks that a sea delivery route would cheaper and safer, claiming the rebels themselves hamper deliveries by threatening and extorting those using the road.
But the rebels rejected an offer to set up a sea route, saying it would not be suitable for aid agencies.
The rebels began fighting in 1983 for a separate homeland for ethnic Tamils in the north and east of Sri Lanka - , claiming discrimination by the majority Sinhalese. More than 65,000 people were killed in the conflict before the 2002 cease-fire.