A three-year truce between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels is in jeopardy amid claims that the Colombo government is failing its obligations under the terms of the 2002 peace deal.
S.P. Thamilselvan, head of the political wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), says that leading rebel figures are still allowed too much influence and normalcy has not been restored to the country as agreed.
The rebel leader also says President Chandrika Kumaratunga is dragging her feet on sharing $2 billion of aid to help reconstruct coastal areas ravaged by the Indian Ocean tsunami. And he expressed doubt over whether aid would be shared even if a deal were signed.
He told Reutersin an interview that more than $1 billion will be needed to rebuild Tamil areas destroyed by the waves but Colombo remained apathetic four months after the disaster.
His comments were the most threatening since the December 26th tsunami after which the government and the rebels had signalled they would forge unity.
He said assassinations of Tamil academics and journalists "tends to make us think the CFA and the peace process at large is in jeopardy.
"Our commitment continues to be undiluted for a negotiated means of settlement," he said when asked if the LTTE would resume its civil war.
"The question is whether the Tamil people are being asked by Colombo to take up arms again or not. It is Colombo that has to make a decision," he said