Associated Press Writer - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) Tamil Tiger rebels and Sri Lankan troops traded fire Tuesday, the military said, a day after the top rebel leader declared a 2002 cease-fire ``defunct,'' suggesting the insurgents would renew their violent struggle for an independent Tamil homeland. Rebel spokesman Daya Master confirmed that officials from the Sri Lanka - Monitoring Mission were meeting with rebel leadership in the insurgents' stronghold of Kilinochchi. But he had no immediate details. Rambukwella warned of military retaliation if the Tigers officially renewed their more than two decade armed struggle for independence. ``Our armed forces will act to safeguard national security,'' he said at a news conference. Reclusive rebel chief Velupillai Prabhakaran, in an annual speech on Monday, said he no longer believed the government wanted to resolve the conflict through peaceful means. He accused the government of President Mahinda Rajapakse of wanting to decide the fate of the island's ethnic Tamil minority using military power. ``It wants to occupy the Tamil land and then force an unacceptable solution on the Tamils,'' Prabhakaran said. But on Tuesday, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake, visiting Vietnam, said it was up to the rebels to end the bloodshed that left more than 65,000 people dead before the cease-fire. ``There is terrorism and there is negotiations. Terrorism must be stopped by them, not us. We are not terrorists,'' he said. Government spokesman Rambukwella also said the government was still committed to a peaceful settlement of the Tamil issue which revolves around rebel demands for an independent homeland for Sri Lanka - 's 3.1 million Tamils in the northeast. ``We are still keeping the window open,'' he said of the possibility of peace talks. But violence between the two sides continued. The military said the rebels fired heavy artillery at army positions in eastern Batticaloa district early Tuesday. At least one soldier was killed and two wounded, military spokesman, Maj. Upali Rajapakse, said.
Meanwhile, the New York-based Human Rights Watch asked the government to stop its troops' alleged involvement in child recruitment for an armed group fighting the Tamil Tigers. ``We have clear and compelling evidence that government forces are helping Karuna forces abduct boys and young men,'' the statement quoted Jo Becker, children's rights advocate at HRW, as saying. The Karuna group is named after a former top Tamil Tiger commander who broke from the mainstream rebels in 2004, with about 6,000 fighters. The rebels have since accused the government of launching a proxy war against them using the splinter group. The mainstream Tigers are known to have used thousands of child soldiers. In his speech, Prabhakaran called the tattered truce ``defunct'' and urged the international community to recognize the Tamil cause as a ``freedom struggle.'' The government Tuesday dismissed Prabhakaran as a leader out of touch with his people. This year has seen a sharp rise in open conflict, with more than 3,500 fighters and civilians dying in aerial bombings, assassinations, bomb attacks and daily skirmishes, according to government figures. Associated Press Writer Krishan Francis contributed to this report.
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Meanwhile, the New York-based Human Rights Watch asked the government to stop its troops' alleged involvement in child recruitment for an armed group fighting the Tamil Tigers. ``We have clear and compelling evidence that government forces are helping Karuna forces abduct boys and young men,'' the statement quoted Jo Becker, children's rights advocate at HRW, as saying. The Karuna group is named after a former top Tamil Tiger commander who broke from the mainstream rebels in 2004, with about 6,000 fighters. The rebels have since accused the government of launching a proxy war against them using the splinter group. The mainstream Tigers are known to have used thousands of child soldiers. In his speech, Prabhakaran called the tattered truce ``defunct'' and urged the international community to recognize the Tamil cause as a ``freedom struggle.'' The government Tuesday dismissed Prabhakaran as a leader out of touch with his people. This year has seen a sharp rise in open conflict, with more than 3,500 fighters and civilians dying in aerial bombings, assassinations, bomb attacks and daily skirmishes, according to government figures. Associated Press Writer Krishan Francis contributed to this report.
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