LTTE offers talk without pre-conditions

COLOMBO: After being pushed to a small strip of land, the beleaguered LTTE has offered fresh talks without pre-conditions but the Sri Lankan government snubbed the proposal, asking the Tamil Tigers to lay down arms first.

Balasingham Nadesan, the political head of the rebels, has again called for an urgent ceasefire, saying the Tigers would enter negotiations with the government "without pre-conditions", The Sunday Times reported today.

"We call for a ceasefire, loudly and clearly," he told the newspaper in an interview.

"Continuous denial of humanitarian access to the civilian population, and non-stop artillery and aerial attacks, are creating an unbearable situation," Nadesan said.