Nakhon Pathom (Thailand): Sri Lankan and Tamil Tigers began their third day of peace negotiations on January 8 morning, a day after the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) pulled out of a key sub-committee on de-escalation.

A Sri Lankan government negotiator said the talks were continuing and the January 7 move by the LTTE was not a setback.

Tigers' Chief negotiator Anton Balasingham on January 7 night said that both sides were engaging in constructive and cordial talks and emphasised that there was "no crisis, no problem".

The LTTE said that it would immediately withdraw from the sub-committee on de- escalation and normalisation to protest the "unreasonable and unacceptable demands" of the Sri Lankan security forces.

The Tigers want the government to shut down military camps in high security zones in Jaffna peninsula to enable thousands of displaced persons to return. The government wants the LTTE to disarm first, which the rebel group has refused at this stage.

Decommissioning of the Tiger's armed forces before a peaceful resolution of the conflict was unfair and unacceptable, Balasingham said.

Balasingham said the Tigers would also boycott a meeting scheduled for January 14 by Scandinavian truce monitors, which was designed to thrash out differences between the rebels and security forces.

Sri Lanka's chief negotiator at the talks G L Peiris said the two sides had agreed to set up a committee on the rights of women and children. The panel will comprise equal number of representatives from both sides.

Meanwhile, sources said the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers have agreed to look into a report being finalised by a retired Indian Army general Satish Nambiar about security issues and de-escalation in Jaffna.

Sri Lanka's top negotiator G L Peiris said the Colombo government and Tamil Tiger rebels decided to wait for an assessment from an "independent" authority on a question that has threatened to deadlock their peace talks.

"We are awaiting a report from an independent expert who will give us valuable advice," Peiris said.

Official sources said Peiris was referring to retired Indian army general lieutenant general Satish Nambiar. He had been commissioned last month by Colombo to assess security implications in the Jaffna peninsula, they said.

PTI