Colombo: Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga on April 22 placed government forces on maximum alert after Tamil Tiger rebels suspended the peace dialogue to protest the slow implementation of decisions taken at earlier talks.

Kumaratunga expressed her "deep dissatisfaction" at the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's (LTTE) unilateral decision to suspend negotiations with the government, but expressed hope that "better sense would prevail" and the rebels would re-enter negotiations.

"The President is of the view that the reasons put forward by the LTTE for their withdrawal from the talks are feeble," Kumaratunga's office said in a statement.

The President, who is also the commander in chief of armed forces, summoned an emergency meeting of the military top brass on April 21 night and ordered them to tighten security, the statement said.

"The President directed them to reintroduce immediately the security measures that were set up in 1995 to ensure security and safety of the people," the statement said.

Kumaratunga's peace talks with the LTTE ended in April 1995 leading to more bloodshed.

At the time, she immediately re-imposed an economic embargo on areas held by the Tigers and stepped up security and launched a major offensive to eventually capture the Northern town of Jaffna from the Tigers.

The LTTE on April 21 announced the unilateral suspension of peace talks to protest what they called the slow progress in implementing a ceasefire.

The LTTE in a four-page letter to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said they will also not attend the major international donor meeting Japan is hosting in June to seek international support for the peace process.

PTI