Colombo: Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels have openly defied the Scandinavian truce monitors by refusing to dismantle a camp in the country's East, delivering the first major blow to the island's already faltering peace process.

The Norwegian-led Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) said the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had told them on August 7 that they will not abide by a ruling on dismantling a controversial camp.

The SLMM's deputy chief, Hagrup Haukland, said the LTTE's political wing leader S P Thamilselvan in his letter refused to remove the controversial camp in the district of Trincomalee, despite the SLMM ruling that it violated the ceasefire, which went into effect from February 23, 2002.

"We have reported the matter to the Sri Lankan government and the facilitator (Norway)," Haukland said. "The next step is in the hands of Norway."

There was no immediate reaction either from the Colombo government or the Norwegian peace brokers who have been working to revive the peace talks stalled since April.

PTI