Colombo: In a significant move, LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) leader Velupillai Prabhakaran on November 27 announced that he was ready to accept regional autonomy for his people but warned any failure to fulfil this may compel the Tamils to secede.

"We are prepared to consider favourably a political framework that offers substantial regional autonomy and self-government in our homeland on the basis of our right to internal self-determination," said Prabhakaran in a speech broadcast on rebel radio.

"But if our people's right to self-determination is denied and our demand for regional self-rule is rejected, we have no alternative other than to secede and form an independent state," the 48-year-old reclusive leader declared in an annual "Heroes' Day" address, delivered in a rebel-held area in the island's North.

The concept of "internal self-determination", articulated in recent months by the LTTE as a possible alternative to secession, was the main theme of his speech, which appealed to the dominant Sinhala community not to oppose Tamil self-rule in their "traditional homeland".

He stuck to the LTTE's known position that its "struggle" revolved around recognition of the concepts of "self-determination, Tamil homeland and a distinct Tamil nationality".

However, he made no response to the call by the US to renounce armed struggle and abjure violence. While committing himself to pursuing the ongoing peace efforts brokered by Norway and discussing any underlying issues related to the ethnic conflict, he opposed any conceptual fetters on the talks.

"But the talks should be conducted freely without constraints, without conditions, without timeframes. Imposing parameters or stipulating conceptual limits for political negotiations entails an infringement on the basic political freedom and choice of our people," he said.

Prabhakaran's opposition to any "conceptual limits" was an apparent attempt to pre-empt any demand that the Tamil Tigers disarm, abjure their ultimate goal or renounce violence prior to final political negotiations.

US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, speaking at a "peace support meeting" in Oslo on November 25, had asked the LTTE to accept the sovereignty of the Sri Lankan government over the island and to give up struggle for a separate state.

"Our political objective is to ensure that our people live in freedom and dignity in their homeland, enjoying the right to self-rule. If this political objective could be realized by peaceful means, we are prepared to adopt that method," he said.

Prabhakaran praised Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's government for taking concrete steps to redress immediate problems of the Tamil people, unlike the previous regime, which, he charged, was against addressing such problems in the early stages of peace talks.

"We are pleased to note that the talks between the government and the LTTE are progressing forward under conditions of mutual trust and goodwill. We are encouraged by the interest shown by the international community in the peace process and their willingness to offer assistance to rebuild the war-damaged economy of the Tamil nation," he said.

Cming close on the heels of a donor nations' c6nfeence and just ahead of the third session of peace [alks in Oslo, the address was eagerly awaited.

PTI