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LTTE chief Prabhakaran ready to accept autonomy

K Venkataramanan in Colombo

In a significant move, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam chief Velupillai Prabhakaran on Wednesday said he was ready to accept regional autonomy for his people in Sri Lanka, 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," Prabhakaran said 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 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".

He, however, 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.

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