Lanka Govt rejects Tigers’ talks demand

The Sri Lankan government on Wednesday rejected the LTTE’s demand for an unconditional resumption of talks and accused the guerrillas of using ‘‘threatening language’’ to undermine peace efforts.

The rebel position was unacceptable, a government statement said in its first reaction to the rebel warning of returning to their ‘‘freedom struggle’’ unless the 19-month impasse in peace talks was ended by Colombo.

‘‘A call, couched in threatening language, from the LTTE now for a resumption of negotiations without conditions, while setting conditions itself by insisting unilaterally on a single agenda item is scarcely conducive to good faith negotiations,’’ it said. —PTI