LTTE chief gets 200 yrs

A Sri Lankan court sentenced the reclusive leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Velupillai Prabhakaran to 200 years in jail on Thursday as the rebels sat down for peace talks with the government in Thailand to end two decades of war.

Colombo High Court handed down the sentence after convicting Prabhakaran and four others in absentia for their roles in the 1996 bombing that blew up the island8217;s central bank, killing nearly 100 people.

8216;8216;They should be taken into custody immediately,8217;8217; High Court Judge Sarath Ambeypitiya said. It was not known if the conviction would have any impact on the peace talks that started on Thursday, but it highlights the issue of blame the negotiators are expected to have to tackle at some point.