'Tamil Tiger rebels must disarm before any future peace talks'

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Sri Lanka's government said Thursday that the Tamil Tiger rebels must disarm before it would consider any future peace talks, a day after authorities decided to formally withdraw from a Norway-brokered cease-fire with the insurgents. "It's useless talking to them (the rebels) now," Cabinet spokesman and Media Minister Anura Yapa told a news conference. "But in the future, due to change of situations, if they decide to lay down their arms and come to talks, the government can reconsider," he said.