Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.

Sri Lankan President Calls for Revised Truce with Tamil Rebels
--------------------------------------------------------------

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=FEB7DF:3919ACA Mahinda Rajapakse
says he will amend three-year-old cease-fire pact to ensure it
prevents terrorist acts, respects human rights Sri Lanka's
recently-elected President Mahinda Rajapakse, making good on his
campaign position, is calling for a revised cease-fire deal with the
Tamil Tiger rebels. Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi that the
original 2002 deal brought a halt to a two-decade-long ethnic war on
the island nation.







Mahinda RajapakseIn his first policy statement to parliament,
President Mahinda Rajapakse said he would amend the three-year-old
cease-fire pact with Tamil rebels to ensure that it prevents terrorist
acts and respects human rights.

He called for reviving stalled peace talks with the guerrillas, but
rejected the Tamil rebels' demand for an autonomous homeland based on
ethnicity.

The head of Colombo's Center for Policy Alternatives, Paikiasothy
Saravanamuttu, says the comments are not unexpected.

"These are the policies and positions on which he stood during the
campaign, and he is not going to ditch them immediately," he said.

The rebels have warned that tampering with the Norwegian-brokered
cease-fire could cause its collapse. But Mr. Rajapakse is allied with
hard-line Marxist and Buddhist groups that oppose giving too much to
the rebels.


.