LTTE says it will continue ceasefire

Tamil Tiger separatists in Sri Lanka say they will continue to observe a one-month unilateral ceasefire even though it has been rejected by the government.

The Tigers say they will not carry out any operations until the 24th of January, but reserve the right to defend themselves.

They appealed to the government to reconsider, and called on the international community to persuade Sri Lanka to abandon its approach.

The BBC correspondent in Colombo says this appears to be an attempt by the Tigers to gain the moral high ground.

However our correspondent says it seems unlikely to work, because the government fears the Tigers would exploit any lull in the fighting to rearm and regroup.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service