Rising Sri Lanka violence decried

Monitors say both sides are to blame for rising violence

International ceasefire monitors in Sri Lanka have issued their strongest statement to date condemning the recent rise in violence.

They said Tamil Tiger rebels could not simply deny carrying out the attacks.

They also said the government needed to rein in paramilitary groups working in rebel strongholds.

The past month has been the bloodiest since the ceasefire was signed almost four years ago, with more than 100 people killed.

'Harassment'

The BBC's Dumeetha Luthra in Colombo says the statement by the Norwegian-led monitors is a sign of frustration at the growing violence on the island.

It is safe to say that [Tamil Tiger] involvement cannot be ruled out and we find [their] indifference to these attacks worrying Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission

The monitors are normally reluctant to point fingers, our correspondent says, but a series of attacks against the Sri Lankan military has left more than 70 dead in the past month.

The Tamil Tigers have denied involvement but the monitors now say that rebel involvement cannot be ruled out.

But the monitors also criticised the government. They said Colombo should disarm paramilitaries and blame them in part for creating this situation.

SRI LANKA ATTACKS 4 December: Seven troops die in Jaffna mine blast 6 December: Second Jaffna mine kills seven troops 23 December: Mine attack kills 13 sailors in Mannar district 27 December: Jaffna mine kills 11 soldiers 2 January: Five Tamil youths killed in Trincomalee 7 January: 13 sailors killed at sea off Trincomalee

The statement also said there had been reports of harassment against Tamil civilians.

Tamil Tiger supporters say more than 40 Tamils have been killed by the security forces in a series of attacks since the start of December. Others blame some of those deaths on the rebels or other armed groups.

Our correspondent says that although the ceasefire officially still stands, even the monitors are asking if it exists.

International mediation efforts have so far failed to persuade the government and the rebels to resume peace talks, which stalled in 2003.

The Tamil Tigers want a separate state in the north and east of Sri Lanka.

More than 60,000 people died during two decades of conflict with Sri Lanka's security forces.