Sri Lanka rejects truce offer

The Tigers want the army to pull out of Jaffna

The Sri Lankan Government has rejected a rebel offer of a temporary ceasefire to allow its troops to withdraw from the northern Jaffna peninsula.

In a nationally televised address, President Chandrika Kumaratunga said her government had no intention of abandoning Jaffna to Tamil Tiger rebels.

We shall leave no room for the LTTE to again fasten their fascist grip on the Tamil people living in Jaffna

President Kumaratunga

The Tigers had said the temporary ceasefire would allow an "orderly evacuation of troops" from Jaffna.

The rebels have inflicted a series of defeats on the army in recent weeks, leaving the government struggling to bolster its military position in the north.

'Ludicrous'

"We shall leave no room for the LTTE [Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam] to again fasten their fascist grip on the... Tamil people living in Jaffna," President Kumaratunga said.

The media minister, Mangala Samaraweera, told the BBC the Tamil Tiger suggestion was ludicrous, but added that the government was still committed to a political solution.

Government forces have suffered high casualties

The Tigers said that the ceasefire could "create cordial conditions for a permanent ceasefire, [and] peace talks", but a rejection could lead to "disastrous consequences with heavy military casualties".

"We call upon the government of Sri Lanka to consider our proposal seriously and respond positively without delay."

India 'mediation'

The Indian Government has said it would be prepared to mediate in the crisis if asked to by both sides.

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, speaking after a meeting with political party leaders in Delhi, said India wanted a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

We will continue to work for a peaceful negotiated settlement, within the framework of the Sri Lankan constitution

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee

"We will continue to work for a peaceful negotiated settlement, within the framework of the Sri Lankan constitution," he said.

However, he categorically ruled out any military intervention.

India has said it could offer unspecified humanitarian aid, but the offer has so far not been taken up by Sri Lanka.

Reluctance

The BBC's Daniel Lak in Delhi says India is conducting a difficult balancing act.

It is reluctant to send in forces because of the memory of an earlier intervention in 1987 and because of the government's dependence on regional Tamil parties.

However, it fears that a rebel victory in northern Sri Lanka could fan the flames of Tamil separatism in southern India.

India's air force chief: A scheduled visit

The Indian Air Force chief, Air Chief Marshal Anil Yaswant Tipnis, is currently visiting Sri Lanka - although the Indian Government says the visit is routine and was arranged before the Sri Lankan army suffered recent setbacks.

Sri Lankan military officials said on Sunday they were now holding the new front line against Tiger attacks.

Analysts say the rebels are not yet within shelling distance of a key air base in the north, which could force the government to withdraw.

However, independent verification of the military situation is almost impossible because journalists are barred from the frontlines, and the government has introduced censorship of media reports.