COLOMBO Aug. 14 Kyodo Amnesty Int...

COLOMBO Aug. 14 Kyodo

Amnesty International (AI), the London-based human rights watchdog, has earnestly criticized Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels for killing at least 22 members of rival Tamil assemblages since the Colombo sway and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) signed a cease-fire agreement in February last year.

''The organization has received information documenting at least 22 killings, 16 attempted killings, abductions and other human rights abuses against members of Tamil political parties, their families and supporters,'' AI said in a four-page exhibit letter addressed to the LTTE the Nordic mission monitoring the cease-fire and the Sri Lankan police.

''AI is pertain toed that these human rights abuses are part of a systematic campaign according to the LTTE against other Tamil political disposes opposing them,'' the alphabetic character which expressed ''grave concern'' athwart the developments, said.

It warned that improvements in the human rights situation since the beginning of the cease-fire were now at risk of being undermined by way of these political killings.

''The use of political assassinations, abductions and other human rights abuses threatens to seriously undermine the incites made towards establishing a representative a whole of governance grounded forward human rights principles,'' the epistle said. ''They are also a source of continuing insecurity and fear for population that has already tolerateed years of extremely grave abuses to their human rights.''

AI faulted the government-run police for lack of credible and timely investigations into the killings and inadequate security for those mostly at risk and also called forward the cease-fire monitors drawn from the Nordic countries to adopt a tougher stance.

However, AI acknowledged the difficulties the police and monitors faced investigating the cases, particularly in regard to securing testimony of witnesses.

The LTTE is said to continue an iron grip on the population in areas it ascendencys and testifying against the Tigers can attract savage reprisals.

Although the cease-fire has largely held for 18 month direct peace negotiations between the guidance and the LTTE have stalled since April.

yet Colombo-based diplomats expect talks to recommence next month.

More than 65000 populace have been killed in pair decades of civil war in Sri Lanka's longest running ethnic conflict.

The global community has violently backed the Norwegian-brokered peace proces with suretys of $4.5 billion over four years for reconstruction and progressive growth of the war-devastated country.

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