Tigers greatly responsible for violence - US

US: At the conclusion of the two-day Co-Chairs meeting in Washington, US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said his country views the Tigers as "greatly responsible" for the recent bloodshed.

Burns noted that the United States believes the Tigers are a terror organisation responsible for innocent deaths, and the Government has a right to maintain its territorial integrity.

Still, "it takes both sides to agree to peace. In any situation like this, it's incumbent upon us to use the influence that we have to try to move both of them, influence both of them to move toward peace." Representatives from the United States, Japan, the European Union and Norway attended the meeting.

"There is simply no way that the international community can impose peace in Sri Lanka. It must be homegrown," Norwegian Aid Minister Erik Solheim told reporters after the meeting.

"The Co-Chairs view with alarm the rising level of violence in Sri Lanka that has led to significant loss of life," the donors said in a statement issued out of Washington overnight.

They particularly condemned the LTTE for initiating hostilities from heavily populated areas. The donors also called on both sides to set up demilitarised zones to protect civilians.

"Only by committing to sustained and substantive negotiations can the downward spiral of hostilities be reversed," the Co-Chairs noted.

They called on both parties to guarantee the security of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission to fully exercise its mandate. "We urge the parties to the conflict to commit to a structured and sustained process of further negotiations without preconditions once a proposal is available, as indicated by the Government and welcomed by the LTTE delegation in Geneva."

The agreement between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the opposition United National Party should lead to a credible power-sharing proposal that can help form the basis for a viable negotiated settlement between the parties, the statement said.

"The legitimate interests and aspirations of all communities, including the Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala communities must be accommodated as part of a political settlement."

The Co-Chairs welcomed the Government's progress in establishing a Commission of Inquiry for Human Rights with international observers. It recognised the efforts by the Government to provide essential supplies themselves and welcome the establishment of the consultative committee on humanitarian assistance that is addressing several humanitarian access issues for international agencies. The Co-Chairs urged the LTTE to cooperate with Government initiatives on sending essential items to the North.

The Co-Chairs also expressed their strong support for Norway's ongoing efforts to facilitate the peace process and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission's role in monitoring the Ceasefire Agreement.