"Senator Bob Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat, chaired [a U.S. Senate hearing yesterday on Sri Lanka]. He called for both sides in the conflict to come to a political settlement. 'Should the war end and the broader Tamil population continue to face systemic discrimination by and inadequate representation in the Sri Lankan government, the Tamil Tigers may once again be driven underground to carry out acts of terror, perpetuating another go-around in this vicious cycle of violence. So far, there are few indications that a political deal is imminent. The government of Sri Lanka will not negotiate directly with the LTTE, but it does not appear the government has much interest in finding alternative Tamil interlocutors, nor have the Tamils presented credible alternatives to the LTTE,' he said.
"Sri Lanka's military says its forces advanced Tuesday into the last rebel stronghold in [the] northeastern part of the country.
"The LTTE has said it is open to a limited cease-fire and a political solution, but has rejected calls to disarm. The government has rejected anything short of the rebels' unconditional surrender."
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