Colombo, July 21 (Reuters): Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tiger rebels would not hesitate to resume hostilities if the government provoked them, but have no intention of breaking a ceasefire that has held for 20 months, the group said today.

“We request the government not to push to a state of resuming the war,” S.P. Tamilchelvin, leader of the political wing of the LTTE, told regional leaders of the group in Killinochi. “However, if the government compels us into a war situation, we are prepared to fight back and retaliate with an appropriate reply.” While Tamilchelvin was talking tough in Killinochi, the rebels were also playing it more softly in Colombo, where the LTTE’s chief representative to the peace process met his government counterpart late yesterday.

It was the highest-level meeting between the two sides since the government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga came to office following a snap election in April. Officials, however, described the meeting between the LTTE’s S. Pulidevan and the government's Jayantha Dhanapala as “a courtesy call, an icebreaker”.