The Tamil rebels are notorious for breaking truces signed with the government in Colombo. The Tamils went back on their promise to hold on to the peace and resumed hostilities on April 19. Hundreds of innocent civilians have been killed by them and thousands more will probably die.

Sri Lankan President, Chandrika Kumartunga is striving for peace to end the conflict in which more than 30,000 people, the majority of whom were Sinhalese, died. The killer "tigers" are trying to carve a separate "Eelam" state in Eastern Sri Lanka. To do this, they have engaged in brutality and terror that ranks them well ahead of their Serbian counterparts.

Thousands of Sinhalese have been taken away from their homes in Tamil-held territories never to be seen again by their families.

The Tamils have gone on the rampage with unusual ferocity even by the standards of their own blood thirst.

More than 600 people were killed in addition about a 100 soldiers.

The Tamils' growing military might is a result of the nurturing and sustained armed support by the late Mrs. Indira Gandhi and, later on, by her son Rajiv who himself fell victim to their bloody acts.

The Indian government, a fortnight ago, asked Sri Lanka to extradite Prabhakaran for his involvement in the 1991 assassination.

But it is too late. For this monster cannot be roped in easily. His terror group has killed virtually every leader of political significance. Not only that, he has also murdered his own Tamil political rivals.

As observed by a Western journalist: "The record of the Tigers is one of the blackest after Pol Pot - one of savagery."

Prabhakaran is a cunning animal. He provokes the Sinhalese to react trying to gain international sympathy. He is not averse to personally shooting his own people and, it is alleged, personally presided over several killings.

The human rights record of the Tamil Tigers is the blackest in history.

Their inhumane methods have not only resulted in the death of others but by lowering its recruiting age from 13 to 11, he has turned the young into cannon fodder. The Sri Lankan government, already wilting under pressure, is working on a constitutional package that promises a wide measure of autonomy for a Tamil state. 

Tamil moderates may view it seriously. However, the majority, many encouraged by the supply of arms and supplies from across the straits, are in the mood to abandon their cry for a separate homeland nor for a geographical chunk much larger than is justified by the size of their population.