Sri Lanka asked to share power with Tamils

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Sri Lanka could see renewed violence if the government does not share power with the minority Tamils, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake says.

Speaking to the BBC, Blake warned the Tamil Tiger rebels, who were defeated by the Sri Lankan military in May, could see an opportunity to regroup if there is no power sharing. The U.S. official said the Sri Lankan government must resettle the hundreds of thousands of displaced Tamil civilians as soon as possible.

The civilians are housed in government camps with inadequate facilities, creating a humanitarian problem.

Blake said the issue would have a bearing on U.S. aid for reconstruction and resettlement.

"There is a possibility that they will alienate the Tamil community further, and again exacerbate the divisions and perhaps even give new opportunities for the (Tiger rebels) to organize," he said. "So, it is very, very important for Sri Lanka to engage in their own dialogue with the Tamils not only inside Sri Lanka but also outside Sri Lanka, and again to hasten the process of reconciliation."

The Sri Lankan government has said it plans to speed up the resettlement of the Tamil civilians but the process also needs to identify and weed out the rebels hiding among them.