Sri Lanka renews Tamil Tiger ban

Sri Lanka's government has re-imposed a formal ban on the Tamil Tiger rebel movement which it lifted as part of a 2002 truce.

The largely symbolic move means the rebels are once again designated a terrorist organisation in Sri Lanka.

The ban is another sign the government has no plans to negotiate, observers say. Heavy fighting has been going on between troops and rebels for months.

The army has recently made significant advances into rebel-held territory.

A government minister said the cabinet took the decision because the Tigers were not letting civilians leave the combat area they still control in the north.

The parliamentary leader of the Tamil National Alliance said the government was only interested in imposing a military solution to the Tamil question.