Speaking at a seminar organised by the Indian Council of World Affairs in New Delhi, the MPs, who are considered close to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, said the ceasefire agreement has completely broken down, and alleged that armed groups supported by the Sri Lankan army were involved in serious human rights violations against Tamil civilians.

"There are certain political forces in Sri Lanka who are seeking a military solution, but they are mistaken because past events have shown the resilience of the Tamil people," Rajavarothiam Sampanthan, MP, said.

Asserting that the current situation in Sri Lanka was reminiscent of the July 1983 disturbances which sparked off the long ethnic war, the MPs claimed that more than 250,000 Tamils have been displaced due to renewed violence in northern and eastern Sri Lanka. Over 12,500 refugees have fled to India so far.

The Tamil MPs urged the international community, particularly India, to play an important role in restoring normalcy in the war-torn north and east, where Tamils are a majority.

"India must formulate its thoughts about what role it should play in Sri Lanka," said Sampanthan, who heads the delegation now in India. India is the only country which understands the sentiments of the Sri Lankan Tamils, he said. "We have a special bond."

He stunned Sri Lankans present in the audience when he claimed that, "I cheer for India when it plays against Sri Lanka," adding later, "Of course, I am a Sri Lankan."

Regretting the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, the MPs urged India to forget and forgive the past. "Tamils in Sri Lanka have deeply resented and disapproved of the tragic incident," Sampanthan said.

Mohan Kumar, joint secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, and Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to India Romesh Jayasingha were present at the seminar.

In his speech, Sampanthan said "The international community is making a mistake when insisting on Sri Lanka's integrity because it encourages the Sri Lankan government to believe that it can get away with anything."

The "Sri Lankan government is shoving its State-sponsored terrorism against the Tamils under the carpet by demonising the LTTE," he said, adding that the "time has come to make it clear to the Sri Lankan government that the territorial integrity of the island is no longer sacrosanct. Presently, an attempt is being made to put the clock behind by 20 years."

While arguing that "we are not holding a brief for the LTTE. It represents a violent form of resistance but it is an inevitable manifestation of resistance," Sampanthan said, asking: "What choice do the Tamils of Sri Lanka have? The LTTE is the only organisation capable of resistance."

The five MPS, who have been in India for a fortnight, have been unable to get an appointment with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] so far.

The 1985 accord between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE which had recognised 'Tamil aspirations' and acknowledged the north and east as traditional Tamil homelands is now being challenged, he said.

These two elements were the only foundation for a solution of the Sri Lankan problem, he said, adding that the current government in Colombo is trying to reverse the understanding. A petition being heard in the Sri Lankan supreme court challenges the historic rights of the Tamil people and the merger of the north and east areas, he said.

The Tamil MPs also claimed that the Sinhala majority is unable to come together, with individual sections pursuing different agendas.

The "Sri Lankan government is firmly of the view that a military solution is very much possible," another MP, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, said.

Analysing the reasons for the collapse of the 2001 ceasefire agreement, he said it was predicated on the dynamics of a military balance between the army and the LTTE. The army now believes that the balance has changed in its favour. LTTE rebel Karuna also played a role in this, he felt, and the government believes that the LTTE has lost a significant section of its cadres.

In 2001, Sri Lanka faced an acute economic crisis, but today its economy is on the upsurge, he noted. After the tsunami, it received a huge amount of aid, which encouraged the government to flout rules imposed by the donor countries. Internationally, there is a growing perception that the Sri Lankan government is "the better party" while the LTTE "is a problem," he said.

The "international community must link its commitment to Sri Lanka's integrity to the acceptance of Tamil aspirations," Ponnambalam said, warning that "It should not be left to the LTTE to demonstrate once again that there cannot be a military solution."

India's has officially expressed its committment to the sovereignty of Sri Lanka, and  asserted that there is no military solution to Sri Lanka's problem. Already active with negotiators between the LTTE and the Colombo government, New Delhi has suggested various models for power sharing by the two sides based on India's federal structure. 

Refuting the charges made by the MPs, High Commissioner Jayasingha said care has been taken to invite Amnesty International and other human rights groups to Sri Lanka. "The recent violence shows that the LTTE cannot achieve its goal with a military solution," he concluded.