Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels today entered a historic peace deal with minority Muslims ahead of Norwegian-backed talks to end the island's drawn out separatist war, it was announced.
The main Muslim party, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), said the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) agreed to allow 100,000 Muslims hounded out of the rebel's strongholds in the north and east 12 years ago to return to their original homes.
The two sides signed a joint statement as part of an initial confidence building measure before attending talks in Thailand next month which are part of Norway's efforts to broker peace in the war-ravaged island.
The Tamil Tigers also agreed to immediately stop collecting "taxes" from the minority Muslims in the island's eastern province, Mr Hakeem said after talks with LTTE leader Mr Velupillai Prabhakaran.
"I asked Mr. Prabhakaran from when this will be done and he said 'You will see how my writ runs. It will be done immediately'," Mr Hakeem told reporters shortly after returning to the capital from a three-hour meeting in the rebel-held north.
AFP