'Norway is misleading Europe about Tigers'

Anura Bandaranaike, named after his predecessor's slaying which Colombo has blamed on the Tigers, urged India to be "very emphatic to the free world that this (the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam-LTTE) is a terrorist organisation."

Colombo would like India "to try to influence the Europeans in particular who have been misled by Norwegians...away from the LTTE," he told The Hindu newspaper.

"The Europeans have been misinformed deliberately (about the Tigers)...the role of Norway is under severe criticism in Sri Lanka," Bandaranaike said.

Norway was asked by Sri Lanka in 2000 to act as a peacebroker to end the island's three-decade-old ethnic conflict that has claimed 60,000 lives. But Sri Lankan critics have regularly accused it of bias toward the rebels.

The Tigers "must feel the heat for what they have done," said Bandaranaike, who spoke during a two-day visit to India late last week.

The Sri Lankan government has accused the Tigers of the August 12 killing of Lakshman Kadirgamar, an ethnic Tamil who was a fierce critic of the rebels. The group has denied responsibility.

Bandaranaike, brother of Sri Lankan President President Chandrika Kumaratunga, said he would like European nations to take action against such Tiger activities as fund-raising.

Colombo has repeatedly asked India to take a more hands-on role in the peace process but Bandara-naike's comments marked the first time that Sri Lanka has spelt out a role it would like New Delhi to play.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan police may seek foreign expertise to track down the assassins of foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar following the arrest of two suspects, police chief Chandra Fernando said yesterday.

Forensic experts may require the help of foreign experts, Fernando said adding that evidence so far suggested that the August 12 killing was the work of Tamil Tiger rebels.

"As the investigation progresses and our teams feel they need help, we will be calling for assistance from foreign experts," Fernando told AFP. "That is an option available to our investigators."

Official sources said several countries had offered help but there was no formal word from the investigators about seeking immediate external assistance.