U.S. Ambassador in Colombo Jeffrey J Lunstead Tuesday called for a change of behavior on the part of Tamil Tiger rebels leading to the ultimate solution of the bloody armed separatist conflict.

Lunstead told reporters just ahead of his departure from Colombo at the end of his three year tenure that "the LTTE ( Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) must change its behavior by renouncing violence."

Lunstead said such change of behavior by the rebels may force the U.S. government to review its ban on the Tigers imposed in 1997.

He said the government of Sri Lanka must work towards addressing legitimate Tamil minority grievances and ensure that the conduct of the security forces is impeccable.

He said he was sad that the situation in Sri Lanka deteriorated from one of hope to an escalation of violence during his term in the country, but the U.S. government believes firmly that there was no military solution to the conflict other than a negotiated solution.

The leaving U.S. Ambassador said it was "difficult to see where things will go from here", referring to the upsurge of violence which has claimed nearly 900 lives since the end of 2005. The parties to the conflict must know that the war option "will be more costly" to the country, he said.

He said the U.S. government will continue to provide limited military assistance to Sri Lanka with a limited amount of arms sales to the island and their description of the LTTE as a terrorist group could be reviewed if the Tigers opted to change their attitude towards a negotiated settlement.

He said the U.S. government was hoping to work closely with the other government who had banned the Tigers as a terrorist outfit in order to ensure the development of the island's war battered regions in the north and east provinces.

Source: Xinhua