Tamil rebels angry at election of hardline president

SRI Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels reacted angrily yesterday to the election of hardline President Mahinda Rajapakse, saying it showed that the island's Sinhalese majority had no understanding of Tamil aspirations for a homeland.

Mr Rajapakse, after assuming office on Saturday, said he would never allow the country's division, but pledged he would not return the country to war.

The rebels have demanded wide autonomy in the country's north-east, where most of the 3.2 million ethnic Tamils live, saying they can only prosper away from the domination of the Sinhalese majority.