COLOMBO, Oct. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Sri Lanka's all Buddhist monk partyhas said that they would support and join the government's peace council only after the Tamil Tiger rebels accept the territorial integrity and the legal framework of the country, The Island newspaper reported on Tuesday.

    Leader of the JHU or National Heritage Party Ellawela Medanandasaid on Monday that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels should wholeheartedly accept the territorial integrity and the legal framework of the land, giving up all ideas of recommencing peace talks based on their proposals for an Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA).

    He said that the LTTE should hand over all weapons in their possession, stop recruiting child soldiers and pledge to join the democratic mainstream in the country.

    He said that the JHU would not be a part of the National Advisory Council on Peace and Reconciliation (NACPR) if President Chandrika Kumaratunga decided to resume peace talks with the LTTE rebels on the basis of rebels' ISGA proposals.

    Kumaratunga invited leaders of all political parties and religious and civil organizations to participate in the inaugural meeting of the NACPR on Monday but the JHU along with several opposition parties including the main opposition United National Party boycotted the meeting for various reasons.

    Addressing the inaugural meeting, Kumaratunga said her government will do all required to persuade the LTTE rebels to come back to the negotiating table but not at any cost.

    She said the peace talks should be conducted within the framework of a united Sri Lanka and the country's sovereignty and security must be safeguarded.

    The peace talks between the government and the LTTE rebels havebeen on hold since April last year and all efforts by Norwegian peace facilitators since May this year have been futile. Enditem