Colombo/ London: The top negotiator for Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels, Anton Balasingham, died of cancer in London on Thursday, a pro-rebel Web site reported. He was 68.
Balasingham was associated with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) from its inception more than 30 years ago and had been a political adviser to LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, the TamilNet website said.
Balasingham represented LTTE in peace talks with successive Sri Lankan governments since 1985, after a violent separatist war flared up in 1983.
Until his death, he played a key role in the peace process initiated after Norway brokered a cease-fire between the government and the rebel group in 2002.
Balasingham attempted to transform the rebel group's militaristic image into a political one. Balasingham was seen as a moderate who was keen to cut a political deal and end decades of ethnic bloodshed.
He did not attend the last round of talks in Geneva in October because of failing health and his last outing was in February in Celigny, near Geneva when the rebels and representative of the Lanka government met face to face.
Balasingham, who was born in Sri Lanka, later became a British citizen and lived in London. He was diagnosed with bile duct cancer last month. He was also suffering from diabetes and had a kidney problem following a transplant operation several years ago.
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