PTI

Colombo, Apr 23: Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapksa on Wednesday said there will be no amnesty for LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran as he has "spurned chances for pardon" by not giving up arms.

"The LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran has spurned the possibility of pardon by us. In doing so, by not giving up arms and surrendering as required, he must now face the consequences of his acts," he said.

Addressing a group of people who has just joined his party, Rajapaksa also said the LTTE "could not hold out for much longer" as the security forces have now confined them to just 8 sq km area in the no-fire zone.

"In keeping with the traditions of Buddhism, the government was ready to pardon those ready to change their ways to a better path. It has shown such clemency to Karuna Amman and Pillaiyan, who had been rehabilitated in democracy, and were now a minister and chief minister respectively.

"Such clemency would have been possible for Prabhakaran if he had surrendered, given up arms and abandoned violence, as called for on several occasions, and not caused so much suffering to the people," the president said.