Expressing unhappiness over India's stand on the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, the LTTE said the Tamil community expects New Delhi to extend its support to their "national aspirations", even as it renewed its call for a ceasefire with Colombo.

The Tamil Tigers also refused to lay down arms for resuming political dialogue with the Sri Lankan government to resolve the 30-year-old ethnic conflict.

"The Tamil people have never been opposed to the strategic concerns of India. Furthermore, it has been their expectation that the Indian government would extend its support to their national aspirations," LTTE's new head of International Diplomatic Relations S Pathmanathan said, when asked by pro-LTTE website TamilNet.com to comment on India's stand on the issue.

India feels that political package is the ultimate solution to the ethnic conflict. He said the Tamils in Sri Lanka were grateful that the people of Tamil Nadu have expressed so much solidarity with Eelam Tamils.

"Whenever our people were attacked and killed their first choice of refuge has been India. Eezham Tamils have always looked to the people of India and the Government of India with genuine sympathy," Pathmanathan said, in his first comments after being appointed to the post last month.

Pathmanathan said the LTTE did not believe war was the only means to achieve their aspirations and urged the global community to exert pressure on the Sri Lankan Government to enter into a ceasefire with them.

"Laying down arms before any political solution is unrealistic," he said. "The global community should ensure that adequate food and medicines are sent into the conflict areas," he said.

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