New Delhi, Sep 21 (IANS) Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger guerrillas called Thursday for "a permanent, just and dignified peace" as Tamil MPs supporting them prepared to meet Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

In a statement from its peace secretariat, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) made a pointed reference to Eritrea, East Timor and Montenegro while talking about other peoples who have struggled "like the Tamil people" and have "gained the freedom they longed for".

"On this international peace day, the Tamil people earnestly hope that a permanent, just and dignified peace will be in their grasp soon," the statement said.

The statement came as Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MPs from Sri Lanka met Indian officials here and were expected to call on Manmohan Singh Friday for a meeting that would mark a subtle but notable shift in India's policy.

The TNA, five of whose 22 MPs are here in a delegation, acts as the political front of LTTE, which is outlawed in India. Despite requests in the past two years, New Delhi did not agree to a meeting between TNA and the Indian prime minister although the party's MPs had access to Indian diplomats in Colombo.

On Wednesday, a day after they flew into the city from Chennai, Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed reiterated to the MPs India's long-standing position on Sri Lanka.

He told the MPs, led by their leader R. Sampanthan, that New Delhi would stand by the "unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity" of Sri Lanka and called for a resumption of negotiations between Colombo and LTTE.

War cannot be a solution to the Sri Lankan conflict that has claimed more than 65,000 lives since 1983, Ahamed told IANS.

The minister also expressed concern over the killing of Tamil and other civilians in the northeast of the island where the LTTE runs its de facto state.
The region has seen growing killings and displacement of Muslims too.

During their 40-minute meeting, the MPs told Ahamed that the Tamils wanted to retain their distinct cultural identity.

The MPs have been highlighting that the international community's repeated pledge to help Sri Lanka maintain its unity and territorial integrity has not helped push that country towards reconciliation with the Tamils.

The LTTE statement Thursday indirectly referred to the theme after talking about the large-scale suffering of the Tamil people.

It said Sri Lankan military attacks had so far killed nearly 100,000 civilians while two million had been forced out of their homes and even flee the country.

"Tamils are the indigenous people of the northeast who lost their freedom during and as a result of the colonial period. During the six decades (subsequently), Tamils have been forced to fight for their lost freedom...

"At a time when the vast majority of the people on earth are enjoying social, political and economic life that is peaceful, dignified and stable, Tamil people in the northeast yearn for the same."