COLOMBO, May 30, 2006 (AFP) - Sri Lanka Tuesday ruled out a military crackdown against Tamil Tiger rebels after the organisation was banned by the European Union (EU) as a terrorist organisation.

The office of President Mahinda Rajapakse said the Sri Lankan government was ready to resume peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) despite the EU-wide ban slapped on the guerrillas Monday.

"The government is of the firm conviction that solutions to the issues at hand have to be sought only through political means and not through military means," a statement from Rajapakse's office said.

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