"The decision has been formally taken to lift the ban at midnight (1800 GMT) tonight," said a government minister Wednesday,according to local media reports.

The move comes ahead of direct peace talks between the government and the rebels of Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam, who have been fighting since 1983 to divide this island nation along ethnic lines. The two sides are scheduled to meet in Thailand starting Sept. 16.

The rebels said that they would not come to the negotiating table as an outlawed group.

(Xinhua News Agency September 5, 2002)