Colombo (PTI): The LTTE would not agree for talks with the government during the lifetime of its leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran, a Sri Lankan Minister and Tamil politician, who has escaped several assassination attempts by the rebels, has said.

Social Service and Social Welfare Minister Douglas Devananda said as long as Prabhakaran was alive the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam would never come around for a peaceful settlement of the 25-year-old ethnic strife.

"The LTTE has always used peace talks to re-group and strengthen its lost power," the Minister told reporters here on Monday.