Sri Lanka takes to the streets for peace

The peace rally follows earlier protests by Marxists and Buddhist clergy, who accuse the government of jeopardizing national security by giving too many concessions to the Tigers

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- Tens of thousands of people from throughout Sri Lanka gathered for a peace rally in the capital to support the government's efforts to end the country's 20-year-old civil war.

Demonstrators began gathering at the capital from early in the morning on Monday and marched to the town hall in the city center for the rally.

The demonstration comes a week before the peace talks that are to be held next Monday between a government delegation and

representatives of the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam, which has been fighting for a homeland for the country's Tamil minority

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The rally is organized by the government and is designed as a show of force to counter hard-line opposition among the Sinhalese, the nation's majority ethnic group.

Sri Lanka recently lifted a ban on the Tamil Tiger rebels to pave the way for the peace talks, which will be held in Thailand.

Protest rally

A week ago, thousands of Sinhalese hard-liners took to the streets, denouncing the government's plans and accusing Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe of betraying the Sinhalese.

About 500 Buddhist monks last week also demonstrated, calling on President Chandrika Kumaratunga to stop the government in pursuing the moves.

The lifting of the ban that had been imposed in January 1998 has been a precondition of the Tamil Tigers for taking part in the peace talks.