About 500 persons tried to hoist the flag in the government-held town of Pesalai to mark the 12th anniversary of the death of Sathasivam Krishnakumar, a rebel commander who blew up his ship when surrounded by the Indian navy in 1993, said military spokesman Brig. Daya Ratnayake.

Ratnayake said the mourners turned violent and began throwing stones when police and navy officers took down the flag. Three policemen sustained injuries and police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, he said.

Pesalai is 220 kilometers (135 miles) north of the capital, Colombo. Under a Norway-brokered cease-fire signed in February 2002, the rebels are not allowed to hoist their flag in government-held areas. The area is inland and was not affected by last month's tsunami.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam had fought government troops for nearly two decades, demanding a separate state for ethnic minority Tamils. About 65,000 people were killed in the conflict before the truce.

Peace talks broke down in April 2003 when the rebels withdrew demanding more autonomy in the Tamil-majority northeast. Published: Sun Jan 16 15:21:30 EST 2005