Colombo- Sri Lanka has officially rejected a proposal by the British government to send a special envoy to Colombo to look into humanitarian issues and help work out a political solution to the conflict between the government and separatist Tamil rebels, a senior minister said Friday.

Media Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa told reporters that the government decided to reject Britain's proposal to send a special envoy to Sri Lanka because "Britain had not followed accepted international protocol."

He said the government has already voiced its "displeasure" to the British High Commission in Colombo.

British High Commission spokesman Dominic Williams said he did not want to comment on the Sri Lankan government's reaction.

On Thursday, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown appointed Member of Parliament Des Browne as his special envoy for Sri Lanka.

A statement announcing the appointment said "Browne will focus on the immediate humanitarian situation in northern Sri Lanka and the government of Sri Lanka's work to set out a political solution to bring about a lasting end to the conflict."

The move came as civilians continue to be trapped in rebel- held areas in the north-eastern part of the country, as fighting between government troops and rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, who seek an independent state for the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka, intensified.

Some 32,000 displaced people have fled the rebel-controlled areas around Mullaitivu, 390 kilometres north-east of the capital, but at least 100,000 are believed to be still in the area.

Tamil rebels have prevented the people from leaving the rebel- controlled areas, but some of the villagers have forced their way out, government reports said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross on Thursday helped to evacuate 406 injured and ill people and other civilians by sea from the town of Mullaitivu to the north-eastern port city of Trincomalee.

The military has announced establishment of a safe zone consisting of a 12-kilometre stretch of coast at Mullaitivu.

The government has stopped sending food supplies to the conflict areas saying that a safe point to unload the food was not available since the fighting is now concentrated in an area of only 150 square kilometres. (dpa)