Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Sri Lankan president, has called on the Tamil Tigers' to surrender, as government forces close in on their de facto capital of Kilinochchi.

Rajapaksa, who is viewed as a hardliner, has long rejected the rebels' demands for Tamil autonomy.

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, Tony Birtley began by asking him if the rebels were now on the brink of defeat.