Peace facilitators, SLMM hold crisis talks
Norwegian peace facilitators and their Scandinavian truce monitors were engaged in desperate efforts yesterday to defuse the tension between the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam amidst fears that hostilities may resume.
Special Envoy Erik Solheim cut short a holiday in Switzerland and flew to London for a meeting with LTTE chief peace negotiator Anton Balasingham yesterday. He was to be joined there by Hans Brattskar, Norway's Ambassador to Sri Lanka who was on holiday in Oslo.
The main thrust of the Norwegian peace facilitators is to appeal again to the LTTE to agree to talks with the Government to explore ways and means of defusing tension and halting the rise in violence, particularly in the East. They are also to urge the LTTE to refrain from making statements that are provocative and would escalate the prevailing tense situation.
Last Wednesday LTTE Political Wing leader, S.P. Thamilselvan turned down an offer for such face-to-face talks with the Government either in Kilinochchi or in a Government held area like Omanthai, with the specific purpose of cooling off the prevailing tense situation. Mr. Thamilselvan has rejected the plea and insisted that the Government should first show goodwill by disarming paramilitary groups in keeping with clause 1.8 of the Ceasefire Agreement and honour the ceasefire.
Diplomatic sources in Colombo said the Norwegian facilitators would urge Mr. Balasingham during talks in London to persuade the Kilinochchi leadership to agree to the face-to-face meeting. They are also to convey fresh assurances made on behalf of the Government by Peace Secretariat Chief Jayantha Dhanapala to address LTTE concerns and ensure there is normality.
In Colombo, Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission Chief Hagrup Haukland was formulating fresh proposals to break the impasse over Tiger guerrilla cadres passing through Government-controlled areas when transiting from North to East and vice versa.
On Friday, Mr. Haukland held talks with Defence Secretary Asoka Jayawardena and Commanders of the armed forces. "We have been able to narrow down the gap between the previous LTTE demand and the Government response which was not accepted, Mr. Haukland told The Sunday Times. He said SLMM proposals discussed with the LTTE earlier this week were taken up with government security chiefs and Peace Secretariat deputy John Gunaratne.
Mr. Haukland said the government was ready to provide security, but declined to say whether security forces would travel in LTTE vehicles.
He said the SLMM had sought another meeting with the defence secretary and service commanders tomorrow, and was awaiting confirmation. He said the latest SLMM proposals were reasonable and he believed they could be implemented if government approval was given.
Meanwhile a Tamil National Alliance delegation is to meet British High Commission officials tomorrow as part of the campaign to brief the international community on the danger facing the ceasefire agreement and the peace process.
TNA delegations earlier briefed diplomats from Japan, Switzerland and Germany in a series of meetings arranged after discussions between the TNA MPs and LTTE leadership in Kilinochchi last Sunday.
LTTE political wing leader S. P. Thamilselvan reportedly told the TNA delegation to tell the international community to put pressure on the government for the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement and the P-TOMS deal.
(http://www.sundaytimes.lk/050724/news/1.html)
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