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| Sunday, 29 September 2002 |
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Anton goes through Colombo : Balasingham, Helgessen to meet LTTE chief by S. Selvakumar Planning for the second round of peace talks in Thailand gets under way this week with the arrival of Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgessen and LTTE chief negotiator Anton Balasingham. Meanwhile, United Kingdom High Commissioner Stephen Evans visited the Vanni last week with a diplomatic team on an assessment mission. Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgessen who is expected shortly in Colombo is due to meet with Dr. Anton Balasingham and also the government delegation involved in the peace process to map out the modalities for the second round of talks scheduled in Sattahip, Thailand next month. Dr. Balasingham will arrive direct from London and arrangements are under way to fly him to the Vannni in the company of a Cabinet Minister. Unconfirmed reports said that a government ministerial delegation is likely to meet with LTTEs supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran in Vanni in the company of Balasingham. It is also reported that New Delhi has refused permission for Balasingham to travel to Colombo through India. The latter was constantly requesting India to allow him to avail himself of the medical facilities available in India since he is a kidney patient. British envoy Stephen Evans held lengthy discussions with LTTE political wing leader S. P. Thamilchelvan on Friday, The Sunday Observer learns. The talks were centred round on how best Britain could involve herself in outcome of the peace process as well as how best she could provide assistance to rebuild the war-ravaged North and East and to the rehabilitation of its populace. The British delegation also visited the Jaffna Secretariat where talks were held with Government officials on the progress of rebuilding and rehabilitation. The British envoy and his team later visited Navanthurai in the Peninsula where they observed the de-mining process and at subsequent discussions pledged British aid for the successful completion of the entire operation. LTTE political wing leader S. P. Thamilchelvan and three other top ranking Tiger cadres had a two hour talks at which Mr. Evans sought details of the progress of the peace talks and the thinking of the Tigers. Political Sources in the Vanni said that the talks were concluded satisfactorily and the British envoy had assured financial and other assistance. Later Mr. Thamilchelvam is reported to have told Vanni-based journalists that the LTTE had looked forward to British assistance and that the talks were fruitful. Meanwhile, Director of the Peace Secretariat Bernard Gunatilleke who met Thamilchelvan in Vanni last week agreed to set up joint task forces to oversee rebuilding, rehabilitation and any other issues that may crop up during the peace process. |
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