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| Sunday, 17 November 2002 |
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Oslo aid parley: US, UK watch LTTE moves by S. Selvakumar The United States of America and the United Kingdom are likely to lift their ban on the LTTE or at least soften the restrictions in the near future if their governments are satisfied with LTTE behaviour and the progress of the peace process, the Sunday Observer learns. As a first step, both the US and UK are sending powerful delegations to next week's donor governments' conference on Sri Lanka's post-war recovery in Oslo, Norway, in order to keenly monitor the participation of the LTTE delegation to the parley. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe leads the Government delegation to the November 25 conference, while tiger chief negotiator Dr. Anton Balasingham is expected to head the LTTE delegation. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage will lead the US delegation while the UK will be represented by the UK International Development Secretary Clare Short. This parley will also provide an opportunity for Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to have a pow-wow with Dr. Anton Balasingham vis-a-vis the progress hitherto made in the peace talks and also on developing strategies to strengthen same. Colombo expects several developed countries to attend the donor parley and towards this end Norway is keeping no stones unturned, sources further said. A Norwegian delegation will meet with LTTE political wing leader S. P. Thamilchelvan in Kilinochchi tomorrow (Monday) and the Oslo donor parley is expected to prominently figure at these talks. Diplomatic sources also pointed out that in the event of the US and the UK lifting the ban on the LTTE or show some soft stance in the aftermath of the donor conference, will encourage other developed countries to enhance their contribution towards peace and donate generously to develop not only the war ravaged North and East but generally for the welfare of entire Sri Lanka". The US, the UK and India are keenly watching the peace process while several other countries are waiting on the wings and monitoring the whole process", a Colombo based Western diplomat revealed. The Oslo parley will be followed by a bigger donor conference in Tokyo and Japan has already sent a top envoy Yaushi Akashi to Colombo to gain first hand knowledge of the peace process. India at Oslo meet The Indian government is expected to be represented by its envoy in Norway Gopalkrishna Gandhi at the forthcoming aid donor conference in Oslo next week, diplomatic sources said. Gopalkrishna Gandhi was earlier Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka and had a first hand knowledge of the happenings, when the peace process kicked off. |
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