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LTTE assure quick return to talks

by S. Selvakumar & Ananth Palakidnar

Moves toward a revival of the peace process gathered momentum as the LTTE on Friday assured a Government Minister that the current withdrawal from formal talks would not last long and gave the Norwegian Monitors a commitment to avoid cease-fire violations. In a further indication of LTTE moderation, a senior Tiger official has proceeded with a pre-arranged large delegation of Tiger political wing activists to Europe to study models of federalism.

Prime Minister's Secretary Bradman Weerakoon is due to travel to Jaffna today to meet with senior Government officials there to discuss the expediting of rehabilitation and recovery measures agreed to in earlier rounds of peace talks.

On Friday, top Tiger political leader S. P. Thamilchelvam had two hours of discussions with Government emissary and Minister of Community Development P. Chandrasekaran and Parliamentarian P. Radhakrishnan and assured them that the LTTE was committed to return to the negotiating process soon.

Last Tuesday, senior LTTE organiser and Director, LTTE Peace Secretariat, Pulithevan, gave a guarantee of "no cease-fire violations" to Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) chief Major General (retd.) Trygve Tellefsen in a meeting at the Secretariat office in Kilinochchi. "Mr. Thamilchelvam assured me that the LTTE would definitely change its present stance and resume the peace process," Minister Chandrasekaran told the 'Sunday Observer'. The LTTE representative, however, had not given any timetable, he said.

Meanwhile, LTTE theoretician Dr. Anton Balasingham has told a London based website that the present suspension from the peace process was only to give a time frame to the government to fulfil its obligations towards the people of the North and East. The statement was in response to criticism levelled against the Tigers by the US Ambassador Ashley Wills in an interview circulated by Reuters news agency.

Dr. Balasingham further said that the LTTE had the right to express its dissatisfaction in view of the failure by the Government to implement the mutually agreed issues between the government and the LTTE and also several other decisions taken at the peace talks.

In a further welcome sign the LTTE hierarchy despatched a group of 26 political wing members headed by Pulithevan to Germany on Friday afternoon on a federalism study tour. The group reached Frankfurt yesterday and later will tour 4 other European nations.

Head of the Sri Lanka Peace Secretariat Bernard Gunatilleke and Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar on Friday had lengthy talks on the postponed Sub Committee meeting on Immediate and Rehabilitation Needs (SIHRN) and how it could affect the Tokyo donor parley scheduled for June.

The duo decided to proceed to Vanni to meet with the LTTE leaders if necessary and it is widely expected that Messrs Gunatilleke and Brattakar would join Japan's peace envoy Yashushi Akashi who is expected in Colombo next week to proceed to Vanni to prevail upon the Tigers the importance of their participation in the peace process.

While these moves by concerned diplomats are in place religious dignitaries, too,have joined the team to persuade the LTTE. Asgiriya Mahanayake Ven. Udugama Buddharakkitha has written both to the government and the LTTE to continue the peace process while the Bishop of Jaffna Rt. Rev. Thomas Saundaranayagam, too has expressed similar sentiments.

Peace process sound - Bernard

by P. Krishnaswamy

Peace Secretariat Director-General Bernard Goonetilleke told the Sunday Observer that the negotiatory process was very much intact and 'only the next session of the talks has been postponed'. Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, would address the concerns expressed by the LTTE, which had prompted them to temporarily pull out from the talks, and a fresh date for the next round of talks will be fixed in consultation with the LTTE, he said.

The Peace Secretariat and the Norwegian diplomats in Colombo are jointly engaged in conciliatory efforts with the LTTE in order to put the peace process back on track soon, according to reports.

The newly appointed Norwegian Ambassador to Colombo Hans Brattskar held lengthy discussions with Peace Secretariat Director-General Bernard Goonetilleke on the matter last Friday, according to the reports. They are hastening efforts to hold direct discussions with LTTE leaders, the reports said.

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