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| Sunday, 4 May 2003 |
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LTTE decision after May 7 : Peace activities shift to Colombo & Vanni by S. SELVAKUMAR The nucleus of activities on the Sri Lankan peace process centered in New Delhi during the last 48 hours shifts to Colombo and Vanni from today onwards with the return of the negotiators to Colombo yesterday. Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesson, Special Envoy Erik Solheim, Japanese Peace Envoy Yashushi Akashi will proceed to Vanni to meet with Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran to brief him on the talks they had with Indian Foreign Minister Yaswant Sinha and other top Indian officials in a bid to make the Tigers participate at future peace talks and also their vital presence at the Tokyo donor parley scheduled for June. Prior to this trio's discussions with the Indian leaders, peace negotiator Minister Milinda Moragoda and head of the Peace Secretariat Bernard Gunatilleke met with the Indian Foreign Minister and other officials. Meanwhile LTTE theoretician Dr. Anton Balasingham who arrives in the island on Tuesday will meet with Prabhakaran on Wednesday to brief him on the letter sent by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to Balasingham on the necessity to continue the peace process. The Tiger's response to all the palaver and coaxing by the international community to return to the peace process will be made known only after May 7 in the aftermath of Tiger supremo's meeting with the Norwegians, Japanese and Dr. Balasingham, knowledgeable sources on LTTE thinking said. The peace negotiators who returned to the island yesterday are due to brief Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakse and Presidential Advisor on Foreign Affairs Lakshman Kadirgamar before proceeding to Vanni. An Indian government spokesman commenting on the update by the peace negotiators to the Indian leaders told journalists that India is fully committed to the peace process and added that India's participation at the Tokyo donor parley would be decided only after knowing definitely whether the Tokyo parley would be held. There was speculation that the parley would not be held or that it would be postponed in the wake of the LTTE's present stance. |
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