South Africa's support sought for peace process

Top Tamil political leaders leave today

The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) leader V. Anandasangaree along with the Eelam People's Democratic Party leader and Minister Douglas Devananda will leave for South Africa today to seek the country's support for the peace process in Sri Lanka and to launch the campaign against the LTTE's covert activities in South Africa.

For the first time two prominent Tamil political party leaders are jointly making a tour abroad to seek support for the peace process and to lobby against the LTTE's covert activities.

The TULF leader V.Anandasangaree told the Sunday Observer that during the five-day tour in South Africa along with Douglas Devananda he was hoping to meet the Nobel laureate Dr. Nelson Mandela and Rev. Dr. Desmond Tutu. "The itinerary is lengthy with vital meetings.

The Foreign Minister and several other leading cabinet members of South Africa and several political party leaders have been included in the itinerary for the meetings. We will also meet several Tamil activists of Indian origin who have been misled by the LTTE campaign and brief them on the correct situation in Sri Lanka," Anandasangaree said.

The TULF leader had met key British and European Union Parliamentarians in London last week and briefed them on the present situation in Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, the Norwegian envoy Hans Brattskar will travel to Killinochchi tomorrow to meet the LTTE's political wing leader S. P. Thamilselvan to discuss the possibilities of relaunching the peace process. The Norwegian envoy met Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva in Colombo on Thursday and briefed him on his visit to Killinochchi.