SWITZERLAND: As Sri Lankan government officials and Tamil Tiger rebels meet in Geneva for talks protesters demonstrate against the Liberatons Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE)

Sri Lankan government officials and Tamil Tiger rebels met in Geneva on Saturday (October 28) for the first time in eight months, although little progress was expected from the talks amid ongoing violence on the island. While a ceasefire remains officially in place, up to 1,000 people have been killed in army offensives and rebel attacks since decades-old hostilities flared up again in July in the South Asian country of 20 million people. Just hours before the Geneva talks started, the Sri Lankan military said three claymore mines exploded in the country's restive eastern and northern provinces, wounding a total of seven policemen, one seriously, and one soldier. Pressure has been building on the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to resume talks but few expect a major breakthrough from the weekend session that began with a handshake between Sri Lankan Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva and Tiger chief negotiator S.P. Thamilselvan. In their first face-to-face meeting since February 2006, representatives from both sides of the decades-old conflict gathered at a conference centre near the United Nations' European headquarters for talks facilitated by Norwegian International Development Minister Eirik Solheim. Solheim told the delegates that the aim of the talks was to find ways to reduce and then stop the violence, stressing that patience had worn thin among most Sri Lankans and in the international community. While noting the acceleration of violence and humanitarian suffering in Sri Lanka since their last such gathering, Solheim said it remained important the two sides come together. He outlined to reporters the steps he foresaw in reaching agreement between the two sides. "Number one, is that any solution should be based on what has been achieved so far, which is what was achieved in the sixth sessions of talks in 2002 and 2003, and what was agreed in Geneva One. Second is that an agreement should be based on the ceasefire agreement, which should be uphold by both parties to the letter. Third is that the legitimate aspirations of all communities of Sri Lanka, being Tamil or Muslim or any other community, those, their legitimate aspirations should be part of the solution in accordance with principles agreed in Oslo in 2002. And fourth, any solution should be within the unity and sovereignty of the one Sri Lankan state. These are the four broad principles, I think, which are agreed globally and then it's for you within this framework to find the solution," said Solheim. Merely an agreement to more talks after the two-day meetings would be considered a success, but some say even that may be difficult given recent hostilities, and major disagreements between the two sides on what ought to be discussed. Meanwhile a group of Sri Lankans demonstrated on Nations Square in Geneva against the Tamil Liberation Tigers. The demonstrators showed their support for the Sri Lankan government. They held anti-LTTE posters saying: "LIBERATORS OF TERRORISTS? THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SHOULD DECIDE RIGHT NOW!" Sinhalese citizen and leader of the Campaign against Separatist Terrorism in Sri Lanka K. C. Udugampola said that they were demonstrating for peace of Sri Lanka and against terrorism, "We expect the peace actually, but they have been talking for years and years but they don't came to a settlement. They never came to peace. So at least we hope this time they will understand the situation of the innocent families and innocent Sri Lankans, Sinhalese people in Sri Lanka who are suffering with this war", she said. On Friday (October 27), the Tigers threatened to shun future peace talks if the government did not agree to open the main highway to the Tamil-dominated Jaffna peninsula, whose closure in August has resulted in hardship for residents. Supplies are being sent to the Jaffna region by ship and aircraft but residents, Tamil politicians and civil society groups have reported widespread food and fuel shortages. Government negotiator Palitha Kohona did not confirm whether Colombo was ready to agree to the highway issue being on the agenda, which was still being finalised on Saturday morning, but said humanitarian concerns were important to the talks. The Tigers are fighting for an independent homeland for minority Tamils, many of whom complain of discrimination by the majority Sinhalese. Colombo has said it is willing to cede some autonomy but has ruled out full independence. More than 65,000 people have died in intermittent ethnic conflict in the country since 1983.

ITN Source | October 29, 2006

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