The Hindu : International : Petersen, Balasingham to visit Sri Lanka

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 05, 2004

International

International

Petersen, Balasingham to visit Sri Lanka

By V.S. Sambandan

COLOMBO, MAY 4. The preliminary moves to resume Sri Lanka's peace talks is set to gain momentum with the Norwegian Foreign Minister, Jan Petersen, and the chief negotiator of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Anton S. Balasingham, scheduled to visit Sri Lanka over the next few days.

While Mr. Balasingham is expected here on Friday, Mr. Petersen will fly in on Monday to take forward the preliminary efforts. After his arrival here on Friday, Mr. Balasingham is scheduled to go to rebel-held northern Sri Lanka to meet the LTTE leader, V. Prabakaran. Mr. Petersen, who will visit the island close on the heels of the visit by his Deputy, Vidar Helgesen, will also hold talks with the parties to the conflict. The return of the Norwegian facilitators follows confirmations by the Government and the Tigers on the continuation of Oslo's role in peace process, which stalled after the LTTE's unilateral pullout last April. In November, after the Tigers submitted a proposal for an interim self-governing authority (ISGA) with a majority stake for themselves, Sri Lanka's political control rapidly changed with the President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, constitutionally taking over the Defence Ministry, following which the Norwegian facilitators put the peace process on hold.

In subsequent snap parliamentary polls, Ms. Kumaratunga's United People's Freedom Alliance was voted to power, ending a bitter cohabitation government between the President and the current Opposition United National Party (UNP), which began the latest round of talks with the Tigers in September 2002. The preliminary efforts at reviving talks appear encouraging with both the Government and the Tigers indicating preparedness to resume talks. In a statement after the visit of Oslo's Special Adviser, Erik Solheim, to Kilinochchi on Monday, the Sri Lankan President's office said the Tigers had indicated that they were "fully prepared to commence talks with the Government at a time convenient to the Government.'' Mr. Solheim, who has held discussions with the President, the LTTE, the leaders of Tamil and Muslim parties, and the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Nirupam Sen, is scheduled to meet the Leader of the Opposition and former Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, tomorrow.

Journalist's house searched

In a separate development, Sri Lanka Police searched the residence of a Tamil journalist, D. Sivaram, last night "in search of weapons.'' Mr. Sivaram, who heads the TamilNet's Sri Lanka operations, and is a columnist with the Daily Mirror, was away in eastern Batticaloa when the operation was conducted. The 40 armed policemen left empty-handed after a nearly hour-long search. The international media rights organisation, Reporters Sans Frontiers, has urged the Home Affairs Minister, Amarasiri Dodangoda, "for a public explanation.''

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News Update

Stories in this Section

Iraqis scoff at handover plan

Iran makes efforts to end Najaf standoff

Castro slams Peru, Mexico for supporting U.S.

Where roads don't connect but divide

Petersen, Balasingham to visit Sri Lanka

Death sentence reimposed

80 killed in Nigerian violence

Satellite monitor at Olympics

India remains on U.S. watch list

Four of Indian-origin family killed in road accident