Monday, Oct 18, 2004
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By V. S. Sambandan
COLOMBO, OCT. 17. Striking a note of optimism, Sri Lanka's state-run media today said that the stalled peace talks between Colombo and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are likely to "recommence in early November," and that high-level visits were on the cards from facilitators, Norway, and the island-nation's main donor, Japan. "There are positive signs that the Government-LTTE peace talks would recommence early November," the state-run Sunday Observer said in a front-paged report today, quoting "political sources." The report said the Presidential Secretariat had "contacted Oslo and requested a Norwegian team to be sent to Sri Lanka to facilitate the recommencement of peace talks," following reports that the LTTE would consider the Government's alternative proposals "at the negotiating table."
`A breakthrough'
Earlier the LTTE, which had maintained that its proposals for an Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA), submitted last October would be open for negotiations, continued with its position that it should be the basis for negotiations and said that it was willing to consider the Government's counter-proposals during the discussions. Sections of the Sri Lankan media termed it as a breakthrough, but the LTTE said that it showed no change in its original position that its proposals were negotiable, but should be the basis for resuming talks. In addition to the LTTE' s position that the counter-proposals can be discussed "at the negotiating table," the prospects of resumption of talks have been in the air since a high-level LTTE team left for Europe earlier this month to hold a series of "international consultations" on the peace process. It may be recalled that the LTTE's ISGA proposals were submitted after a similar round of "international consultations" last year. In addition to the invitation to the Norwegian Government, the newspaper also reported that Tokyo's Special Envoy to the peace process, Yasushi Akashi, would arrive here on October 27 "on an official visit." Quoting a "top official from the Japanese Government," the newspaper said Mr. Akashi would also meet "Indian leaders and diplomats who are concerned about the Sri Lankan issue on his way back to Japan." Meetings have also been scheduled with representatives of the Government, the Opposition and the LTTE. During his meetings, Mr. Akashi "will urge both parties to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible," and "will also raise the issues" of child soldiers and political killings when he meets the LTTE's representatives, the newspaper said.
New front
The Tamileela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal, the political party launched by the LTTE's former military commander, V. Muralitharan (`Col.' Karuna) last week, and the Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front (ENDLF), a registered dormant former militant Tamil party, have decided to form a new front — Tamileela Iykkiya Viduthalai Munnani (TIVM). Announcing the launch of the new front,_ Col. Karuna and G. Gnanasekaran of the ENDLF, called upon "all the good forces that believe in the liberation of the Tamil speaking people to unite under this common umbrella organisation."
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