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Safe passage for LTTE team

B. Muralidhar Reddy

Colombo reaffirms commitment to scheduled peace talks in Switzerland

COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan Government has guaranteed safe passage for the LTTE delegation for the October 28 and 29 talks in Switzerland even as incidents of sporadic violence continued in different parts of the country.

Despite the spiralling violence, particularly in the last two weeks, both the Government and the Tamil Tigers have reaffirmed their commitment for the peace talks.

However, it is not clear what they would discuss. The Government has set an ambitious seven-point agenda including pluralism and human rights for the talks.

"No high expectations"

The LTTE stresses on talks on the implementation of the 2002 Norway brokered Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) and the crisis faced by thousands in the northeast due to the continued fighting.

Norway and others, who have been pushing the two sides for talks, do not have high expectations from the talks. They would be happy if the process leads to cessation of hostilities and pave way for a meaningful engagement on the political issues.

The LTTE travel has become an issue with its leaders demanding some facilities. The Tigers must travel through the only international airport at Colombo to fly to Switzerland.

"We have accommodated them over the years. We will provide necessary security, although they have unleashed terror. We are a democratic Government and not a terrorist outfit," Defence spokesman and Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said.

On Saturday, the navy claimed to have destroyed two LTTE boats heading towards a naval base on Kayts Island near the Jaffna Peninsula. The military said troops on a cordon and search operation were targeted in a claymore mine explosion at Wadiri Junction in Jaffna on Sunday in which a soldier suffered injuries.

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