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Tamil Tiger rebels agree to resume peace talks with Sri Lankan government in Switzerland in February
[ AP ] [ 11:05 GMT, Jan. 25, 2006 ]
The Tamil Tiger rebels on Wednesday agreed to hold talks with the Sri Lankan government in February, raising hopes that the country may avoid sliding back to war. The rebels' approval came after Norwegian envoy Eric Solheim met with the reclusive leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Solheim met Velupillai Prabhakaran in the rebel-held city of Kilinochchi for about 2 1/2-hour and delivered a message from President Mahinda Rajapakse, who had earlier agreed to resume peace talks that broke down in 2003 over rebels' sweeping demand for autonomy. Solheim is expected to meet with Rajapakse later Wednesday after returning to Colombo. The meetings could help decide whether the 2002 cease-fire, threatened by months of rising violence, will stay in effect.
Tigers end Sri Lanka peace deadlock, talks in Geneva
[ AFP ] [ 11:07 GMT, Jan. 25, 2006 ]
Tamil Tiger rebels have agreed to hold talks with the Sri Lankan government in Geneva in mid-February, a top Norwegian peace broker said here after hectic closed-door negotiations. The talks would focus on strengthening their ceasefire agreement after a surge in violence left 152 people dead since December, envoy Erik Solheim told reporters after a rare meeting with Tamil Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran on Wednesday. "We expect Geneva to be the venue for such a meeting," Solheim said. Solheim travelled to the political capital of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) after discussions with President Mahinda Rajapakse in Colombo in a bid to save the truce that has been in place since February 2002.
S.Lanka Tigers pledge not to attack troops
Wednesday January 25, 10:15 PM
KILINOCHCHI, Sri Lanka (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels will not attack government forces provided the military ceases violence against Tamil civilians, the rebels said on Wednesday as they agreed to Swiss peace talks.
The rebels had previously denied involvement in a string of attacks on government forces that has stretched a 2002 truce to its limit and raised fears the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) might resume their fight for a Tamil homeland.
"There has been some LTTE military action, but most of these incidents are by the peoples' militias," chief negotiator Anton Balasingham told Reuters shortly after the rebels dropped their refusal to go anywhere but Norway -- the one place the government would not go.
"For our part, we will cease all action against government forces," he said in a sitting room in the de facto rebel capital, but warned that this was "conditional on the fact that government forces and paramilitary forces cease acts of violence against Tamil civilians."
Analysts say the rebels had been attacking government forces to provoke an over-reaction in the hope of stirring up international outcry over army abuses -- but several countries including the United States said they were not convinced.
The rebels have complained breakaway Tiger faction the Karuna group were attacking them in the east and acting as government paramilitaries. International truce monitors said security forces were at best turning a blind eye.
The Tigers had only agreed to drop their demand for talks in Oslo during Wednesday's discussions with Norwegian peace broker Erik Solheim, architect of the 2002 truce, Balasingham said. Some of President Mahinda Rajapakse's allies had said Norway was too soft on the rebels.
CONGENIAL TIGERS
"What is crucial is not what has happened in the past, Balasingham said. "What is crucial is to create a congenial environment so that both parties can sit together and negotiate. The resumption of talks is a very, very strong step that will bring an end to the present tension and bring an end to the fear of war."
Credit for the breakthrough should go to reclusive Tiger head Velupillai Prabhakaran, said Balasingham, who was flown in specially from his London home for the talks. He said they were giving Rajapakse time to rein in abuses -- abuses the army denies.
When Rajapakse took office in November after a Tiger vote boycott destroyed the chances of his more conciliatory opponent, he said he wanted to redraw the ceasefire to prevent "terrorist acts."
Both sides must agree for the agreement to be altered, and Balasingham said this was out of the question. The Tigers expected the government to put up political proposals for a long term solution, he said, and the rebels would negotiate if these were felt to be fair.
"At the initial stages, talks will be centered on the terms and conditions of the ceasefire agreement," Balasingham said. "There is no question of amending the agreement, we will only talk of its smooth implementation."
Sri Lanka, Tigers, agree on Swiss ceasefire talks
Thursday January 26, 04:28 AM
KILINOCHCHI, Sri Lanka (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's government and Tamil Tiger rebels said on Wednesday they would hold talks in Switzerland on implementing a strained 2002 truce, easing war fears -- or at least postponing a return to conflict.
A string of suspected rebel attacks on troops in the Tamil dominated north and east over the past two months killed more than 200 and pushed the country to the brink of war, with the two parties unable to find a location for crisis talks until now.
"Both sides agreed there is a need to come together to decide how the ceasefire can be implemented in a better manner," Norwegian truce broker Erik Solheim told reporters in the Tiger de facto capital Kilinochchi. "I expect Geneva to be the venue."
The Tigers had previously said they would accept talks only in Oslo, but official sources said the government was not willing to meet there. Solheim said Norway had suggested Switzerland as a compromise, and that talks would probably be held in February.
Reclusive rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran meets few outside his inner circle, but observers say Solheim has built up a rapport with him since Norway was asked to mediate in the conflict after playing a similar role in the Middle East.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have denied involvement in a spate of recent attacks which have killed some 70 military personnel. Their chief negotiator did not repeat the denial on Wednesday, but said the attacks would stop if the government ceased abusing Tamil civilians.
"There has been some LTTE military action, but mostly these incidents are the peoples' militia," Anton Balasingham told Reuters in an interview after Solheim boarded a helicopter to return to Colombo and brief President Mahinda Rajapakse.
The army said one Tamil civilian was shot dead by unknown gunmen in the evening south of the volatile northeastern multi-ethnic port of Trincomalee -- increasingly common in the area, but the first death since Solheim's statement. Diplomats say too many such killings might cause the deal to collapse.
The government -- strengthened by the arrival of two defecting opposition parliamentarians in a move analysts said reduced Rajapakse's reliance on hardline allies opposed to a deal with the rebels -- said it welcomed the agreement on talks.
RELIEVED TSUNAMI WORKERS
"This is a major breakthrough," cabinet spokesman Nimal Siripala de Silva told a news briefing. "The peace process is back on track."
Aid workers trying to rebuild parts of the north and east hit first by two decades of war that killed more than 64,000 and then by the 2004 tsunami said rising tension was making their work increasingly difficult, and discussed pulling out.
"We're very relieved," said one aid worker. "The last thing we needed was a war just as we're getting people back on their feet."
Analysts say there remains a vast gap between the sides, with Rajapakse saying he wants a unified state while the rebels demand autonomy in minority Tamil dominated areas. Despite initial euphoria, some warned war was still a very real threat.
"It has at least been put off for the time being, but one is not sure for how long," said Janes' Defense Weekly analyst Iqbal Athas. "All that has been resolved is the venue. What both sides have done is buy time."
Traders said the rupee currency strengthened markedly on news of talks, and stocks would likely follow on Thursday, although the market had closed when the statement was released.
(Additional reporting by Peter Apps and Ranga Sirilal in COLOMBO)
Tamil Tiger Rebels to Resume Peace Talks
[ AP ] [ 11:18 GMT, Jan. 25, 2006 ]
Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels said Wednesday they have agreed to hold talks with the government in Switzerland in February, raising hopes that the country may avoid sliding back to war. The rebels' top peace negotiator, Anton Balasingham, told reporters that the talks will review the 2002 cease-fire with the government. The rebels' approval came after Norwegian envoy Eric Solheim, a key broker of the peace process, met with the reclusive leader of the Tamil Tiger rebels, Velupillai Prabhakaran, in the rebel-held city of Kilinochchi.
Sri Lanka foes agree to meeting
Wednesday, 25 January 2006, 13:43 GMT
Sri Lanka's government and Tamil Tiger rebels have agreed to hold talks in Switzerland to shore up a shaky truce.
Disagreement over a talks venue and a recent surge in violence have raised fears of a return to war in Sri Lanka.
Geneva is the likely venue for talks due to start in February, Norwegian peace envoy Erik Solheim said after meeting both sides.
The BBC's Dumeetha Luthra in Colombo says the agreement is a breakthrough but many obstacles still lie ahead.
Focus on ceasefire
Both sides have accused each other of violating a ceasefire deal struck in 2002.
The Tigers allege the government is backing paramilitary groups, while Colombo demands the rebels end attacks on its soldiers.
Mr Solheim has been in Sri Lanka holding talks with Tamil Tiger leaders and the government of President Mahinda Rajapakse.
"Both sides agreed there is a need to come together to decide how the ceasefire agreement can be implemented in a better manner," Mr Solheim said after meeting Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.
The Tigers had originally said they would meet the government only if Norway were the venue.
A rebel spokesman said on Wednesday that the forthcoming talks would focus only on strengthening the existing ceasefire.
"On our part we have pledged that there will be no acts of violence," the Tigers' chief negotiator Anton Balasingham said.
But he warned Colombo must do likewise if the Tigers' promise is to hold, Reuters news agency reports.
Mr Balasingham told the agency the Tigers had been involved in some "military action" but he blamed most recent violence on "peoples' militias".
President Rajapakse confirmed the government would attend the talks after meeting Mr Solheim on the envoy's return to Colombo.
"It is a good sign for the country," the president told the Associated Press.
Decades of war
Violence has been steadily rising since the election of Mr Rajapakse in November, threatening the four-year-old truce.
At least 120 people - including about 80 soldiers and sailors and many civilians - have died in the upsurge of violence since early December.
The attacks on the military have been blamed on the rebels, who deny involvement.
Tamil Tiger supporters say more than 40 Tamils have been killed by the security forces in a series of attacks since the start of December. Others blame some of those deaths on the rebels or other armed groups.
The Tamil Tigers want a separate state in the north and east of Sri Lanka.
More than 60,000 people died during two decades of conflict with Sri Lanka's security forces.
'Only with the implementation of the CFA we can sit peacefully for further negotiations.' Tamil National Leader V Prabaharan
[ LTTE Peace Secretariat ] [ 11:20 GMT, Jan. 25, 2006 ]
Mr. Erik Solheim, Norwegian special envoy and Norwegian Minister for international development, met with the Tamil National Leader in Kilinochchi today, 25th January 2006. The Norwegian delegation led by Mr. Solheim included Mr. Hans Brattskar, Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Odd Naustdal Deputy Director from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Sondre Bjotvedt, an Executive Officer from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Second Secretary to the Norwegian Ambassador, Mr. Tom Knappskog. The LTTE delegation consisted of Tamil National Leader, Mr Vellupillai Prabaharan, Chief Negotiator Dr. Anton Balasingam, Mrs. Adele Balasingam, Political Head, Mr. S. P. Tamilselvan, and Chief of Police, Mr. Nadesan.
[ AP ] [ 11:05 GMT, Jan. 25, 2006 ]
The Tamil Tiger rebels on Wednesday agreed to hold talks with the Sri Lankan government in February, raising hopes that the country may avoid sliding back to war. The rebels' approval came after Norwegian envoy Eric Solheim met with the reclusive leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Solheim met Velupillai Prabhakaran in the rebel-held city of Kilinochchi for about 2 1/2-hour and delivered a message from President Mahinda Rajapakse, who had earlier agreed to resume peace talks that broke down in 2003 over rebels' sweeping demand for autonomy. Solheim is expected to meet with Rajapakse later Wednesday after returning to Colombo. The meetings could help decide whether the 2002 cease-fire, threatened by months of rising violence, will stay in effect.
Tigers end Sri Lanka peace deadlock, talks in Geneva
[ AFP ] [ 11:07 GMT, Jan. 25, 2006 ]
Tamil Tiger rebels have agreed to hold talks with the Sri Lankan government in Geneva in mid-February, a top Norwegian peace broker said here after hectic closed-door negotiations. The talks would focus on strengthening their ceasefire agreement after a surge in violence left 152 people dead since December, envoy Erik Solheim told reporters after a rare meeting with Tamil Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran on Wednesday. "We expect Geneva to be the venue for such a meeting," Solheim said. Solheim travelled to the political capital of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) after discussions with President Mahinda Rajapakse in Colombo in a bid to save the truce that has been in place since February 2002.
S.Lanka Tigers pledge not to attack troops
Wednesday January 25, 10:15 PM
KILINOCHCHI, Sri Lanka (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels will not attack government forces provided the military ceases violence against Tamil civilians, the rebels said on Wednesday as they agreed to Swiss peace talks.
The rebels had previously denied involvement in a string of attacks on government forces that has stretched a 2002 truce to its limit and raised fears the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) might resume their fight for a Tamil homeland.
"There has been some LTTE military action, but most of these incidents are by the peoples' militias," chief negotiator Anton Balasingham told Reuters shortly after the rebels dropped their refusal to go anywhere but Norway -- the one place the government would not go.
"For our part, we will cease all action against government forces," he said in a sitting room in the de facto rebel capital, but warned that this was "conditional on the fact that government forces and paramilitary forces cease acts of violence against Tamil civilians."
Analysts say the rebels had been attacking government forces to provoke an over-reaction in the hope of stirring up international outcry over army abuses -- but several countries including the United States said they were not convinced.
The rebels have complained breakaway Tiger faction the Karuna group were attacking them in the east and acting as government paramilitaries. International truce monitors said security forces were at best turning a blind eye.
The Tigers had only agreed to drop their demand for talks in Oslo during Wednesday's discussions with Norwegian peace broker Erik Solheim, architect of the 2002 truce, Balasingham said. Some of President Mahinda Rajapakse's allies had said Norway was too soft on the rebels.
CONGENIAL TIGERS
"What is crucial is not what has happened in the past, Balasingham said. "What is crucial is to create a congenial environment so that both parties can sit together and negotiate. The resumption of talks is a very, very strong step that will bring an end to the present tension and bring an end to the fear of war."
Credit for the breakthrough should go to reclusive Tiger head Velupillai Prabhakaran, said Balasingham, who was flown in specially from his London home for the talks. He said they were giving Rajapakse time to rein in abuses -- abuses the army denies.
When Rajapakse took office in November after a Tiger vote boycott destroyed the chances of his more conciliatory opponent, he said he wanted to redraw the ceasefire to prevent "terrorist acts."
Both sides must agree for the agreement to be altered, and Balasingham said this was out of the question. The Tigers expected the government to put up political proposals for a long term solution, he said, and the rebels would negotiate if these were felt to be fair.
"At the initial stages, talks will be centered on the terms and conditions of the ceasefire agreement," Balasingham said. "There is no question of amending the agreement, we will only talk of its smooth implementation."
Sri Lanka, Tigers, agree on Swiss ceasefire talks
Thursday January 26, 04:28 AM
KILINOCHCHI, Sri Lanka (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's government and Tamil Tiger rebels said on Wednesday they would hold talks in Switzerland on implementing a strained 2002 truce, easing war fears -- or at least postponing a return to conflict.
A string of suspected rebel attacks on troops in the Tamil dominated north and east over the past two months killed more than 200 and pushed the country to the brink of war, with the two parties unable to find a location for crisis talks until now.
"Both sides agreed there is a need to come together to decide how the ceasefire can be implemented in a better manner," Norwegian truce broker Erik Solheim told reporters in the Tiger de facto capital Kilinochchi. "I expect Geneva to be the venue."
The Tigers had previously said they would accept talks only in Oslo, but official sources said the government was not willing to meet there. Solheim said Norway had suggested Switzerland as a compromise, and that talks would probably be held in February.
Reclusive rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran meets few outside his inner circle, but observers say Solheim has built up a rapport with him since Norway was asked to mediate in the conflict after playing a similar role in the Middle East.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have denied involvement in a spate of recent attacks which have killed some 70 military personnel. Their chief negotiator did not repeat the denial on Wednesday, but said the attacks would stop if the government ceased abusing Tamil civilians.
"There has been some LTTE military action, but mostly these incidents are the peoples' militia," Anton Balasingham told Reuters in an interview after Solheim boarded a helicopter to return to Colombo and brief President Mahinda Rajapakse.
The army said one Tamil civilian was shot dead by unknown gunmen in the evening south of the volatile northeastern multi-ethnic port of Trincomalee -- increasingly common in the area, but the first death since Solheim's statement. Diplomats say too many such killings might cause the deal to collapse.
The government -- strengthened by the arrival of two defecting opposition parliamentarians in a move analysts said reduced Rajapakse's reliance on hardline allies opposed to a deal with the rebels -- said it welcomed the agreement on talks.
RELIEVED TSUNAMI WORKERS
"This is a major breakthrough," cabinet spokesman Nimal Siripala de Silva told a news briefing. "The peace process is back on track."
Aid workers trying to rebuild parts of the north and east hit first by two decades of war that killed more than 64,000 and then by the 2004 tsunami said rising tension was making their work increasingly difficult, and discussed pulling out.
"We're very relieved," said one aid worker. "The last thing we needed was a war just as we're getting people back on their feet."
Analysts say there remains a vast gap between the sides, with Rajapakse saying he wants a unified state while the rebels demand autonomy in minority Tamil dominated areas. Despite initial euphoria, some warned war was still a very real threat.
"It has at least been put off for the time being, but one is not sure for how long," said Janes' Defense Weekly analyst Iqbal Athas. "All that has been resolved is the venue. What both sides have done is buy time."
Traders said the rupee currency strengthened markedly on news of talks, and stocks would likely follow on Thursday, although the market had closed when the statement was released.
(Additional reporting by Peter Apps and Ranga Sirilal in COLOMBO)
Tamil Tiger Rebels to Resume Peace Talks
[ AP ] [ 11:18 GMT, Jan. 25, 2006 ]
Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels said Wednesday they have agreed to hold talks with the government in Switzerland in February, raising hopes that the country may avoid sliding back to war. The rebels' top peace negotiator, Anton Balasingham, told reporters that the talks will review the 2002 cease-fire with the government. The rebels' approval came after Norwegian envoy Eric Solheim, a key broker of the peace process, met with the reclusive leader of the Tamil Tiger rebels, Velupillai Prabhakaran, in the rebel-held city of Kilinochchi.
Sri Lanka foes agree to meeting
Wednesday, 25 January 2006, 13:43 GMT
Sri Lanka's government and Tamil Tiger rebels have agreed to hold talks in Switzerland to shore up a shaky truce.
Disagreement over a talks venue and a recent surge in violence have raised fears of a return to war in Sri Lanka.
Geneva is the likely venue for talks due to start in February, Norwegian peace envoy Erik Solheim said after meeting both sides.
The BBC's Dumeetha Luthra in Colombo says the agreement is a breakthrough but many obstacles still lie ahead.
Focus on ceasefire
Both sides have accused each other of violating a ceasefire deal struck in 2002.
The Tigers allege the government is backing paramilitary groups, while Colombo demands the rebels end attacks on its soldiers.
Mr Solheim has been in Sri Lanka holding talks with Tamil Tiger leaders and the government of President Mahinda Rajapakse.
"Both sides agreed there is a need to come together to decide how the ceasefire agreement can be implemented in a better manner," Mr Solheim said after meeting Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.
The Tigers had originally said they would meet the government only if Norway were the venue.
A rebel spokesman said on Wednesday that the forthcoming talks would focus only on strengthening the existing ceasefire.
"On our part we have pledged that there will be no acts of violence," the Tigers' chief negotiator Anton Balasingham said.
But he warned Colombo must do likewise if the Tigers' promise is to hold, Reuters news agency reports.
Mr Balasingham told the agency the Tigers had been involved in some "military action" but he blamed most recent violence on "peoples' militias".
President Rajapakse confirmed the government would attend the talks after meeting Mr Solheim on the envoy's return to Colombo.
"It is a good sign for the country," the president told the Associated Press.
Decades of war
Violence has been steadily rising since the election of Mr Rajapakse in November, threatening the four-year-old truce.
At least 120 people - including about 80 soldiers and sailors and many civilians - have died in the upsurge of violence since early December.
The attacks on the military have been blamed on the rebels, who deny involvement.
Tamil Tiger supporters say more than 40 Tamils have been killed by the security forces in a series of attacks since the start of December. Others blame some of those deaths on the rebels or other armed groups.
The Tamil Tigers want a separate state in the north and east of Sri Lanka.
More than 60,000 people died during two decades of conflict with Sri Lanka's security forces.
'Only with the implementation of the CFA we can sit peacefully for further negotiations.' Tamil National Leader V Prabaharan
[ LTTE Peace Secretariat ] [ 11:20 GMT, Jan. 25, 2006 ]
Mr. Erik Solheim, Norwegian special envoy and Norwegian Minister for international development, met with the Tamil National Leader in Kilinochchi today, 25th January 2006. The Norwegian delegation led by Mr. Solheim included Mr. Hans Brattskar, Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Odd Naustdal Deputy Director from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Sondre Bjotvedt, an Executive Officer from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Second Secretary to the Norwegian Ambassador, Mr. Tom Knappskog. The LTTE delegation consisted of Tamil National Leader, Mr Vellupillai Prabaharan, Chief Negotiator Dr. Anton Balasingam, Mrs. Adele Balasingam, Political Head, Mr. S. P. Tamilselvan, and Chief of Police, Mr. Nadesan.