Shimali Senanayake in Colombo,  Sat Feb  4 10:44:05 EST 2006

    The government has informed the LTTE that it is ready to resume talks
on Feb. 15-16 in the Swiss capital Geneva. The government picked the
dates from three options between Feb. 15 and 22 and made known their
decision through the Norwegian peace brokers. However, the LTTE is yet
to respond.
The president's office is also taking steps to train the Sri Lankan
team in international negotiations ahead of facing a rather formidable
Tamil Tiger rebel team led by chief negotiator Anton Balasingham,
officials involved in the peace process said, on condition of
anonymity.

Full Story


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- The Academic

This report confirms Govt's ineptitude.

Prof. Tom Plate of UCLA California wrote in a UCLA Asia Media News Journal on 3rd Feb:

"Right now, in the former Ceylon, things are getting worse. Its new, recently elected President, Mahinda Rajapakse, is demonstrating astonishing ineptitude."

The GoSL must restrain the Army and its proxy - the "karuna faction" to immediately stop attacks on civilians.
Those army/STF men who shot four students in cold blood should be arrested immediately and dealt with.
All army harassment of civilians must stop.
Else, "Peace Talks" will be futile, and may not occur.

LANKAN wrote:

The GoSL must restrain the Army and its proxy - the "karuna faction" to immediately stop attacks on civilians.
Those army/STF men who shot four students in cold blood should be arrested immediately and dealt with.
All army harassment of civilians must stop.
Else, "Peace Talks" will be futile, and may not occur.

Yes and I think that should include the "peoples militia" that killed an UNARMED police ASP and all those other this "padai" and that "padai" who were playing with Claymore mines. May I also add to the list all those innocent people butcherd by your Pistol goons since the CFA?? Now that would even things out wouldn't it??


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There are no minorities in Sri Lanka. --- Dr.Percy Mahinda Rajapakse Ph.D

Namdev

But didn't you hear ? The LTTE has no control over this "people militia".
Therefore they are unable to disarm these "paramilitaries"...

So even though GOSL is supposed to disarm paramilitaries operating against the LTTE, the LTTE is unable to reciprocate by disarming paramilitaries operating againsg GOSL.

I'd say the paramilitary topic can be left out of the discussions.

LANKAN wrote:

The GoSL must restrain the Army and its proxy - the "karuna faction" to immediately stop attacks on civilians.
Those army/STF men who shot four students in cold blood should be arrested immediately and dealt with.
All army harassment of civilians must stop.
Else, "Peace Talks" will be futile, and may not occur.

If LTTE is law abiding, LTTE should identify tamil civilians who attacked SLA in GOSL areas. If Karuna to be disarmed, LTTE should disarm pro-LTTE tamil militias and LTTE should gurantee that they no longer be armed in order to Karuna remain disarmed.

Only way that SLA can stop haressing tamil civilians is if LTTE does not push tamil civilians to behave like "barbarians". According to Sangaree, LTTE try to identify tamil civilians as barbarians by blaming tamil civilians for SLA atackes.

Implementation of ceasefire could be discussed. There had been many issues which could be taken at the negotiations were appeared in Lanka Academic feature articles and discussions.

We need to mindful on the status of each party. Even though for the negotiations sake we consider LTTE as equal party, they are not representing another country. They forcibly hold a part of territory in SL and the government is keen to sort out the problem through negotiations.

Therefore, what LTTE did last time was wrong. They demanded greater authority in their forcibly held area to continue negotiations and they quit. LTTE must understand that negotiations were to sort out many grievances including degree of authority. They are not pre condition for talks. They should be the results of negotiations. Since LTTE left negotiations 3 years ago. What benefits Tamil people who live in the North and most part of East got!
Had LTTE continued negotiations, by now some conclusions were already realised and our SL people potential could have been started to realising.

Unfortunately, we know LTTE is not interested on Tamils but their lifestyle based on continued and well-greased supply line of foreign funds. There will not be a solution LTTE agrees through negotiations.

Meanwhile government must have backbone and say to international agencies NO more official visits to Vanni. After all just because of a group hold territory in a sovereign nation, outsiders should not allow to have so called official high level visits and discussions.

innocent wrote:

This report confirms Govt's ineptitude.

Prof. Tom Plate of UCLA California wrote in a UCLA Asia Media News Journal on 3rd Feb:

"Right now, in the former Ceylon, things are getting worse. Its new, recently elected President, Mahinda Rajapakse, is demonstrating astonishing ineptitude."

This report is one among a few other reports that LTTE funded for righting.

GOSL should neglect LTTE completely because now, LTTE is not engaging any violent activities. Only the Tamil civilian paramilitaries are attacking SLA/Navy. So GOSL should ask RTF to come to Geneva. LTTE should be asked only at the final negotiations for political solutions.