04-15-2006, 09:52 AM
<b>Sri Lankan peace talks in doubt </b>
There has been a recent upsurge in violence
Tamil Tiger rebels are threatening to pull out of peace talks with the Sri Lankan government because of a row over the safe transport of regional leaders.
The rebels say it is crucial their eastern commanders travel to their northern headquarters for a meeting ahead of the scheduled talks in Geneva.
But the trip was abandoned when they objected to the presence of a navy vessel monitoring the journey.
Meanwhile at least four soldiers have died in a bomb attack, the army says.
Officials said the blast happened near a military base in northern Sri Lanka on Saturday. At least five people were reported to have been injured.
The peace talks, which had already been postponed, were due to take place on 24-25 April in Geneva, Switzerland.
In the present situation, there is no possibility of us going to Geneva
S P Tamilchelvan,
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Tamil Tigers' eastern commanders were first to have made the journey north for an internal meeting on Saturday.
After days of negotiations, both the government and the rebels had agreed to a civilian vessel transporting the regional leaders, escorted by unarmed international truce monitors.
Sri Lankan navy ships were to have observed from a distance.
But the Tamil Tigers cancelled at the last minute, saying they had not agreed to the navy vessels being present.
"Ceasefire monitors had told us that the navy would not interfere with our travel in any way," S P Tamilchelvan, political wing leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) told the BBC.
The rebels should have read the clauses carefully... We are frustrated
Helen Olafsdottir,
Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission
"It is important for us to meet our eastern commanders prior to the Geneva talks. So, in the present situation, there is no possibility of us going to Geneva."
But ceasefire monitors insist Tamil rebels had agreed to the Sri Lankan navy vessel escorting them.
"It is ridiculous. It was part of the agreement. The rebels should have read the clauses carefully. We are frustrated," Helen Olafsdottir, spokesperson for the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) said.
"It looks like both parties seemed to have completely lost sight of what is important. If Geneva peace talks don't happen then we can expect an escalation of violence as it happened a few months ago," she added.
Shuttle diplomacy
The peace negotiations were to have been the second round of talks on strengthening the implementation of the four-year-old ceasefire.
The first round was held in February in the wake of serious violence in the preceding two months, after Norway indulged in shuttle diplomacy to bring both parties to the negotiating table.
At least 160 people - including about 100 soldiers and sailors and many civilians - have died in the upsurge of violence since last December.
Tamil Tiger supporters say more than 50 Tamils have been killed by the security forces in the same period, while others blame some of those deaths on the rebels or other armed groups.
More than 40 people have died in violence in the past week alone.
The sides were originally scheduled to meet on 19 April, but the rebels sought a postponement.
BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4911554.stm
There has been a recent upsurge in violence
Tamil Tiger rebels are threatening to pull out of peace talks with the Sri Lankan government because of a row over the safe transport of regional leaders.
The rebels say it is crucial their eastern commanders travel to their northern headquarters for a meeting ahead of the scheduled talks in Geneva.
But the trip was abandoned when they objected to the presence of a navy vessel monitoring the journey.
Meanwhile at least four soldiers have died in a bomb attack, the army says.
Officials said the blast happened near a military base in northern Sri Lanka on Saturday. At least five people were reported to have been injured.
The peace talks, which had already been postponed, were due to take place on 24-25 April in Geneva, Switzerland.
In the present situation, there is no possibility of us going to Geneva
S P Tamilchelvan,
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Tamil Tigers' eastern commanders were first to have made the journey north for an internal meeting on Saturday.
After days of negotiations, both the government and the rebels had agreed to a civilian vessel transporting the regional leaders, escorted by unarmed international truce monitors.
Sri Lankan navy ships were to have observed from a distance.
But the Tamil Tigers cancelled at the last minute, saying they had not agreed to the navy vessels being present.
"Ceasefire monitors had told us that the navy would not interfere with our travel in any way," S P Tamilchelvan, political wing leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) told the BBC.
The rebels should have read the clauses carefully... We are frustrated
Helen Olafsdottir,
Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission
"It is important for us to meet our eastern commanders prior to the Geneva talks. So, in the present situation, there is no possibility of us going to Geneva."
But ceasefire monitors insist Tamil rebels had agreed to the Sri Lankan navy vessel escorting them.
"It is ridiculous. It was part of the agreement. The rebels should have read the clauses carefully. We are frustrated," Helen Olafsdottir, spokesperson for the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) said.
"It looks like both parties seemed to have completely lost sight of what is important. If Geneva peace talks don't happen then we can expect an escalation of violence as it happened a few months ago," she added.
Shuttle diplomacy
The peace negotiations were to have been the second round of talks on strengthening the implementation of the four-year-old ceasefire.
The first round was held in February in the wake of serious violence in the preceding two months, after Norway indulged in shuttle diplomacy to bring both parties to the negotiating table.
At least 160 people - including about 100 soldiers and sailors and many civilians - have died in the upsurge of violence since last December.
Tamil Tiger supporters say more than 50 Tamils have been killed by the security forces in the same period, while others blame some of those deaths on the rebels or other armed groups.
More than 40 people have died in violence in the past week alone.
The sides were originally scheduled to meet on 19 April, but the rebels sought a postponement.
BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4911554.stm
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