06-02-2004, 02:47 PM
Sri Lankan army, rebels discuss recent spate of killings that threaten truce
Associated Press, Wed June 2, 2004 04:44 EDT . - - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) A Sri Lankan army general and Tamil Tiger rebel commanders held ``fruitful'' talks Wednesday aimed at ending a spate of killings that threaten the shaky truce between the two sides, a spokeswoman for the European cease-fire monitoring group said. More than 15 people including a military intelligence operative and rebels have been killed in recent weeks in eastern Sri Lanka - . Both the security forces and the rebels have denied targeting each other.
Army Maj. Gen. Shantha Kottegoda and guerrilla leaders met in Batticaloa, 220 kilometers (135 miles) east of the capital, Colombo, said Sri Lanka - Monitoring Mission spokeswoman Disa Finnboga. They plan to meet again on June 16.
``Today's meeting was fruitful and cooperative,'' Finnboga said. ``They also agreed to meet again.''
About 65,000 people were killed in fighting between the separatist rebels and government forces from 1983 to 2002, when a cease-fire was signed. Peace talks since then have stalled.
The Tamil Tigers have blamed the military and former Tiger members who've broken with the main guerrilla group for recent slayings of prominent Tamil figures, including the assassination Monday of a Tamil journalist in eastern Sri Lanka - .
The monitors of a two-year truce between the government and rebels have also warned the slayings could threaten the fragile cease-fire and the peace process.
Meanwhile, most parts of the northeast, where most of Sri Lanka - 's 3.2 million Tamils live, observed a general strike Wednesday to protest the killings, Sri Lankan media reported.
Associated Press, Wed June 2, 2004 04:44 EDT . - - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) A Sri Lankan army general and Tamil Tiger rebel commanders held ``fruitful'' talks Wednesday aimed at ending a spate of killings that threaten the shaky truce between the two sides, a spokeswoman for the European cease-fire monitoring group said. More than 15 people including a military intelligence operative and rebels have been killed in recent weeks in eastern Sri Lanka - . Both the security forces and the rebels have denied targeting each other.
Army Maj. Gen. Shantha Kottegoda and guerrilla leaders met in Batticaloa, 220 kilometers (135 miles) east of the capital, Colombo, said Sri Lanka - Monitoring Mission spokeswoman Disa Finnboga. They plan to meet again on June 16.
``Today's meeting was fruitful and cooperative,'' Finnboga said. ``They also agreed to meet again.''
About 65,000 people were killed in fighting between the separatist rebels and government forces from 1983 to 2002, when a cease-fire was signed. Peace talks since then have stalled.
The Tamil Tigers have blamed the military and former Tiger members who've broken with the main guerrilla group for recent slayings of prominent Tamil figures, including the assassination Monday of a Tamil journalist in eastern Sri Lanka - .
The monitors of a two-year truce between the government and rebels have also warned the slayings could threaten the fragile cease-fire and the peace process.
Meanwhile, most parts of the northeast, where most of Sri Lanka - 's 3.2 million Tamils live, observed a general strike Wednesday to protest the killings, Sri Lankan media reported.
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