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 Round 1, and still smiling
SATTAHIP, Thailand -
Representatives of the Sri Lankan government and the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) emerged from
three days of talks on Wednesday in an upbeat mood,
describing their first meeting in seven years as a
success, with both sides optimistic that the conditions
for peace can be negotiated without having to divide the
country.
Chief LTTE negotiator Anton Balasingham
said at a press conference at the end of the talks - the
discussions at the Thai naval base were held in camera -
that the rebels were not fighting for a separate state,
instead they were first asking for autonomy within Sri
Lanka.
"We operate with the concept of homeland
and self-determination, [that] doesn't mean a separate
state," Balasingham said. "If our demand for regional
autonomy and self-government is rejected ... as a last
resort, our people have no option other than to fight
for political independence and statehood."
These
sentiments were matched by his government counterpart,
who expressed confidence that the LTTE's goals could be
met within a united Sri Lanka. "They [LTTE] have stated
it categorically on this occasion - a separate state is
not what their aspirations are about," Sri Lankan
government minister G L Peiris said. "Their aspirations
can be fulfilled within one country if we set about it
in the proper way."
During the discussions the
sides agreed to establish a joint task force to work on
humanitarian and reconstruction issues before they meet
again in Thailand in late October. Further rounds are
scheduled for December 2-5 and January 6-9, 2003.
Balasingham added that the two sides had also agreed to
set up a panel to resettle the more than 1 million
people displaced in the conflict, but ruled out
disarmament at this stage.
A strong feature of
the talks was the desire of both sides to rebuild the
country and restore the economy shattered by years of
civil war that has claimed thousands of lives. Peiris
called on international donors to help in this process.
"We have every expectation of peace ... there is no
danger of a recurrence of hostilities," he said.
The joint task force "will consist of senior
representatives of both sides, including military
personnel", according to a statement from the Norwegian
government, which is helping negotiate the peace
process. "The parties affirmed their determination to
continue upholding the ceasefire agreement [agreed in
February] and expanding the range of confidence-building
measures," the Norwegians said.
The Norwegian
statement continued that both parties were "responding
to the overwhelming call of the peoples of Sri Lanka to
bring an end to the ethnic conflict, and create the
conditions for lasting peace, prosperity, and respect
for human rights."
Peiris, meanwhile, said, "The
progress is certainly substantial, and I would say in
excess of the expectations we had for the first round of
talks. We have addressed matters of substance. We have
made tangible progress."
Sensitive issues,
including the allocation of political power and the
control of the police, will be discussed in the next
rounds of talks. The first round of talks was seen as a
confidence-building step. And while an outright peace
agreement is not expected for some time yet, at least
the two sides have negotiated this first, potentially
dangerous, hurdle.
Asia Times Online
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