Prabakaran set no preconditions, says peace envoy
[24 Nov 2000]

The separatist Tamil tigers who are fighting for an independent state in Sri Lanka’s north and east have surprisingly laid down no preconditions for talks with the government, Norway’s peace envoy said yesterday.

“Prabakaran set no preconditions for talks but said a conducive climate was needed to start peace talks,” Erik Solheim, Norway’s peace envoy for Sri Lanka reported.

However, President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s government is willing to hold talks with LTTE despite the fact that the LTTE has not previously shown any genuine interest in this concern.

British Foreign Minister Peter Hain said that the government was waiting for signals from the LTTE.

"They are waiting to see what Mr. Prabakaran's national Heroes Day statement says," Hain told a press conference. 

"Prior to taking any decisions about talks with the LTTE, we should take into consideration the previous practices and attitudes of the LTTE. We should give the most serious consideration as to whether they are trying to fool us too in the same way as they have fooled different governments through a period of fifteen years" said President Kumaratunga in the first session of the 11^th parliament of Sri Lanka.

So far, the LTTE has not declared a cease-fire as an initial step to commence peace talks. 

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