Fifth session of
peace talks tomorrow
[February
6, 2003 - 9.30 GMT]
The fifth session of
peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam (LTTE) will begin tomorrow (February 7) at the Norwegian
Embassy in Berlin.
The two days of talks
were shifted to Europe at the request of LTTE’s Chief Negotiator Anton
Balasingham.
The Government of Sri
Lanka and the LTTE have been observing a Ceasefire since February last year,
following nearly two decades of war.
The talks are expected to focus on ongoing
efforts to accelerate immediate humanitarian and rehabilitation activities.
The issue of child recruitment
by the LTTE could figure prominently in the discussions. During
a three-day visit to Sri Lanka last week, U.N.
Children's Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Carol Bellamy won the
latest assurances from the rebels that they would not recruit children to
their ranks.
The parties also intend to begin
consultations on matters relating to human rights, with the participation of
Ian Martin - a former head of
Amnesty International - as a resource person on the subject.
Talks over the next
several months are also geared toward a large donor conference planned for
Japan in the middle of June that seeks to raise aid to pay for resettling
refugees and rebuilding their war-shattered lives.
The LTTE last year dropped their demand for a separate state and agreed with
the government to discuss setting up a federal system.
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Last Updated
Date: February 6, 2003 - 9.30
GMT. |
