Envoy Meets LTTE in Killinochi: Talks Uncertain

Full unedited text of the LTTE PS Press release

Norway Special Envoy meets Head of LTTE Political Wing


The Norwegian Peace envoy for Sri Lanka, Jon Hanssen Bauer, met LTTE Political Head, S P Tamilselvan, today in Kilinochchi. Norwegian Ambassador, Hans Brattskar, among others also attended the meeting with the special envoy. With Tamilselvan, Head of the LTTE Police, Nadeson, and Secretary General of the LTTE Peace Secretariat, S Puleedevan, among others also attended the meeting.

At the press conference following the meeting, the Political Head explained what was discussed at the meeting.

Tamilselvan told the special envoy that while the LTTE leadership has agreed to the call made by the Co-Chairs to halt all offensive military activities, the government of Sri Lanka remains adamant in continuing with its military offensives. Tamilselvan told the special envoy, that the ball is squarely in the Sri Lankan government’s courts in ensuring a halt to military offensives.

Tamilselvan added that despite utterances by the government of Sri Lanka that they want to hold peace talks, their actions causing immense misery to the people are in total contradiction to their words. It is the actions that speak volumes and not the words Tamilselvan told the special envoy, who then went on to list exactly those actions by the government of Sri Lanka.

The killing, disappearance and displacement faced by the people of the Northeast under a ceasefire agreement are making a mockery of the efforts by the international community, Tamilselvan said.

The impediments placed to the work of the SLMM by the government of Sri Lanka add to this total disregard shown towards the ceasefire agreement, Tamilselvan said.

Military offensives by the government of Sri Lanka continued with the kind of haughtiness that should send shivers down the spine of all those who want to resolve the Tamil issue through negotiations. A prime example of this haughtiness was demonstrated by the Sri Lankan Air Force, whose Kfir bombers bombed Poonahari just 20 Kms from Kilinochchi where, the meeting was taking place.

03 October 2006