2ND LEAD

Tigers respond positively for Co-Chairs' call for talks

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 September 2006, 09:32 GMT]
Liberation Tigers officials at the LTTE's Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi Friday said that the Tigers had responded positively for the International Community's call for talks in Oslo to Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar, in a meeting Friday where LTTE's Political Head S. P. Thamilchelvan discussed the ground situation and the recent statement from the Co-Chairs, who represent the donor community to Sri Lanka.



The re-opening of A9 Road and the ground situation in Sri Lanka Army controlled areas, where abductions and killings were taking place at an alarming rate, were discussed in detail in the meeting that lasted from 11:00 a.m. till 01:00 p.m., the sources said.

The need for the effective functioning of the SLMM was also discussed in the meeting Friday, the LTTE sources added.

Tamileelam Police Chief, B. Nadesan, Director of LTTE's Peace Secretariat, S. Puleedevan, LTTE's Peace Secretariat official B. Selvy accompanied Mr. Thamilchelvan in his meeting with the Norwegian Ambassador.

The Co-Chairs of the donor community, Norway, the European Union, the USA and Japan met in Brussels on September 12, and said that the Parties should cease all violence immediately.

The donors called on Colombo to "ensure its military abides by the Ceasefire Agreement and implements the pledges from the Geneva meeting in February 2006."

"There should be no change to the specific arrangements for the north and east which could endanger the achievement of peace," the Co-Chairs statement alluded in response to the moves in the South aimed at de-merging the NorthEast.

"The LTTE must show that it is willing to make the compromises needed for a political solution within a united Sri Lanka," the statement had said.

"The Parties should use this opportunity to show maximum flexibility regarding the arrangements to be proposed by the Facilitator," the statement issued by the Co-Chairs said.

The Co-chairs had called the Parties for the talks "urgently in Oslo, at the beginning of October," and said that the "Parties should cease all violence immediately."

The Tigers recently said it was Colombo, as the party that launched military offensives, that had the initial responsibility to honor the Norwegian brokered Ceasefire Agreement and respect the CFA positions.