Norwegian Ambassador, SLMM Head to meet LTTE Political Head

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 January 2006, 11:11 GMT]
Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Hans Brattskar, and the Head of Mission of the Scandinavian truce monitors, Hagrup Haukland, will be visiting Kilinochchi to meet the Political Head of the Liberation Tigers, S P Thamilchelvan on Tuesday, according to the LTTE Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi. The LTTE is likely to press for urgent de-escalation of violence in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled areas of the NorthEast in the meeting viewed to be a preparatory meeting for the visit of Norwegian Development Minister Erik Solheim, expected to take place at the end of the January as announced by the Norwegian Foreign Ministry.

Erik Brede, in charge of post-Tsunami affairs at the Norwegian Embassy will also be accompanying the Norwegian Ambassador to the meeting, according to the LTTE sources.

The Norwegian Ambassador was also schduled to meet with the officials of the North East Secretariat on Human Rights (NESOHR), Dr. N. Malathy and Rev. Fr. M. X. Karunaratnam, the sources added.

Erik Brede is scheduled to meet Shanmugalingam Ranjan, Director of Planning and Development Secretariat (PDS) in Kilinochchi.

Although the agenda of the meeting between the Norwegian Ambassador, SLMM's Head of Mission and LTTE's Political Head was not made public, political observers in Kilinochchi believe the Tigers will take up with the Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and the Norwegian facilitators, the issues of disarmement of paramilitaries, de-escalation of violence and harrassment by Sri Lanka Army soldiers on Tamil civilians in densley populated areas, and matters related to High Security Zones.

The meeting, according to the analysts, is also expected to explore the possibility of facilitating the travel to Vanni of LTTE's Chief Negotiator and Political Advisor Anton Balasingham, for meeting between the Norwegian Development Minister Erik Solheim and the LTTE Leader V. Pirapaharan.

The Norwegian delegation is expected to travel by A9 land route to Kilinochchi from Vavuniya.