Geneva talks delayed further as Norway fails to make breakthrough

Colombo, Apr 22 (UNI) The Norwegian facilitators today failed to make the all important breakthrough in its fresh bid to bring the government and the LTTE to the negotiating table as proposed in Geneva on April 24.

The government and the LTTE are locked in horns over the transport arrangements for the LTTE's eastern commanders to meet the rebel leadership prior to the Geneva direct talks.

The First Secretary of the Norwegian Embassy in Colombo and head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Maj Gen Ulf Henrikkson were staying overnight in the rebel-held Kilinochchi yesterday, hoping to meet LTTE's political wing head, S P Thamilselvan with the government's fresh detailed travel arrangement for the LTTE eastern commanders to be airlifted to Kilinochchi by private helicopters.

''The meeting between the peace brokers and Mr Thamilselvan did not take place. LTTE's position with regard to the transport arrangements for the eastern commanders has been clearly and repeatedly explained to the Norwegian facilitators and the SLMM,'' LTTE's media co-coordinator Daya Master told UNI over the phone.

''Our position is that the eastern commanders will travel either in our own Sea Tiger boats or in Sri Lanka's Air Force helicopters as in practice before. There is no change in our position in this regard,'' Daya Master said, adding that the peace brokers have left the rebel-held Kilinochchi for Colombo this morning after failing to meet Mr Thamilselvan in this regard.

With the LTTE now declining to accept the government's fresh offer to transport their eastern commanders to Kilinochchi, for consultation with LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, it is almost out of question that the Geneva talks will take place on April 24 and 25.

When contacted Norwegian Embassy spokesman, Erik Nurnberg, said that the visiting Norwegian special peace envoy, Jon Hanssen-Bauer, was in touch with both the parties on the next round of Geneva talks and trying to put the peace process back on track.

''Mr Bauer is very much in Colombo keeping in touch with both the parties on the preparation for the Geneva talks. His return visit to Oslo has not been scheduled as yet,'' the Norwegian embassy spokesman said.

At a time when the peace brokers are engaged in shuttle diplomacy to salvage the faltering four-year long ceasefire agreement, the truce related violence are skyrocketing with over 75 security force personnel and the civilians being killed over the past couple of weeks.

In the latest incident, a Sri Lankan army soldier was killed at Thandikkulam in Vavuniya when the road clearing army patrol came under a claymore mine explosion by the suspected LTTE cadres.

The government yesterday condemned the negligence on the part of the LTTE to attend the Geneva talks and said that Colombo was still prepared and committed for talks with the LTTE despite ''their attacks and acts of provocation''.

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