'Lankans must not have unrealistic expectations'

Colombo, May 25: A top Norwegian envoy has urged the Sri Lankan people ''not to have unrealistic expectations'' from their recent visit to the country.

Amidst mounting killings and truce related violence in the restive North-East, Norwegian special peace envoy, Jon Hanssen-Bauer, has arrived here on a fresh bid to bring the parties again to the negotiating table.

According to a statement from the Norwegian embassy, Norwegian Minister in-charge of Sri Lanka's peace process, Eric Solheim will join Mr Hanssen Bauer here tomorrow and both are scheduled to meet President Mahinda Rajapakse to discuss the present situation in the country ''The situation in Sri Lanka is complicated, and it is important not to have unrealistic expectations of the meetings. The visits are an important part of the preparations for the Co-chairs Meeting in Japan, and we will have talks with both parties,'' the statement said quoting Mr Solheim.

While Mr Solheim's will later proceed to New Dehli to discuss the situation in Sri Lanka with the Indian authorities, special envoy Mr Hanssen-Bauer is scheduled to meet representatives of the Tamil Tigers in the rebel-held Kilinochchi region on Saturday.

Norway's Minister for International Development, Mr Solheim, will attend the all important donor Co-chairs meeting in Tokyo on May 30, where the members of the four Co-chairs such as the EU, Japan, the US and Norway will review the volatile situation in Sri Lanka and explore how best they could ''assist the parties in Sri Lanka in furthering the peace process''.

Meanwhile, at least four Sri Lankan policemen have been killed in a fresh violence in the Eastern Batticaloa district this morning.

''Two police constables and two home guards have been killed when the vehicle they were travelling got caught to a claymore mine explosion by the LTTE at Katankudi,'' Military spokesman, Brig Prasad Samarasinghe said.

According to military statistics, nearly 200 people, including 125 security force personnel, had been killed while over 300 had been wounded during the past couple of months.

UNI

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