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"The government should utilize the support offer of the opposition to take forward the peace process

Mr. Vidar Helgesen, Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister visited Geneva today 4th October 2004 and took time off to brief the LTTE Constitutional Affairs Committee and the officials of the NorthEast Secretariat on Human Rights(NESOHR).

In a separate meeting with Mr. Tamilselvan held at Norway's UN office in Geneva in the evening Mr. Helgesen after, assessing the progress of the deliberations with Mr. Tamilselvan expressed his concern over the delay in restarting talks and the escalation of political killings. Responding to Mr. Helgesen's concern Mr. Tamilselvan said that the LTTE remains committed to the peace process and is only waiting for a positive response from the government to recommence negotiations on the basis of ISGA.

Mr. Tamilselvan further said:

"This is in no way a change of stance or inflexibility as alleged. It was agreed upon by the UNF government at the time of handing over the ISGA proposals, that the government was ready to restart talks on the basis of the ISGA. We have not changed our position since then and are only waiting for a positive response from the government. If the government is serious and sincere in its intentions, there are ample opportunities to utilize the support offered by the opposition, an opportunity that has come in place for the first time in history for a government of this country.

The allegations of political killings are baseless and we deny any involvement therein. We have already suggested to the Norwegian Ambassador and Head of the SLMM that we will extend our fullest co-operation to the government through the SLMM in the investigations of these killings. The government also has a responsibility to ensure that the CFA article relating to the armed groups and their activities is strictly adhered to and the military desist from having any involvement with the armed groups. Also there are under world gangs, military deserters and a host of armed groups, all of which may be utilized by interested parties to carry on with these killings and thereby discredit the LTTE and sabotage the peace process.

The Constitutional Affairs Committee has taken for discussion the various criticisms leveled in the south against the ISGA proposals and the deliberations will be released in course of time. It is also pertinent to mention here that civilian based organizations, religious dignitaries and media men who have visited us in Kilinochchi have all been convinced of the factual position and it is only the government that has to now make the right move."

Earlier in the day Mr. Ian Martin, Human Rights Expert, Pascale Baeriswyl, Deputy Head of Section, Human Rights policies, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and Mr. Thomas Fleiner, Constitutional Expert, Freiberg University addressed the Constitutional Affairs Committee and NESOHR in separate meetings. In a separate meeting with Mr. Tamilselvan the Human Rights Expert presented an overview of his assessment of the valuable service undertaken by NESOHR and assured to extend his assistance in stabilizing the human rights entity.

04 October 2004

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