Preparations ahead of Geneva talks should focus on people's plight - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 February 2006, 07:58 GMT]
"One of the key issues in the February 2002 Cease Fire Agrement was ensuring a safe life to the civilians in Sri Lanka military controlled areas of the Tamil homeland," Liberation Tigers Political Head Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan told media, following a preparatory meeting with the Ambassadors of Norway and Swtizerland, at the LTTE Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi Thursday. "It is therefore vital that the team participating in the talks, study the ground situation prevailing in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled areas," he added.

Continued hostile miitary atmosphere and the abductions of the humanitarian workers who were engaged in post-Tsunami rehabilitation work, have complicated the situation in the minds of the Tamil population, Mr. Thamilchelvan told the press.

"The talks need to be conducted in a conducive environment in a constructive manner with positive engagement. It is not a forum to wage a propaganda war," Mr. Thamilchelvan noted responding to a question, alluding that Colombo's preparations, as expressed in recent media reports in Colombo, displayed a defensive trend.



Mr. Hans Brattskar, the Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Bernadino Regazzoni, the Switzerland Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Martin Stuerzinger, Advisor for Peace-Building, Embassy of Switzerland, and the First and Second Secretaries at the Norwegian Embassy, Mr. Edgar Kløvfjell and Ms. Chrine Harg, comprised the Embassy delegations to Kilinochchi.

The LTTE delegation comprised of Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, Mr. B. Nadesan, Head of Tamileelam Police, Mr. S. Puleedevan, Director of LTTE's Peace Secretariat and Mr. Ilanthirayan (Marshall).