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Norwegian team begins talks in Lanka

A Norwegian peace delegation Monday began talks with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar to work out a peace deal between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam amid reports that the rebels shelled an elders' home in Kaithadi in Jaffna, killing 15 inmates and injuring 24 others.

Government sources said Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Raymond Johansen, who leads the peace mission, was closetted with Kadirgamar.

Johansen, who is accompanied by special envoy Evik Solheim, will later call on President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Opposition leader Ranil Wickramasinghe.

Meanwhile, the security forces are formulating a special plan to protect elders' and orphans' homes, places of worship and other public places from terrorist attacks, the sources said.

The sources said fierce fighting is on around Chavakachcheri, which the Tigers claimed yesterday that they took over after twelve hours of battle. Chavakachcheri lies about 15 km east of Jaffna city.

Without refuting the LTTE claim, the sources pointed out that fighting erupted at Chavakachcheri, which lies on a key highway connecting Jaffna-Elephant Pass, on Saturday, and six soldiers were killed and 36 others injured. Another attempt by the rebels to advance further at Colombuthurai was repulsed by the security forces.

A confident northern security force commander Major Gen Janak Perera had stated that the LTTE will not be allowed to gain foothold in Jaffna.

Speaking from his Jaffna headquarters in a live interview on television, he dismissed rumours that the LTTE had captured Jaffna. ''I wish to state categorically that the enemy has not captured Jaffna. Nor, will we allow them to gain foothold in this northern city.''

Meanwhile, Kadirgamar has ruled out UN intervention in the current situation and said Sri Lanka was exploring diplomatic means to invite India to find a negotiated political settlement to the present crisis.

In an interview with the state-owned The Daily News, he said such a future process could be a joint effort of a group of friendly nations. ''It could be an effort whereby India is involved in the process and... also Norway. Now the United States is also saying that they would like to be involved in the process in a suitable capacity, but always through India... with the consent of India.''

A meeting of Tamil political parties yesterday requested the government and the visiting Norwegian delegation to work for an immediate ceasefire and its implementation. They said a political solution to the ethnic problem can be worked out within the democratic framework of the Constitution, while taking into consideration the aspirations of the Tamil community.

The parties were of the view that India could play a mediatory role and requested to extend all assistance to find a political settlement to the ethnic problem of Sri Lanka.

The meeting was attended by PLOTE, EPRLF, TELO, Ceylon Workers' Congress and other upcountry Tamil parties.

Two main parties -- EPDP and TULD -- did not attend the meeting, convenor and TELO leader N Srikanta said.

UNI

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