Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Colombo (Agenzia Fides) - Hopes rise in Sri Lanka as the government and the Tamil separatists start a new two day session of talks 28 and 29 October in Geneva with the mediation of a delegation from Norway.
The first aim of the talks is to stop violence which has intensified in recent months becoming a return to civil conflict. Observers say the parties must keep a channel for negotiations open despite different positions, since this is the only path for peace.
Since the last talks between the sides in February this year violence has intensified and at least 3000 people have been killed, many of them civilians: the victims weigh heavily on this new session of talks and all hope the leaders sitting at the negotiating table will act with responsibility and think of the good of the people of Sri Lanka.
The government delegation is led by health minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, while the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam LTTE are represented by the rebellion’s political leader S.P. Thamilchelvan. The parties will also discuss violation of human rights, a crime of which both sides are accused in their war operations. The talks are a new opportunity to re-start dialogue but many fear nothing will be achieved and ‘all out’ war will start once again.
The Separatist rebels have asked the government to re-open the motorway which connects Jaffna in the Tamil north, to the rest of the country. The closing of the motorway in August is causing great difficulty for the people in the north, unable to receive supplies of food, humanitarian aid and medicine. This situation has aggravated an already serious humanitarian crisis. Tamil sources say at least 40,000 people are trapped in cross-fire between government and Tamil Tigers troops.
Recently the European union assigned 5 million Euro in aid of the victims of the conflict in Sri Lanka. In July the EU had already assigned 5 million Euro for basic humanitarian needs of people victims of war in Sri Lanka: food, basic necessities, access to water and medical care, psychological care for traumatised children.
Since 1983 in the civil conflict in north east Sri Lanka about 60,000 people have been killed. (Agenzia Fides 27/10/2006 righe 28 parole 286)
