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PoW swap before peace talks

Flying the SLMM flag and the LTTE flag, Scandinavian ceasefire monitors go along in an LTTE boat after sea movements across the north and east began last Sunday.

An exchange of prisoners between the government and the LTTE is due to take place ahead of the proposed peace talks as a further confidence-building measure between the two sides.

The LTTE and the government have been exchanging details about the prisoners over the past few weeks and the release is due to take place before the peace talks begin in Thailand on September 16.

The Sunday Times learns that LTTE's chief negotiator Anton Balasingham during talks with Norway's special envoy Erik Solheim on Thursday had discussed the release of the prisoners. The LTTE said it had in its custody seven prisoners of war and gave names of 23 Tiger cadres whom it wanted released.

It was not clear whether the LTTE had requested for the release of all 23 cadres. The seven Sri Lankan security forces personnel in custody include Commander Ajith Kumara Boyagoda who fell into LTTE custody in September 1994.

The discussion between Dr. Balasingham and Mr. Solheim also covered preparations for the next month's peace talks. Dr. Balasingham will be leading his delegation which would comprise his wife Adele and lawyer V. Uruthiyakumar, who is based in the United States.

Dr. Balasingham had said he would go directly to Thailand for talks, instead of coming into Kilinochchi first for consultations with the LTTE leadership as he had already discussed relevant matters through telephone communication.

However after the talks in Thailand he is due in the Wanni region. The first round of talks between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE will focus on the agenda to be taken up at talks later on, a government source said yesterday.

"The talks will be centred on the elements which will go into the agenda according to the importance and urgency of each issue," the source connected with the peace process said.

He said that Norway would not be making the agenda, but would be involved in it as it was aware of the issues which each party should take up for discussion. Norway will be present at the talks, but will not be a party to the talks.

Five venues are being looked at and the decision will be taken based on factors such as Dr. Balasingham's health while Sri Lanka has still not named its preference.

" Both sides are going into talks without a fixed time frame for the process, but the time frames will be discussed during the talks," the source said. Norway on Friday announcing the dates for talks said that the exact venue and information on the media access would be announced closer to the talks.

Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen was quoted as saying that "with this step, the parties continue on their long road towards peace. There is no reason to conceal that there are considerable difficulties ahead, but there is also a determination on both sides to seek a lasting political settlement of the ethnic conflict".

In a related development, Peace Secretariat chief Bernard Gunethilake on Friday held two hours of talks with LTTE's political wing leader S.P. Thamilchelvan in Kilinochchi to take up matters relating to the development of the North-East and other factors.

Following this, the government will tomorrow send a delegation to the LTTE-controlled areas in the north to discuss means of funding various projects there. The delegation will comprise a representative from the National Development Bank, the Janasaviya Trust Fund and two officials from the Japanese Bank Corporation.

The Government decided to send the team as there was no lending institutions coming forward to help the people in the North. The funding will be to improve the fishing, agriculture and carpentry sectors.

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