ASIA/SRI LANKA - Picking up the threads of negotiations for peace: hopes rise after announcement that talks between government and rebels will resume

Colombo (Fides Service) - Many groups political, social and religious, including the island’s Catholic community have been working constructively to pick up the threads of peace talks in Sri Lanka. New hopes are rising since the announcement that in fact negotiations between the government and the LTTE Tamil rebels will resume in February in Geneva, Switzerland. Dialogue between the sides was suspended in 2004. “There is cautious optimism and hope that words will be followed by deeds and concrete steps towards peace. Sinhalese and Tamil political leaders must shoulder their responsibility towards the nation”, say local Catholic sources.
Talks, which will resume thanks to the mediation of Norwegian Erik Solheim, are necessary to avoid a fresh outbreak of hostilities feared by many observers. Mr Solhiem said “Everyone is concerned about the worsening situation and the high number of people killed and the time has come to put an end to all this”. Solheim met with the new president Mahinda Rajapakse and with the Tamil leaders and convinced them to resume talks after months of misunderstanding and reciprocal accusations.
Recently many of Sri Lanka’s political parties had called on the government to resume talks with the LTTE. The call was supported by the press, civil society organisations, and religious communities, creating the impression of a unanimous public opinion. The local Catholic Bishops condemned the resurgence of violence and stressed the urgency of dialogue to save the country from falling into widespread violence.
Among the concerned international organisations the United Nations High Commission for Refugees said it is worried about deterioration of the security in Sri Lanka which is producing a growing number of refugees: fearing an escalation of violence many people in the north are crossing the Palk Straits the strip of sea between Sri Lank and India and landing in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 26/1/2006 righe 28 parole 283)