Sri Lanka talks collapse

PEACE talks on Sri Lanka collapsed overnight after chief Norwegian peace broker Erik Solheim said the two warring sides had failed to agree on a date for the process to resume.

Mr Solheim, Norway's international development minister, told reporters after two-days of talks between representatives of the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Geneva that they were also unable to agree on how to tackle crucial humanitarian questions.

"No agreement was reached on humanitarian issues or on another date for talks," Mr Solheim said at a news conference.
However, the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to a truce agreement they launched in 2002, he said.

"Both sides reiterated their commitment to the ceasefire agreement and promised not to launch any military offensives," Mr Solheim said.

He maintained international pressure on the two sides following a spate of violence since the last peace talks in February which has claimed about 3000 lives and forced 200,000 to flee their homes.

The Norwegian mediators had been aiming to clinch a deal over new dates for two more rounds of face-to-face negotiations in December and January in the absence of other progress, diplomats close to the talks said overnight.

Tamil Tiger chief negotiator SP Thamilselvan had reported "zero" progress with government representatives after the first day, with no agreement on the rebels' priority demand.

He said the "core issue" for the LTTE was to address the humanitarian needs of Tamils affected by the recent fighting and the re-opening of the single highway into the northern Jaffna peninsula.

Both sides blame each other for violence which has closed the highway.

The LTTE overnight also accused government forces of preparing a fresh offensive in the area.

Mr Solheim said: "I encourage the parties to allot themselves some time to reflect on the situation and not to draw hasty conclusions or take actions that could increase suffering of the civilians in Sri Lanka."

A Sri Lankan government delegate, who declined to be named, said after the first day of talks no progress had been made and noted there was little scope for compromise.

The negotiator said: "The government delegation is not in a position to agree to the LTTE demands because of the military implications."

The conflict in Sri Lanka is Asia's longest and the bloodiest separatist war, claiming more than 60,000 lives since the LTTE launched its bid for Tamil independence in 1972.