COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s moribund peace process suffered another setback with the death of the top Tamil Tiger negotiator who was regarded as a moderate among hardliners, analysts said on Friday.

Anton Balasingham, 68, who had spearheaded the peace efforts of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), died of bile duct cancer at his London home on Thursday.

“Balasingham had an institutional memory and it would be very difficult for the LTTE to replace him,” said Sunanda Deshapriya, a director at the independent think-tank Centre for Policy Alternatives.

“He was someone who was amenable to negotiations and was willing to show flexibility. To find a political figure like him would be a serious challenge to the Tigers. His death is a setback to the peace process.” Tiger chief Velupillai Prabhakaran mourned the death saying it came at a time when the LTTE needed Balasingham’s skills more than ever.

“A source of unwavering strength in the political and diplomatic efforts of our freedom movement, and the light of our nation is extinguished,” Prabhakaran said in a statement.

“It is an irreplaceable loss for our entire nation and for me,” he said from rebel-held territory in the north of Sri Lanka.

“Bala Annai (elder brother) has a permanent historic place in the growth and the spread of our movement. He was its elder member, its ideologue, its philosopher and, above all, my best friend who gave me encouragement and energy.

“He was with me from the very beginning of our movement, sharing its challenges and hardships. He was the central figure in all our diplomatic efforts.” Prabhakaran conferred the title of ‘Voice of the Nation’ on Balasingham, whose funeral was to be held in London.

He was the main contact for peace broker Norway and others involved in attempts to solve the Sri Lankan conflict, which has claimed 60,000 lives since 1972.

His December 2002 offer to consider a federal state instead of full-blown independence marked a watershed in the guerrilla campaign. Sources close to the rebels said Prabhakaran was upset that Balasingham had committed to such a drastic shift in policy, but never publicly chided him.

Balasingham described himself as “Mr Prabhakaran’s voice” and was regarded as the only member of the LTTE who could argue with the feared leader.

The avuncular Balasingham, who married an Australian, presented a bundle of contradictions in the movement.

He was never a combatant but rose to be the chief ideologue and negotiator, willing to talk to the journalists Prabhakaran shuns.

“He may have been responsible for restraining the Tigers to some extent,” said defence analyst Namal Perera. “With his death, there could be more fireworks from the Tigers.” The last round of peace talks in October, which illness prevented Balasingham from attending, ended in failure and were followed last month by a vow from Prabhakaran to renew the struggle for independence.

Former rebel turned politician Dharmalingam Sithadthan said Balasingham’s 30-year-plus association with the Tiger chief gave him unprecedented clout within the movement.

“They were so close that it was Mr Balasingham who justified the crimes and the wrong-doings of Prabhakaran,” Sithadthan said. “But, he was unable or unwilling to persuade Prabhakaran to go for a settlement.”—AFP