SATTAHIP (Thailand), Sept 16: Formerly labelled as terrorists, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elaam (LTTE) will “do its utmost and sincere best” in the endeavour for peace with the Sri Lankan government, LTTE theoretician Anton Balasingham, said at the opening of the three day peace talks here on Monday.
The ceremony, which began after stringent security checking by the Thai military and police, was represented by the Thailand Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tej Bunnag, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway, Vidar Helgesen, the Norwegian Ambassador in Sri Lanka, Jon Westborg and Norwegian peace envoy for Sri Lanka Eric Solheim — in their capacity as facilitators and moderators.
The NGO fraternity in Sri Lanka representing human rights organizations and peace motivation institutions was a notable presence, and is scheduled to stay on till the end of the talks on September 18. The delegates also included representatives from the Muslim community.
Anton Balasingham, who leads the LTTE delegation, was accompanied by constitutional lawyer based in the United States, V. Rudrakumaran, Dr Jai Maheswaran, rehabilitation expert based in Australia and Mrs Adele Balasingham, secretary to Anton Balasingham, while the Sri Lankan government was represented by Constitutional Affairs Minister Prof.G.L.Peiris, Minister for Science and Technology and a confidante of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Milinda Moragoda, and Ambassador Bernard Goonetilleke — who heads the government‘s Peace Secretariat in Colombo.
“We are optimistic that peace would be what we will reap from this round of talks and the many others which are to follow. It is crucial that the LTTE should play the leading role in the rehabilitation of the North Eastern regions, where the 19 years of war has devastated human lives, property and the overall economy of a once lucrative region in the country”, Balasingham said addressing the wide representation of media and foreign diplomats of over 50 countries, which included Europe and Asia.
Balasingham who appealed to the international community to divert funds for the rehabilitation of the LTTE-controlled regions in the North and East said that the LTTE was keen to take over administration of the North Eastern regions as the Tamil people have ‘unanimously’ and ‘unequivocally’ identified the LTTE as representatives of the Tamils.
He further added that ‘it was clear’ that the Sri Lankan government had accepted them as ‘equal partners’ for negotiating peace.
Head of the Sri Lankan government peace delegation, G. L. Peiris said that the narrow and sectarian attitudes need to be abandoned.
He, however, reiterated that the solution to the ethnic question would be discussed within the framework of the constitution of the Sri Lankan government, and with the understanding of keeping ‘within an unitary state’.
Paying his tribute to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, under whose leadership the peace process was initiated last December, Peiris said that the premier held fast to his course of national reunification with a ‘degree of tenacity born of depth of conviction’.
Minister Peiris said that Muslim Affairs Minister, Rauf Hakeem, who would initially represent the government would also represent the cause of the Muslims in Sri Lanka.