FEARING THE REVIVAL of violence in the country the Sri Lankan government has requested the international development minister of Norway Erik Solheim and the peace facilitator Jon Hanssen-Bauer to discuss the peace process in the country as a matter of high priority. Solheim had negotiated the ceasefire between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan government in 2002.

The two Norwegian envoys were scheduled to meet the Lankan government and Tamil rebel leaders to revive the peace process, amid spiralling violence between the two sides. But now, Solheim will not meet the LTTE in Killinochchi during his visit to Sri Lanka. While Bauer is due to meet the LTTE political leadership, Solheim will only meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa and other government officials in Colombo.

 

Bauer arrived in Sri Lanka on 24 May and Solheim is expected to arrive on 25 May. The two envoys and the rebel leaders believe that there are very bleak prospects to resume peace talks. But, the government is hopeful of their efforts to bring the rebel leaders back to talks.

 

The LTTE has shown reluctance to participate in the peace talks, after their senior intelligence operative Ramanan was killed on 22 May. They claim that with the gunning down of a senior LTTE commander the government intends to end all efforts towards peace and force them into a war.

 

Solheim had requested a meeting with the LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, which the rebels have turned down. Therefore, Bauer will meet its political head S P Thamilselvan in Killinochchi. Solheim had met Prabhakaran during his December 2005 visit as a Norwegian government representative.

 

The next important step on this issue will be taken on 30 May when the USA, the European Union, Norway and Japan meet to decide their future role in Sri Lanka. They had jointly raised 4.5 billion dollars in June 2003 to support peace efforts in Sri Lanka, but much of the money remains unspent due to the lack of any progress in the peace efforts in the country.