Sri Lanka Govt, Tamil Rebels Hold Talks

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, November 22, 2002

Sri Lanka Govt, Tamil Rebels Hold Talks

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Delegations of the Sri Lankan government and separatist Tamil Tiger rebels on Thursday formulated a number of consensus-based recommendations seeking to de-escalate and normalize situation in the strategic Trincomalee district in the east, officials said.

The meeting is the fifth of a series of direct talks at district level provided within a dialogue mechanism created at thesecond round of Norwegian-brokered peace talks held in Thailand early this month.

The government delegation was headed by Major General S. Kottegoda of the Sri Lankan Army while the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) political chief in Trincomalee Thilak led their teams.

No decisions are taken at district level meetings but their recommendations are placed before three sub-committees set up at the Thai peace talks. The sub-committees handle political, humanitarian and security issues.

A number of issues affecting civilians including possible re-location of high security zones, opening of roads for civilian traffic and re-settlement of internally displaced persons and minority Muslims in Tamil-dominated areas were discussed at the meeting.

The issue of LTTE setting up police stations in eastern areas which has triggered Muslim protest was also taken up.

Spokesman of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Torkelsson described the Trincomalee district meeting as "definitely good and productive." The recommendations arrive at the meeting are to be submitted before a sub-Committee meeting due to be held on Dec. 14,he said.

The next meeting at district level is due on Saturday in Amparai district in the east of the country.

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