LTTE litany of woes overshadow talks

‘‘Far from strengthening our belief that talks will take place, the problem of Tamils will be solved and peace will dawn soon, the government’s actions seem to shatter that belief,’’ Balasingham was quoted as saying by Colombo-based Tamil daily Sudar Oli on Monday.

‘‘We are going to complain about this at the outset,’’ he said, blaming in particular the Sri Lankan armed forces for allegedly acting against the terms of the truce agreement signed by the government and the LTTE.

His remarks have cast a shadow on the proposed direct talks between the parties in Thailand next month which are now likely to be delayed.

The LTTE has earlier complained that the government’s peace efforts seem to be slackening, and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was ‘‘dithering’’ on its key demands.

‘‘Whether talks will take place next month is in the government’s hands,’’ Balasingham said, reiterating that lifting of the LTTE ban and ‘‘full implementation’’ of the ceasefire were necessary before talks could begin.

Balasingham said he would also apprise the Norwegians of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s recent remarks on the rebel outfit’s demand for a ‘‘Tamil homeland’’ and the proposal for an interim administration for the North-East.

In remarks that may not endear him to the LTTE, Wickremesinghe had recently rejected the idea that a separate ‘‘Tamil homeland’’ existed in Sri Lanka.

At another place, he sought to assuage growing criticism from detractors of his peace efforts that he had not given any assurance to the LTTE about establishing an interim administration, and that any such move would have to be approved by Parliament and the people.

‘‘These remarks have not been denied by the Prime Minister, and we will raise these with the Norwegians and ask them to seek a proper reply from the government,’’ Balasingham said. Listing their other grievances, he said the armed forces had failed to stick to terms of the truce accord.