Peace gets a chance

The island8217;s Tamil-dominated north and east has been calm since the two sides agreed to meet, but if the Geneva talks collapse, many fear the end of a fragile 2002 truce and a return to a civil war which has killed over 64,000 people.

The Army denied any involvement in Wednesday8217;s incident, and a spokesman said the military had not crossed into the area the Tigers control.

Diplomats say the talks at a chateau outside Geneva, the first direct contact between the two sides since 2003, may involve little more than the two sides stating their positions.

But they are also hoping for some trust building measures such as opening new crossing points between the Tiger rebel and Army territory, and the fixing of a further meeting.

8220;There is little confidence at the start between the two sides. Confidence can only increase, but it starts at a low level,8221; Norwegian envoy Erik Solheim, who brokered the meeting, told journalists as the meeting started.

8220;The hoped-for outcome of this meeting will be some way of strengthening the agreement on the ceasefire and hopefully that parties will meet again,8221; he said.

Diplomats hope the talks will reduce tension that peaked in late January after a string of suspected rebel attacks on the military. The rebels denied the attacks, but few believed them.

8220;If they fail, I really do believe there will be a war,8221; said a European diplomat. 8220;But I think it8217;s very unlikely. What we8217;ll probably see is some trust-building measures and a date and venue for more talks.8221;

The Tigers have said the two-day meeting will decide if there is peace or a new civil war. 8212;Reuters