Sri Lanka Violence 'Kills Eight'

BBC News

April 17, 2006

At least eight people have been killed in bomb attacks in Sri Lanka, hours after Tamil Tiger rebels put their participation in peace talks on hold.

Five of those killed were soldiers near the town of Vavuniya, the army said. At least one rebel was among three killed in a blast near Jaffna, it added.

The rebels say they will not attend peace talks in Geneva next week unless restrictions on their movements end.

More than 50 people have died in bombings in Sri Lanka in the past week.

The BBC's Dumeetha Luthra in Colombo says the past week has been one of the bloodiest since the government and the rebels agreed a 2002 truce.

Truce monitors say both government and rebels are creating obstacles to peace efforts.

'Frustrated'

Seven other soldiers were hurt when their truck hit a claymore mine near Vavuniya, the army said.

In the incident further north near Jaffna, a rebel mine had exploded prematurely, it added.

Five airmen were also hurt in a third claymore mine blast blamed on the rebels near the eastern town of Batticaloa.

Peace talks, already postponed, had been due to take place on 24-25 April.

But the rebels told Norwegian peace brokers they would not go to Geneva until security measures were eased, allowing them to hold crucial internal talks.

"Until the hurdles in front of us to attend Geneva talks are removed and a more conducive environment created, our team is unable to come to the talks," a letter to the mediators said.

The Tamil Tigers' eastern commanders were to have made the journey north for an internal meeting on Saturday.

After days of negotiations, both the government and the rebels had agreed to a civilian vessel transporting the regional leaders, escorted by unarmed international truce monitors.

Sri Lankan navy ships were to have observed from a distance. But the Tamil Tigers cancelled at the last minute, saying they had not agreed to the navy vessels being present.

Ceasefire monitors said they were "frustrated" and insist the rebels had agreed to the navy escort.

The government has said the ball is in the rebels' court.

"We are doing everything to go to Geneva for the talks, but we can't clap with one hand," government negotiator, Palitha Kohona, told the AFP news agency over the weekend.

Violence

The peace negotiations were to have been the second round of talks on strengthening the implementation of the four-year-old ceasefire.

The first round was held in February in the wake of serious violence in the preceding two months, after Norway indulged in shuttle diplomacy to bring both parties to the negotiating table.

At least 160 people - including about 100 soldiers and sailors and many civilians - died in the upsurge of violence since last December.

Tamil Tiger supporters say more than 50 Tamils have been killed by the security forces in the same period, while others blame some of those deaths on the rebels or other armed groups.

The sides were originally scheduled to meet on 19 April, but the rebels sought a postponement.

© BBC MMVI