Sri Lankan Govt keeps hopes for talks alive

The LTTE, meanwhile, has said the Govt should stop attacking Tamils if it wants talks to resume, reports PK Balachandran.

Despite the LTTE's clear refusal to come for peace talks, the Sri Lankan government is continuing its efforts to get the rebel group to come to the negotiating table, as scheduled on April 24 in Geneva.

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The Director General of the government Peace Secretariat Dr Palitha Kohona told Hindustan Times on Thursday, that the Norwegian Special Envoy Jon Hensson Bauer had briefed him about his meeting with the LTTE in Kilinochchi, and that the government was "holding discussions" on the question.

Asked specifically if efforts were on to hold the talks as scheduled on April 24, he merely said: "We are holding discussions."

It is likely that peace broker Bauer will stay on till a final decision is taken one way or the other, since there are only four days for the talks to begin.