DATE=11/30/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-242273
TITLE=LANKAN OPPOSITION / L-O
BYLINE=VANDANA CHOPRA
DATELINE=COLOMBO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: SRI LANKA'S MAIN OPPOSITION UNITED NATIONAL PARTY HAS
URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO CONSIDER AN OFFER OF PEACE TALKS BY TAMIL
TIGER REBELS. VANDANA CHOPRA HAS THE DETAILS FROM COLOMBO.
TEXT:
THE LEADER OF TAMIL SEPARATISTS -- VELUPILLAI PRABHAKARAN -- SAID
LAST WEEK HE WAS WILLING TO HOLD INITIAL TALKS WITH THE
GOVERNMENT BEFORE ENTERING INTO FORMAL NEGOTIATIONS TO END THE
15-YEAR WAR.
IN A SPEECH, MR. PRABHAKARAN SAID HE WANTED POLITICAL
NEGOTIATIONS TO BE HELD IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF PEACE -- FREE FROM
THE CONDITIONS OF WAR, ECONOMIC BLOCKADE AND MILITARY AGGRESSION.
THE U-N-P SAYS THE PEACE OFFER IS A MAJOR MOVE BY THE REBELS
WHICH CANNOT BE IGNORED BY THE GOVERNMENT.
THERE HAS BEEN NO COMMENT FROM THE GOVERNMENT ON THE PEACE OFFER
BY THE REBEL LEADER BUT THE STATE-OWNED NEWSPAPER -- "SUNDAY
OBSERVER" -- QUOTED GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AS SAYING THERE WAS
NOTHING NEW IN THE REBEL LEADER'S OFFER.
IN THE PAST, THE GOVERNMENT HAS SUPPORTED THE IDEA OF THIRD-PARTY
DISCUSSIONS, ONLY IF THE REBELS DISARM, GIVE UP THEIR DEMAND FOR
A SEPARATE HOMELAND AND AGREE TO A TIME FRAME FOR A POLITICAL
SETTLEMENT.
THE GOVERNMENT LAST INITIATED PEACE TALKS WITH THE REBEL
GUERRILLAS AFTER ASSUMING POWER IN 1994. THOSE TALKS BROKE DOWN
AFTER THE SEPARATISTS BLEW UP TWO NAVAL GUNBOATS IN THE EASTERN
PORT CITY, TRINCOMALEE, IN 1995.
TAMIL TIGER REBELS ARE WAGING A WAR FOR A SEPARATE HOMELAND FOR
THE MINORITY TAMIL COMMUNITY IN SRI LANKA'S NORTH AND EAST SINCE
1983. (SIGNED)
NEB / WD / WD
30-Nov-98 3:55 AM EST (0855 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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