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06 August 2003

U.S. Looks Forward to Resumption of Sri Lankan Peace Talks

State's Reeker says U.S. concerned about rebel activity

The United States welcomes the timely resumption of peace talks between the Sri Lankan government and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, but is concerned that rebel activity is undermining confidence in the peace process at this critical juncture, State Department Deputy Spokesman Philip Reeker said in a statement issued in Washington August 6.

Following is the text of Reeker's statement:

(begin text)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
August 6, 2003

STATEMENT BY PHILIP T. REEKER, DEPUTY SPOKESMAN

Sri Lanka: Status of the Peace Process

The United States looks forward to a timely resumption of peace talks in Sri Lanka. Through the good offices of the Norwegian facilitators, the government of Sri Lanka submitted a proposal July 17 to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for discussion of an interim administration for the North and East of the country. The Tamil Tigers are still reviewing the proposal. With a constructive approach and willingness to compromise, a negotiated solution to the conflict is possible.

We note with concern, however, activity by the Tamil Tigers that is undermining confidence in the peace process at this critical juncture. More than three dozen persons -- all of whom were alleged to be political opponents of the Tamil Tigers or anti-Tiger informants -- have been assassinated in Sri Lanka so far this year. Also, the Tigers continue to maintain a military camp in Trincomalee District, identified by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission as a violation of the February 2002 ceasefire agreement.

The United States calls on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to renounce terrorism and cease terrorist acts, including political assassination, and to comply with the terms of the ceasefire agreement they signed.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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