The Foreign Secretary met today Professor G L Peiris, Sri Lankan Minister of Enterprise Development, Industrial Policy, Investment Promotion and Constitutional Affairs. Professor Peiris is the Minister leading the government delegation at the peace talks.

Commenting on the meeting Jack Straw said: 'I was very pleased to be able to meet Professor Peiris today. This is an historic time in Sri Lanka’s history as the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) make progress towards a peaceful settlement of a conflict that has ravaged one of the world’s most beautiful islands for 20 years. It is encouraging that at the last round of talks the two sides agreed to explore a solution founded on the principle of internal self-determination for the Tamil people, based on a federal structure within a united Sri Lanka. I look forward to further progress at the next round of talks in January. I am pleased that human rights issues are being addressed at this early stage. It is imperative that the rights of all communities are fully upheld in any settlement.

'The UK and the international community have an important role to play in offering both political and practical support to Sri Lanka. The UK has committed over £15 million in developmental assistance for 2003/2004.'

SRI LANKA'S GOVERNMENT LIFTS BAN ON THE LTTE

Following the announcement on 4 September that the Government of Sri Lanka will lift the ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Foreign Office Minister Mike O’Brien said at the time, 'we have noted that the Government of Sri Lanka has lifted its ban on the LTTE. This is entirely a matter for the Government of Sri Lanka and does not directly affect the proscription of the LTTE in the UK."

'Before the proscription of the LTTE in the UK could be reconsidered by the British Government, the LTTE would have to demonstrate a complete and convincing renunciation of terrorism. We hope that the LTTE will indeed conclude that violence no longer has a part to play in resolving Sri Lanka’s problems and that they will renounce terrorism once and for all," he added.

Significant efforts have been made to organise talks between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Government since the agreed ceasefire earlier in this year. Mike O'Brien continued, " we welcome the decision of the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE to commence direct talks in Thailand (16 September). This is an important step and has our full backing. As the parties prepare for talks it is important to remember that for peace to succeed there must be respect for the rights of all communities, including the Muslim community.'

A NATION RAVAGED BY CONFLICT

SRI LANKA is a nation ravaged by armed ethnic conflict that has been raging for nearly two decades. The once peaceful and prosperous island in the Indian ocean, just a few miles away from the Indian sub-continent has witnessed the effects of one of the worst conflicts in history. A sizeable segment of the population was forced to flee their homeland and to take asylum in other countries. The following figures reveal the magnitude of the problem.

• UNHCR estimates that 917,000 Sri Lankans fled the country since 1983. 714,000 were internally displaced.
• Between 1989 and 1998, 156,926 applications for asylum were received in Europe alone.
• 31,271 sought asylum in Canada.
• 83,946 Sri Lankans applied for asylum in North America and Australia.
• In Britain, between 1980 and 2000, 41,985 sought asylum.
• More than 60,000 lost their lives during the two decades of war.

SRI LANKAN NEWSPAPERS ONLINE

If you would like to get a broader prespective on the peace talks and other news from Sri Lanka, you might like to read some of the newspapers online:

• Ceylon Online (http://www.ceylon-online.com)
• (Sri Lankan) Daily News (http://www.dailynews.lk)
• Lanka News (http://www.lankanews.com)
• Sunday Observer (http://www.sundayobserver.lk)
• Tamil Guardian (http://www.tamilguardian.com)

Or you can visit the Sri Lankan Department of Information website.

INTERESTED IN KNOWING MORE?

Click here to read a country profile of Sri Lanka.

Click here to read our review of Michael Ondaatje's Book 'Anil's Ghost' - an anthropological whodunit based in Sri Lanka.

Click here to visit the UK Foreign Office website.

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