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"Uphold CFA to bring about normalcy and deliver humanitarian assistance

At the outset the Ambassador explained the outcome of the co-chairs meeting in Brussels and continued at length about the various steps that Norway is taking to reactivate the peace process. Mr. Tamilselvan briefed the envoy on the current thinking of the LTTE and the Tamil people and expressed concern over the lack of progress in the political arena. Progress in the peace process notwithstanding, Mr. Tamilselvan raised serious concern about non-implementation of the CFA in bringing about normalcy, minimising military violations and lack of proper mechanism for the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Presenting an overview of the situation in Batticaloa Mr. Tamilselvan said that the Tamil people are very much hurt by the malicious manner in which state media, especially the SLBC Tamil service which is engaged in a vicious campaign of propagating false news relating to alleged confrontations between the dissident Karuna element and the LTTE. The SLBC Tamil service Mr. Tamilselvan lamented is accommodating a one hour direct broadcast from the Tamil Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) London, an entity that is run by a former Tamil paramilitary group engaged in vicious propaganda aimed at discrediting the LTTE and creating North-East regionalism in the minds of the listeners. This broadcast, Mr. Tamilselvan said, is openly upholding the 'virtues' of the Karuna faction and vilifying the Tamil national cause. "If the Government is honest in taking the LTTE as a sincere partner in the peace process, this type of clandestine media activity should stop forthwith" said Mr. Tamilselvan.

Mr. Hans Brattskar promised to convey these sentiments to Mr. Jayantha Dhanapala, Head of the Government Peace Secretariat.

16 June 2004

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