|
Visit our special sections for latest developments and analysis:
|
|
 |
Sri Lanka's peace prospects improve
Sri Lanka's peace prospects improved as the United States mounted pressure on Tamil Tiger rebels to stop persecuting Muslims and enter talks to end the island's ethnic bloodshed.
The US embassy in Colombo asked the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to give up its use of violence "unequivocally" and improve its treatment of the island's second largest minority.
The L-T-T-E struck a historic deal with the main Muslim party, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress on Saturday clearing the way for negotiations with the Sri Lankan government on finding a political solution to the conflict.
Under the landmark agreement, the LTTE agreed to allow an estimated 100,000 Muslims to return to their homes amid a Norwegian push to bring peace to the island.
Tiger guerrillas had driven out the Muslims, the second largest minority after the Tamils, from the Tamil-dominated northern peninsula of Jaffna in 1990 together with thousands of Sinhalese.
The Tigers also agreed to stop extorting money from the Muslim community in the multi-ethnic eastern province, a key issue that had threatened to jeopardise a Norwegian-arranged ceasefire that has been in place since February 23.
14/04/2002 23:00:21 | ABC Radio Australia News
Back
|
|
|
|
Related Stories
|
|
10/04/2002 00:10:28
Sri Lanka's main Marxist party denounces press conference
08/04/2002 18:02:10
Strategic Sri Lankan highway opens in peace moves
03/04/2002 22:00:50
Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers meet peace brokers ahead of talks
03/04/2002 05:02:19
Nordic observers begin monitoring ceasefire in Sri Lanka
|
|
Related Sites
|
|
World News
from Radio Australia
News across Asia, the Pacific and beyond.
|
