United Kingdom urges Sri Lankans to grasp peace chance

November 16, 2000
Web posted at: 7:01 AM HKT (2301 GMT)

LONDON (Reuters) -- Renewed international efforts to end Sri Lanka's bitter ethnic war offer the country its best hope of peace and the chance to match its neighbours' economic progress, Britain said on Wednesday.

"Every day the fighting continues, Sri Lanka falls further and further behind," Foreign Office Minister Peter Hain told a news conference.

"There is now a new level of engagement and spirit for the peace process. This whole conflict is holding the country back," he added ahead of his November 22-23 visit to Sri Lanka.

Norwegian envoy Erik Solheim and Tamil rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran held a surprise meeting at the end of last month, with Solheim offering to broker talks between the government and the separatists.

The move drew strong criticism in Sri Lanka, with the country's major Marxist party accusing Norway of backing the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in their 17-year war to set up a Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka.

"We back the Norwegians' role... We want to help take the peace process forwards. That's what my visit will, in part, be destined to achieve," Hain said.

The minister is due during his visit to meet Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake and opposition politicians.

Before going to Colombo, from November 18-21, Hain will visit India for a meeting with counterpart Ajit Panja among others to talk about cooperation on information technology.

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