Sri Lankan rebel talks push for peace

A Tamil rebel places weapons on top of a table during surrender ceremonies, in line with the cease-fire agreement

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- The Sri Lankan government's top negotiator is meeting with Tamil rebels in a bid to pave the way for formal peace negotiations in July aimed at ending almost two decades of civil war.

Bernard Gunatilake, head of the Peace Secretariat that is coordinating the government's peace drive with Norway, flew into rebel territory in northern Sri Lanka Tuesday.

The meeting aims to clear obstacles delaying planned direct talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), now expected to take place in Thailand later this month or in July.

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Government representatives and rebels also discussed the full implementation of the cease-fire agreement that came into effect in late February.

Gunatilake met for two hours with the leader of the rebel's political wing S.P. Thamilselvan and discussed opening up a key highway that links the northern Tamil heartland with the rest of the country. He also brought up the possibility of the military vacating schools and temples they have taken over.

"A wide range of matters pertaining to the use of roads for direct transport, the question of sea movements and the restoration of public buildings, schools and places of religious worship currently used by the Sri Lanka Security Forces to their original purposes were discussed at the meeting," a secretariat statement read.

The statement said that a joint team comprising government representatives, the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and other interested parties would monitor the implementation of the agreement.

"Views were also exchanged on the deproscription of the LTTE, forthcoming negotiations between the two parties and other confidence building measures," the statement added.

This is only the second time in seven years that the two sides have held face-to-face talks.

In May Gunatilake made a similar journey by military helicopter to rebel-held territory in the north of the country for talks.(Full story)

One sticking point to peaceful negotiations has been the rebels demands for access to a string of government-controlled islands off the northern Jaffna Peninsula.

Until recently the navy which controls the islands had blocked such visits citing security concerns. But the guerrillas said they should be allowed access to the islets under the cease-fire agreement, and that the navy's actions were threatening peace talks.

Last week the Sri Lankan government announced that a deal had been struck for Tamil access to the islands for "political work."

The rebels have been fighting since 1983 for a separate homeland in the north and east of the island nation for the Tamil minority, claiming discrimination by the Sinhalese majority. More than 64,500 people have been killed in the conflict.