Breakthrough for Sri Lankan peace

The meeting is the first between both sides is seven years

SATTAHIP, Thailand (CNN) -- Talks between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels have been hailed a success with both sides optimistic conditions for peace can be attained without dividing the country.

Emerging from the final meeting session in Thailand on Wednesday, the two parties sounded a loud note of optimism with a commitment to establish a task force to work on humanitarian and reconstruction issues before they meet again in late October.

This week's meetings are part of a peace effort brokered by Norway, and are the first direct talks in seven years between Colombo and the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam, or LTTE, who have been fighting for a Tamil homeland in Sri Lanka for two decades.

Chief Tamil negotiator, Anton Balasingham, told reporters after the final session that the rebels are no longer fighting for a separate state, instead asking first for autonomy within Sri Lanka.

"We operate with the concept of homeland and self-determination, [that] doesn't mean a separate state," Balasingham said.

"If our demand for regional autonomy and self-government is rejected ... as a last resort, our people have no option other than to fight for political independence and statehood."

Aspirations

CNN NewsPass VIDEO CNN's Tom Mintier reports on peace talks between Sri Lanka and Tamil Tiger rebels aimed at ending a 19-year civil war. Play video   IN-DEPTH Sri Lanka: A nation divided  • Sri Lanka timeline      CNN.com Asia More news from our Asia edition

Those comments were matched by his government counterpart, who expressed confidence rebel goals can be met within a united Sri Lanka.

"They [Tamil Tigers] have stated it categorically on this occasion -- a separate state is not what their aspirations are about," Sri Lankan government minister G. L. Peiris said.

"Their aspirations can be fulfilled within one country if we set about it in the proper way.

Balasingham added that the two sides have agreed to set up a panel to resettle people displaced in the conflict, but ruled out disarmament at this stage.

Autonomy

Another three rounds of talks will take place in Thailand, starting in late October with further rounds scheduled for December 2-5, and January 6-9, 2003.

Both sides hope that the positive ending to the talks will attract international aid for Sri Lanka.

Nearly 65,000 people have been killed in the civil war.

The government maintains that a substantial majority of Sri Lankans support its peace initiative.

And a newspaper poll showed that more than 50 per cent of the respondents were happy with the government's peace efforts.