Norway putting pressure for peace talks: says Sri Lanka

Colombo, Nov 21 (PTI) Sri Lanka has complained to the United States that peace broker Norway was putting undue pressure on it while sparing Tamil Tiger rebels, a media report said.President Chandrika Kumaratunga lodged the complaint in a telephone conversation with US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage last week, the 'Sunday Times' here reported.

"The President complained that the recent Norwegian peace delegation to Colombo had applied pressure on her, while not doing the same to the rebels," the newspaper said.

There was no immediate word from Kumaratunga's office, but a government statement on Friday hinted that there may be problems between the peace broker and Colombo.

"Disagreements between the government of Sri Lanka and the government of Norway on the approach to the peace talks have to be resolved by discussion," the statement said.

"Such discussions have taken place and will continue to take place when the occasion for them arises." Meanwhile, officials said the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had stepped up killings despite the US government urging all sides to end a 19-month deadlock in peace talks.

A former military informant was gunned down in the north-eastern district of Trincomalee last night and military officials said it was the work of the Tigers. PTI

Norwegian Peace Initiative