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11 killed in Lanka blast

Eleven people were killed and 50 others including security personnel injured in a blast in the main post office in Sri Lanka's Vavuniya.

Sources said several injured persons have been rushed to a local hospital.

The explosion occurred at around 1100 hours, when a large number of public and security personnel were present in the vicinity of the heavily guarded post office, located in the heart of the town, about 220 kilometres from Colombo.

The blast took place opposite a police station. Locals said the blast was heard up to a distance of two kilometres.

The blast occurred on a day when Norway has set foot in this island country to mediate between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Sri Lanka feels that 'direct bilateral negotiations' with the banned LTTE are not practicable now that the confidence level between the government and the rebels has eroded.

This is the first time that a Western country is making an effort at the behest of the government to evolve a political solution to the country's long-standing ethnic problem.

Senior Norwegian diplomat Leiv Lunde, who concluded his five-day visit to Colombo yesterday, held preliminary talks with the government and members of political parties as a prelude to negotiating with the LTTE, official sources said.

Lunde, who holds the rank of a deputy minister, met Acting Foreign Minister Lakshman Kiriella and members of various Tamil parties during his stay. He also called on opposition leader and United National Party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister G L Peiris.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Knut Volleback was scheduled to visit Sri Lanka earlier this month, but the visit was postponed as his Lankan counterpart Lakshman Kadirgamar was out of the country for medical treatment.

Meanwhile, people are questioning the government's wisdom in entering into talks with the LTTE which is a banned guerrilla organisation.

''How come peace talks are to be held with the LTTE which is banned as a terrorist movement?'' queried Ven Althgama Nayak Thero of the Karaka Mahasanga Sabha at a meeting held in Kandy a couple of days ago.

The meeting was held to protest the bomb blast at the Sri Dalada Maligawa (Buddhist shrine) two years ago which seriously damaged the temple.

Several speakers, objecting to peace talks with the LTTE, said LTTE chief V Prabhakaran could not be trusted. ''Has the ban on the LTTE as a traitor organisation been lifted now?'' they asked.

Additional reportage: UNI

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