CO-CHAIRS EXPRESS DEEP CONCERN ABOUT ESCALATION OF VIOLENCE

The Tokyo Co-Chairs (US, Norway, Japan and the EU) met at high level in Brussels on 19 December 2005. The Co-Chairs requested that their local Heads of Mission to meet key Sri Lankan partners to explain and clarify the Co-Chairs public statement. To this end, the local Heads of Mission of the EU, Norway and Japan today met with Mr. S. Thamilchelvan. This meeting took place with the full support of the government.

The messages communicated were tough and reflected those in the Co-Chairs public statement. The Co-Chairs expressed their deep concern about the recent escalation of violence. Sri Lanka faces a crucial choice today between mounting violence and reinvigorating peace. The Sri Lankan people clearly want peace - it would be a tragic step backwards if their desire was not heeded. The urgency of LTTE agreeing to hold talks on the implementation of the ceasefire agreement was particularly stressed by the Co-Chairs.

The Co-Chairs will speak frankly to all parties to the conflict as they maintain their balanced and impartial effort to help the Sri Lankan people maintain the ceasefire agreement and to reinvigorate the peace process.

24 December 2005