Sri Lanka talks face hurdle

High security zones are an issue for the rebels

By Frances Harrison BBC correspondent in Thailand

A dispute over the return of Sri Lankan refugees threatens peace talks between the country's government and rebels.

The fourth round of the talks is due to begin in Thailand on Monday.

The government is insisting the dispute, over the return of tens of thousand of refugees to military security zones in the north of the island, has not put the process in jeopardy.

This is going to be a long road, a difficult road

GL Peiris, chief government negotiator

But it is clear the issue is paramount and does threaten progress at the talks.

The chief rebel negotiator, Anton Balsingham, has categorically stated that detailed discussion on political issues will not be possible until the dispute is resolved.

The Tamil Tigers say hundreds of thousands of Tamil civilians are being prevented from returning to homes inside security areas cordoned off around military bases in the northern Jaffna Peninsula.

Leaked proposal

The army says the figure is in fact far lower - placing the number of affected people at 36,000.

They argue that allowing civilians to resettle in their high security zones would disturb the balance of power between the two sides and jeopardise the lives of thousands of soldiers.

The Tigers will not discuss disarming

The dispute was exacerbated by a leaked proposal from the Sri Lankan military to the Tigers, which suggested that the rebels should disarm before the refugees were allowed home.

Officials admit the proposal was not properly scrutinised before being sent to the rebels and undiplomatically referred to the Tigers as terrorists.

"None of these things are unmitigated calamities" said chief government negotiator G L Peiris. "One has to expect thorny issues to crop up."

Political horse-trading

The government hopes the commitment of both sides to the process will lead to a resolution of this latest disagreement, but diplomats warn the process is entering a new and more difficult phase.

The first three rounds of talks led to dramatic progress, with the Tamil Tigers agreeing on a federal solution to resolve their 20-year-long struggle for a separate Tamil homeland in north-eastern Sri Lanka.

"We have to recognise the reality that at the end of every session there is not going to be a dramatic breakthrough" Mr Peiris said. "This is going to be a long road, a difficult road."

The two sides have agreed the framework for a solution, but now the difficult process of haggling over the details starts.

Diplomats also say another reason why a breakthrough is unlikely is that the chief rebel negotiator, Mr Balsingham, has not been physically in rebel controlled territory to consult with the Tamil Tiger leader since the last round of talks.