New bid to revive Sri Lanka talks

Petersen admits he does not have high expectations

Norway's foreign minister has arrived in Colombo to launch a fresh attempt to revive the peace process in Sri Lanka.

Jan Petersen will meet President Chandrika Kumaratunga and also the Tamil Tigers' reclusive leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran.

Peace talks between the rebels and the government broke down last year and an uneasy truce prevails.

More than 60,000 people have been killed in two decades of fighting between rebels and government forces.

The Tamil rebels are demanding an independent homeland.

Impetus

Mr Petersen has indicated that he is realistic about reviving the stalled peace process.

"Based on signals received from the parties over recent weeks, I do not have high expectations, but in difficult situations it is even more important to keep engaging with the parties," the foreign minister said in a statement released in Oslo.

Norwegian mediators regularly visit Sri Lanka but analysts say the foreign minister's visit reflects growing impatience with the failure to resume negotiations.

The two sides are deadlocked over the rebels' central demand for interim self-rule in the north and east of the country.

Mr Petersen will meet Mrs Kumaratunga later on Wednesday and travel to the north to meet Mr Prabhakaran on Thursday.

The BBC's Dumeetha Luthra in Colombo says the impetus is also to ensure the two-year ceasefire is upheld by both sides.

There has been a spate of political murders since the defection of a Tiger commander in March.

It was the first time the Tamil Tiger movement has shown internal dissent and the rebel group has been accused of the killings - something it has denied.