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Thais ready with peace task forces
Balasingham wants to return to the Wanniby new route via Kerala after talks
By Our Special Correspondent in Bangkok
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinwatra's Government has given high priority for the upcoming peace talks between the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE in the Sattahip Naval complex on the outskirts of the Pattaya beach resort.

Three separate task forces have been set up to deal with specific subjects of security, logistics and transport. The security task force comprising senior police, military and intelligence officers has been vested with the responsibility of formulating security arrangements for both Government and LTTE delegations once they arrive in the Thai capital. Besides special personal protection squads being assigned to the delegations, some of the strongest covert and overt precautionary measures will be in place, according to Thai Foreign Ministry sources.

Influencing some of these measures was a much publicised bank robbery in Pattaya. This follows revelations for the first time that a group of Chechen mercenaries had been involved in carrying out this robbery. "Though the incident has no link to the upcoming talks, we are not taking any chances in adopting measures to ensure the highest security," the same sources said.

The task forces on logistics and security are focusing not only on matters relating to the Sri Lanka Government and LTTE delegations, but also to the Bangkok-based diplomats and the media who will be present on the opening day of the talks: September 16.

A large media contingent is expected to arrive at the talks venue. Thai authorities, to accommodate the media, are commandeering hotels near Sattahip resort. This includes several leading television networks. The CNN is expected to provide live coverage on the opening day of the talks.

Early this week, Erik Solheim, who is a member of the Norwegian facilitation team, was in Bangkok discussing logistical arrangements with Thai authorities. He also briefed the Thai and foreign media based in Bangkok of details relating to the three day talks.

The Norwegian facilitators are still busy trying to formulate arrangements for LTTE's Chief Negotiator Anton Balasingham, to return to LTTE dominated Wanni region in Sri Lanka, at the end of the talks to brief his leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran.

Since the use of a sea plane from the Maldives, like on two previous occasions when he arrived in the Iranamadu tank and departed, has been ruled out, Norwegian authorities are consulting with the Indian Government.

The Sunday Times learns the Norwegian authorities are in contact with the Government of India to arrange for Dr. Balasingham to fly to Wanni from a location in the Southern Indian state of Kerala.

Dr. Balasingham who is flying direct from London to Bangkok was originally due in Wanni soon after the peace talks. LTTE sources here say he will not return to London and travel to Sri Lanka in October.

According to plans now under way, Dr. Balasingham is to fly in a hired helicopter from Kerala to Kilinochchi. Though the Tamil Nadu State Government of Jeyalalitha Jeyaram is strongly opposed to Dr. Balasingham using Indian soil for his transit, Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes is said to be in favour of the move.

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