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Restrict Tiger travels after April talks, Govt. tells Swiss
The Government has requested Switzerland to restrict LTTE travel within that country at the conclusion of next month's talks, officials said. The issue was raised during a meeting on Wednesday between the Government's chief negotiator and Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva and Swiss ambassador in Colombo Bernadino Regazzoni, officials involved in the peace process said on condition of anonymity.

Minister de Silva had flagged the LTTE's fund-raising activities after the February talks in the Swiss capital and explained how they had raised a hornet's nest in Sri Lanka's south.

He also said such activities conveyed the Tigers' lack of commitment and seriousness to the talks. At the conclusion of the February talks, the LTTE delegation remained in Geneva for five additional days before flying to Norway.

In Switzerland they held a series of meetings particularly with members of the Tamil diaspora who fled the island during the two-decades long civil war. The Government raised concerns that the meetings were used to raise funds for the Tigers.

Officials said Ambassador Ragozzoni discussed a new venue for the April 19-21 talks which are likely to take place in a hotel in Geneva. Journalists will be barred from residing in the same hotel, they said.

Chateau de Bossey - where the February talks were held - had already been booked during the required period. In addition, there were complaints from some members of the delegation, housed on the attic floor of the chateau that they had knocked their heads on the roof!
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