Selected Texts from the 1994-5 Negotiations Process These pages reproduce excerpts from letters, exchanged between representatives of the Sri Lankan government the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Colombo Mr. V. Pirabhakaran Dear Mr. Pirabhakaran I thank you for your letter dated 16 December and for agreeing to welcome the government delegation to Jaffna. As stated by me, in my letter of 13 December we are ready to send a delegation to Jaffna to discuss the modalities of the cessation of hostilities, as agreed upon by us. I had invited your attention to several crucial points in my letter of 7 December. You have responded to some of these in your reply dated 9 December. But I note that you have not expressed your views with regard to points two and five, where I clearly stated that we see a cessation of hostilities, 'as a direct prelude to commencing negotiations' for peace. I also stated therein that we hoped peace negotiations could commence soon after the cessation of hostilities. In page two of the same letter I mentioned that we wished to obtain your views about these points, which were 'fundamental matters without which discussing details about a cessation of hostilities would be meaningless'. I would be grateful to have your assurance that immediately after a cessation of hostilities is declared, you would be ready to enter into peace negotiations aimed at 'ending the armed conflict and to arrive at a political situation for the problems which caused the war'. On hearing from you regarding these matters, the government delegation would be ready to leave immediately to Jaffna for discussions, even on 22 December as suggested by us, or on a later date between 27 and 30 December, if you find this convenient. Thanking you, Yours sincerely, Text as published in the Sunday Leader, Colombo, 12 May 1996
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