Comments from both sides following talks скачать в хорошем качестве

Comments from both sides following talks

(9 Jan 2003) 1. Chief Tamil negotiator Anton Balasingham walking in 2. Security 3. Chief government spokesman G.L. Peiris walking in 4. Wide of presser 5. Norwegian deputy foreign minister Vidar Helgesen 6. Close up Balasingham 7. Close up Peiris 8. Midshot Balasingham, Helgesen, Peiris sitting at presser 9. Cutaway, cameraman 10. SOUNDBITE (English) Anton Balasingham, Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam chief negotiator "Any question of disarming doesn't arise. It is non-negotiable, as we have already made a point. The disarming of our cadres or decommissioning of our weapons at this stage when a permanent solution is not reached is suicide on our part because the military power is the power of our people and it is the bargaining power of the Tamils. It is an instrument of security of our people so we have to bargain from the position of strength." 11. Wide of presser 12. Photographer 13. SOUNDBITE (English) Anton Balasingham, Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam chief negotiator "But it doesn't mean that we will have this army and recourse, there will be a need to recourse to violence. I don't think so. There is no need to recourse to violence. There is a permanent cease-fire, an international monitoring committee supervising the cease-fire and the peace process is going on smoothly without any difficulties. Of course there are disagreements which we sort out through political dialogue and our forces are confined to barracks. We are not a threat to anybody. 14. Various cutaways of security 15. SOUNDBITE: (English) G.L. Peiris, Sri Lanka government chief negotiator "On the Prevention of Terrorism Act, there is certainly no intention to repeal that act, that is not an option, but some of the matters connected with that legislation could be looked at in conjunction with a whole range of human rights matters that are under discussion." 16. Wide of press conference 17. Reporters 18. SOUNDBITE: (English) G.L. Peiris, Sri Lanka government chief negotiator "That from time to time there will be disagreements. Each time there is a disagreement it must not be represented as though the peace process is in jeopardy. Indeed, it would be very naive to think that a conflict that has been as complex as this would be resolved by a process without any difference of opinion between the parties. But through these differences of opinion which will undoubtedly manifest themselves from time to time, what is very clear is the depth of commitment to the continuity of the process, that was very clear on this occasion." 19. Balasingham and Norwegian conferring 20. Wide, end of presser STORYLINE The Tamil Tiger rebel group on Thursday stressed it would not lay down arms until there was a final political settlement to end Sri Lanka's 19-year ethnic war. "Until such time, disarming does not arise. It is not negotiable," chief rebel negotiator Anton Balasingham told a news conference at the end of the fourth round of peace talks, held at a resort outside of Thailand's capital, Bangkok. But Balasingham said the refusal of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam group to disarm did not mean "we are going to recourse to violence". He said the peace process was going well. Chief government negotiator G.L. Peiris said that progress was substantial. The latest round of peace talks wrapped up with important agreements on rehabilitation and human rights in places ravaged by 19 years of war. The next round of talks will be held at the same venue, Nakhon Pathom, on February 7-10. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...