Balasingham - Prabhakaran did not comment - Erik Solheim explains why the past peace process collapsed

Erik Solheim, former chief negotiator of the Sri Lankan peace process, revealed in an interview with the Daily Mirror newspaper that a major reason for former LTTE leader Karuna Amman's departure from the organization was his visit to Bangkok, Thailand. Solheim states that Karuna, who went to Bangkok for peace talks, realized that Sri Lanka too should change after witnessing the advanced modern lifestyle and development there.

He states that this experience had a significant impact on him, as Karuna had rarely traveled outside the North and East before.

Solheim points out that the main factors contributing to the failure of the peace process were the lack of unity among political parties in the South, as well as Prabhakaran's inflexible military mindset. Prabhakaran viewed every problem from a military perspective and had great difficulty reaching compromises. It was also revealed that there were disagreements between Anton Balasingham, the political wing leader of the LTTE, and Prabhakaran, and that Balasingham had realized early on that the organization would face defeat if it continued on this path.

Commenting on Sri Lanka's future, Solheim states that the country has great potential in green economy and renewable energy. Special attention should be paid to solar energy and green tourism. Commenting on the allegations against former President Ranil Wickremesinghe regarding the use of security arrangements during a private visit, he stated that any head of state in the world is entitled to security even during private affairs.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by the National Peace Council (NPC) regarding the estate community affected by Cyclone Ditwa indicates that these people have been deprived of government disaster relief due to lack of land ownership. As estate workers do not have housing or land ownership, they have been unable to obtain financial assistance provided by the government to rebuild damaged houses. The National Peace Council urges the government to utilize the ample unused land available around the estates to solve the housing problem of these people and to appoint a land commission for them.