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Jaffna citizens hail peace talk decisions

An overwhelming majority of the people in Jaffna approve of the decisions taken at the first round of peace talks held in Sattahip, a survey conducted by an independent opinion research organisation revealed.

Social Indicator (SI), an institute operating under the Centre for Policy Alternatives has surveyed that around 82.4 per cent of people in the war-battered area supported the decisions reached at the historical face to face talks. This includes the setting up of a Joint Task Force and a Joint Monitoring Committee. The study carried out in several former conflict areas like Jaffna, Nallur, Vadamarachchi and Valikamam amongst a sample of 323 respondents is considered an indicator of the public confidence in the current peace process.

According to the survey, 91 per cent of the Jaffna people continue to believe that peace can be achieved through negotiations.

Over one third of people have expressed confidence that the Ceasefire Agreement will last.

The research which follows a similar study in July this year shows a significant decrease in the belief that all ethnic communities could live together (from 71.2 per cent to 58.5 per cent in October) though 61 per cent of people have claimed that they are highly satisfied with the outcome of talks.

The role of the Norwegian facilitators and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission also seems to have sunk slightly in the people's opinion (a decrease of around eight per cent) though the majority still agree that they are impartial and effective. (RM)

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