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All those concerned with a permanent solution to the ethnic conflict must welcome this week's statement by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party calling for the immediate commencement of talks and reiterating its commitment to a negotiated settlement of the conflict, whilst the party had expressed grave concern with many aspects of the latest proposals of the LTTE for an Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA), states M.M. Zuhair, President's Council and former Member of Parliament.

The LTTE peace secretariat has reportedly announced that it will not return to war, notwithstanding current developments. Presidential Advisor Lakshman Kadirgamar M.P., has reassured that there is no question of resumption of hostilities with the tigers. President Kumaratunga herself has supported the resumption of peace negotiations. The course is therefore clear for an early resumption of serious negotiations that will bring to an end for all time, the sufferings of all our people.

However, talks cannot go on, ignoring all criticisms. Talks must be transformed into serious negotiations of all issues from one of mere appeasement. Key stakeholders such as President Kumaratunga's party and the Muslims who form the largest single ethnic group in the East have been left out of the talks.

The sufferings of the people can only be prolonged by the long time-gaps between talks with discussions on key issues remaining untouched. Sensitivities in the South are gaining in strength and legitimacy over fears that talks are a smoke-screen for LTTE to meanwhile firmly establish a separate state, exploiting the people's desire for peace. The ISGA proposals at first glance, seem the spoiler.

These and other criticisms must be addressed and not side-tracked in recommencing negotiations. The Muslims have serious misgivings on the ISGA proposals of the LTTE. Some Tamil parties have welcomed the ISGA without any reservations for Muslim concerns.

Even after two years of talks with the LTTE, the "government negotiators" which included a Muslim, had failed to provide either in their proposals or to prevail upon the LTTE to provide for in their ISGA, a structurally cohesive solution to the much talked of Muslim dimension.

On the contrary, Muslims in the East are undergoing increased suffering, deaths and hardships during "peace" than during the preceding period, provoking even unprecedented attacks on the homes of their own elected Members of Parliament, leaving the majority of Muslims nothing to hope for from the present process.

The ISGA is being seen by Muslims, as the stepping stone for Tamils who are an absolute minority in the East, to rule over the other two communities who are in the majority, namely the Muslims and the Sinhalese who comprise nearly 70% of the East. The 1997 proposals of President Kumaratunga, however, provided for a democratic solution for the people of the East, of deciding at a referendum on the merger of the East with the North and an alternative South Eastern Regional Council for Muslims in the event of a merger.

This week's SLFP statement made this point very clear, when it said, "Exclusive powers of governance cannot be vested in one community to the detriment of the other communities.... The ISGA will result in the Muslims of the East having to accept a position subservient to the LTTE.... Can the muslims settle for this low status when they are already more than 40% of the population of the East?

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