Even Norway’s veteran peacemaker, Erik Solheim, was in an uncharacteristically pessimistic mood during his visit to Colombo last week. The situation, he said, was grave. People are dying everyday. If the cycle of violence continues, it could trigger a full-blown war.

The European Union resolution on May 18, the first step towards proscribing the Liberation Tigers, also marked the EU’s transition from observer to a partisan participant in Sri Lanka’s conflict. There are a number of controversial aspects to the resolution, including, for example, the directive to the LTTE to go for talks with the Sri Lankan government “without delay� and “be prepared to decommission weapons.�

A Harrow man is to go on hunger strike at < Near to UK Parliament Gate> to draw attention to the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka. Thaya Idaikkadar, who is a British Citizen of Sri Lankan origin, will take <no food or liquid> for five days starting at noon 12.00pm on Friday 2 June. He has been driven to take this desperate measure because of the escalating attacks on Tamil civilians in recent weeks.

Colombo, Sri Lanka: Co-chairs have issued a lengthy statement reiterating that the government and the LTTE must take steps to prevent an outbreak of war. The European Union, Norway, America and Japan are the members of Co-chairs. .The EU having a membership of 25 countries placed a ban on the LTTE on the very day the co-chairs met at Tokyo.

The Editor
Financial Times
London

Dear Editor,

You are of course right that the situation in Sri Lanka is now very serious with the possibility of the island slipping back into a bloody civil war. (Tiger Trouble Returns, 29 May) This can be in no ones interest.

Dear Mr. Howard and Parliamentarians,

Concerned people from the Sri Lankan Tamil Community (and others) are meeting outside Parliament on Monday 29.5.06 to draw your attention, and seek your support, to prevent the restart of armed hostilities in Sri Lanka.

In order to highlight the systematic genocide against the Tamils in North Eastern Sri Lanka, and the Sinhala government of Sri Lanka's planned massacre of the Tamils, Harrow Councillor Mr. Thaya Idaikaadar will go on a hunger strike in front of the British Parliament (House of Commons) for 101 hours beginning at 12pm on 02 June 2006.

The European Union has decided to impose the ban on the LTTE.

Tamils perceive the ban as a move taken hurriedly and unilaterally by the European Union without taking into account the views expressed by all sections. The European Union has a moral obligation to shed light on their decision in view of the grave concern expressed by the Tamils all over the world.