Source: www.rediff.com/news/2002/jun/07ltte.htm
SRI LANKA, June 8, 2002: Sri Lanka announced it would lift the ban on the Liberation of Tigers of Tamil Eelam ten days before the exact date for beginning direct talks with the rebels and said setting up an interim regime for the northeast would be the focus of such talks, along with steps to ensure human rights under it. The legal framework for de-proscription will be taken up for discussion when Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe returns from India,” Cabinet spokesman G L Peiris said. The government’s announcement may clear one major hurdle that has delayed direct talks with the LTTE, but it remains to be seen if the rebel group accepts the link between lifting the ban and fixing a date for talks. Wickremesinghe leaves for India on Saturday on a four-day trip to apprise Indian leaders, including President K R Narayanan, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and leader of the opposition Sonia Gandhi, about the status of his peace initiative and to discuss trade-related matters. The parties were now working on preparing an agenda for the talks with the help of Norwegian peace facilitators.