Timor president offers help for Sri Lanka peace
[AP]
East Timor’s president warned Monday that a military solution in Sri Lanka will not bring peace unless it is accompanied by dialogue between the government and Tamil Tiger insurgents. Jose Ramos-Horta, who shared the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize with Bishop Carlos Belo for leading a nonviolent struggle against the Indonesian occupation, offered to help the country achieve a settlement. Sri Lanka’s 25-year-old conflict has cost tens of thousands of lives. Battles intensified in recent months and government forces claim they are near to defeating Tamil Tigers rebels after taking all but a tiny portion of their de facto state.