Sri Lanka welcomed a ceasefire and proposed peace talks to end a seven year communist insurgency that claimed more than 7,000 lives. Sri Lanka has “noted with satisfaction the recent positive development towards the establishment of peace in Nepal including the announcement of a ceasefire
by the Maoists,” an Embassy press release said.
“Sri Lanka expresses its solidarity with the government and people of Nepal as they continue to work towards the establishment of durable peace through dialogue,” the release said.
Australia has also welcomed the ceasefire and proposed peace talks. Australia hoped the ceasefire will lead to permanent peace. “The ceasefire is an important first step towards what we hope can be a permanent peace in Nepal. “The ceasefire gives cause for new optimism that peace can be
achieved with a recognition on both sides of the need to move forward and end the pain and suffering caused by the conflict,” Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said.
The ceasefire announced seven days ago is holding although peace talks are yet to begin. Maoists have announced a five member team coordinated by No.2 man in the underground communist hierarchy Dr. Baburam Bhattarai to lead the negotiations while Minister for Physical Planning Col. Narayan Singh Pun is the government coordinator; government is expected to expand the official negotiating team.
The government in Colombo and Tamil rebels previously fighting for a separate homeland in the northeast of the island are negotiating a peace after a 17 year civil war; rebels gave up their demand for a separate state.