Colombo: In the first step towards implementing major decisions made at the last round of peace talks in Thailand, Sri Lankan government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam LTTE officials on November 10 met at no-man's land in the North to discuss military de-escalation measures.

Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary Austin Fernando led a government delegation, while the LTTE's Eastern commander Karuna, a delegate at the last round of talks, headed the rebel side at the meeting of a military sub-committee near Omanthai, the last government-held spot in Vavuniya district.

Peace facilitator Norway's Ambassador in Colombo, Jon Westborg, and head of the Scandinavian truce-monitoring mission, Gen Trond Furuhovde, were also present, as the panel began preliminary discussions.

The main task of the committee is to relocate military positions in the North-East to pave the way for internally displaced civilians to return to their original homes.

A crucial issue will be the question of reducing the expanse of High Security Zones around military bases. The Tiger rebels and Tamil civilians want the security zones to be drastically cut if not wholly removed, as they are considered impediments to large-scale resettlement.

The LTTE has named its regional military and political leaders to be part of the committee, and is expected to include a representative of 'Sea Tigers', its naval arm. The Army has included two senior Army officers of the rank of Major General and a naval Rear Admiral.

The panel on 'De-escalation and Resettlement' is one of the three sub-committees reporting to the two delegations at direct talks. Another panel on humanitarian and economic development will begin its work with a preliminary meeting on November 18 at the rebel-held town of Kilinochchi.

Bernard Goonatilleke, a member of the government delegation and head of its Peace Secretariat, is the main government nominee on this sub-committee, while the LTTE side is led by its political wing leader S P Thamilselvan.

This committee will solicit, receive and disburse external aid for humanitarian, economic and development projects in the former battle-hit areas of the North and East.

The third sub-committee, dealing with the task of formulating a political solution to the ethnic conflict, will go about its work by studying Constitutional models in other countries.

PTI