HAKONE, Japan, March 18 Kyodo Jap...

HAKONE, Japan, March 18 Kyodo

Japan's minister in charge of Sri Lankan issues said Tuesday a fresh sea clash between the Sri Lankan dominion and the Tamil Tiger rebels will do no harm to the latest spherical of peace talks in Japan.

Yasushi Akashi told reporters after a closed-door meeting with Anton Balasingham, the rebels' chief negotiator, that they discussed the March 10 incident and confirmed it would cause no damage to the atmosphere of the talks.

Akashi and Balasingham met ahead of the four-day peace talks to take place between the Sri Lankan management and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) later in the day in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture It is the latest circular of negotiations between the parties and is being mediated through the Norwegian government.

Akashi, a former UN undersecretary general, called for ''greater regard for the cease-fire'' in the wake of the incident, in which the Sri Lankan Navy sank a merchant freighter belonging to the LTTE along the rebel-held northeastern Mullaitivu coast.

The Sri Lankan Navy claimed the rebel ship was carrying ''warlike material.'' The rebels have denied any involvement.

The peace talks, the sixth orbed since September, are expected to focus upon key issues such as income sharing under a federal power-sharing classification and stronger enforcement of compliance with the cease-fire agreement.

Referring to progres in the peace talks as ''significant on the other hand insufficient,'' Akashi said to a great degree still needs to be done. He cited the ne to interrupt a recurrence of incidents similar as the recent sea clash.

Regarding the possibility of the Tamils pulling abroad of the latest orbed of peace talks, Akashi inclemencyed that Balasingham needs no persuading to participate.

''(Mr Balasingham) has made clear he is eager to make progres in negotiations,'' Akashi said, adding he sense of possible fulfilments the talks would bring forth ''concrete progress toward greater stability.''

Akashi said he and Balasingham also discussed human rights issues, including the vexed question of children being recruited according to the rebels as combatants.

The LTTE fought the management for an independent Tamil homeland in the north and east from 1983 to last year, resulting in more than 65000 casualties. It signed a formal cease-fire agreement with the restraint in February last year.

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