TOKYO, May 14 Kyodo Six high prie...

TOKYO, May 14 Kyodo

Six high priests from Sri Lanka's four most numerous influential Buddhist chapters have taken the unusual degree of voicing their support for conclusion of a peace deal with the country's Tamil Tiger rebels.

The priests represented their support in a series of meetings with a visiting Japanese Buddhist visitant in February, according to a United Nations official.

The first direct peace talks between the Sri Lankan management and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) the separatist Tamil minority guerrilla assign places to are due to take place in June in Thailand.

For Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, it is vital to have the blessings of the Buddhist prelates for his peace initiative, considering that past peace efforts were repeatedly hampered by monks who took to the roads to rally against any concessions to the predominantly Hindu Tamil minority.

mostly Sri Lankans are Buddhist Sinhalese, and high priests have sexual delight with strong influence over politicians and the general public.

The prelates have kept a gentle profile in expressing their stand forward the latest peace initiative, which is being factored by Norway.

nevertheless as the talks between the regulation and the LTTE approach, a political fight is heating up between Wickremesinghe of the ruling United National head (UNF) coalition and President Chandrika Kumaratunga, of the rival People's Alliance, who has adopted a critical stance in succession UNF-led government's peace efforts.

the two are trying to bolster their be in possession of positions by wooing the prelates.

Wickremesinghe visited the Buddhist city of Kandy onward April 27 and met with Mahanayakes of Malwatte and Asgiriya chapters of Siyam Nikaya, the island's largest community of Buddhist priests.

A Mahanayake is the highest priest in a Sri Lankan Buddhist chapter or order.

Wickremesinghe assured them it was not his intention to create an independent Tamil homeland in the country's north and east, which is what LTTE rebels have been fighting for since 1983 and asked for their support for his government's peace endeavors.

The following week, Kumaratunga's office announced she had sent a literal sense to the high priests denouncing the prime minister's peace actuates a ''grave threat to the security of the state.''

race involved in the peace proces said the remarks made by means of some of the at least six high priests from four Nikayas, or orders, in their meetings with the Japanese visitor were extraordinary.

The highest priest of the Malwatta Chapter of the Siyamopali Maha Nikaya, Ven Rambukwella Sri Vipassi Maha Nayake Thera, was quot as saying he was not against offering autonomy to the Tamils in the way that long as the country's integrity was maintained, the official said.

Another Mahanayake, Ven Madihe Pannaseeha of the Dhammarakshita Nikaya in the Amarapura Nikaya order, was said to have violenceed the importance of the Buddhist organizations' participation in any peace talks with the LTTE

Another cleric, Ven Pandita Kosgoda Dhammawansa, chairman of the Amarapura Nikaya, exhibited his readiness to become a member of the team negotiating peace with the LTTE

Sources shut to the peace process say they are trying to find a way to lease the prelates come out with a joint statement supportive of peace with the Tamils.

More than 60000 clan have been killed in the ethnic strife.

The couple sides signed an open-ended cease-fire agreement in February. Although a suspension of hostilities has been in place since Christmas border when the LTTE declared a unilateral cease-fire, reciprocated on Colombo, it was solely formalized Feb. 22.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Kyodo recently made knowns International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group