Associated Press, Mon November 13, 2006 04:42 EST . COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) A former British Cabinet minister who was closely associated with the Northern Ireland peace process will visit Sri Lanka - this week to share his experiences in peace-building, the British High Commission said in a statement Monday. ``While in Sri Lanka - Mr. Murphy will meet a range of key participants in the Sri Lankan peace process and share his experiences of building peace in Northern Ireland,'' the statement said, adding that the visit follows a meeting between British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse in August on ways in which Britain could support a Norwegian-facilitated peace process.
The Norwegian peace efforts that led to a cease-fire in 2002 between the government and the Tamil Tiger rebels face huge hurdles. Increasing violence has all but shattered the truce with near-daily killings.
Both sides maintain their stands: the rebels want a separate homeland for the ethnic Tamil minority, while the government says regional autonomy is the maximum it will give.
Murphy, who is currently the chairman of the British Intelligence and Security Committee, will be accompanied by Christopher MacCabe, the British joint secretary of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Secretariat.
The team will begin its visit on Tuesday and leave
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