Murali bats for Sri Lankan peace process

Muttiah Muralitharan has embarked upon a short tour of the war-torn areas of Sri Lanka's north on behalf of the United Nations World Food Programme to raise awareness of the suffering caused by a two-decade-long war.

Muralitharan visited the northern Tamil city of Jaffna on Monday, and then went to Kilinochchi - the political and administrative base of the Tamil Tigers (LTTE), the separatist group that has been fighting the civil war with the government - on Tuesday, followed by Vavuniya on Wednesday.

After meeting with a senior Tamil Tiger political leader for over an hour, Muralitharan called on the Sri Lankan government to take the initiative in the stalled peace talks to get both sides talking once more and find a permanent solution to a bloody civil war that has left thousands dead and millions in poverty.

"As a sportsman, all I can say is that Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims come together to play cricket side by side," Muralitharan told Reuters. "Likewise, the politicians and the LTTE must come together and make peace for the good of this country's people. The LTTE is willing to come to the peace table and the people of the south want peace. The government should fulfil their wishes and come for negotiations."

Muralitharan, Sri Lanka's most famous Tamil, was given a hero's reception when he visited a school being rebuilt after war damage. He has concentrated on charity work since a shoulder operation sidelined him from international cricket in August. He had only just returned from a global tour to drum up funds for his own charity, the Gunasekera-Muralidaran Foundation, which he set up with his close friend and agent, Kushil Gunasekera, a former cricket board official.

Next week, Muralitharan's jet-setting lifestyle will continue as he travels to London for two days on the invitation of the government to help promote Sri Lanka at the World Travel Mart. This will be followed by a quick stop in Seoul to pick up an award after being judged an "Asian Hero" by Time magazine.

Muralitharan will then fly to Australia to meet his surgeon, Dr David Young, to get an update on the recovery of his shoulder, which has so far progressed smoothly after his operation. He remains confident of returning for Sri Lanka's next tour to New Zealand, and is targeting the second Test which starts at Wellington on January 22.