Government and rebel Tamil Tiger negotiators meet for a fourth round of peace talks in Thailand today amid fears that an astounding run of breakthroughs could yet be shattered by discord.
Even the most hopeful analysts note that there is a marked gap between words and deeds evolving from the peace talks, which began in Thailand under Norwegian mediation last September.
Each round of talks so far has produce impressive surprise statements. The Liberation Tigers for Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have dropped demands for a separate state of Tamil Eelam, agreed to enter political discussions, and announced support for a federal state.
However, they have also continued to recruit children by force, to torture and kill competitors for the Tamil leadership in Sri Lanka's north and east, and to harass Muslims there too.
Their initial statements seemed to vindicate the concessions offered by the government of Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on a ceasefire signed last February.
But Tiger violations of peace pledges since then have only strengthened opposition to the entire peace process, led by President Chandrika Kumaratunga.