Colombo, Sept 01: Sri Lanka's minority Muslims could make-or-break crucial peace talks between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels set to open in Thailand this month in a bid to end three decades of ethnic bloodshed, officials and analysts said today. The government and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are set to start formal negotiations at Sattahip in Thailand on September 16.
The talks themselves could be in jeopardy if President Chandrika Kumaratunga carries out a threat to veto a move by her cohabitation government to lift a ban on Tamil Tigers before the talks.
However, the role of the Muslims remains crucial given the leverage the main Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) has with the main political parties in the country, analysts said.
The government, with the support of the SLMC's 12 MPs, has a narrow two-seat majority in the 225-member Parliament.

Any pull out of Hakeem's SLMC from the government could rock the administration and have serious implications for the peace process, officials said.
Muslims are considered a distinct ethnic community in Sri Lanka in addition to their religious identity and form about seven per cent of the 18.66 million population.
They are the second largest minority after ethnic Tamils who constitute 12.6 per cent of the population and are mainly followers of Hinduism. The majority Sinhalese are mostly Buddhists.
"The exact position of the Muslims at the Thai talks could be decisive for the success of the peace process given the ethnic tensions between the Tamils and Muslims in the (embattled) Eastern Province," an Asian diplomat said. Bureau Report