Kurankupanchan Martyrs’ tombs built in 1996 - Thilak

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 October 2003, 00:01 GMT]
Mr.S.Thilak, the Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Wednesday afternoon showed to the visiting Colombo-based journalists the tombs of two LTTE martyrs, Lt.Lingan and Second Lt. Ganesh, who were buried in the Kurankupanchan camp area in 1990, sources said.

Mr.Thilak seen with LTTE military head for Upparu area Lt.Colnel Vimal in front of a hut at the Kurankupanchchan camp site

Following his press briefing to the visiting journalists under tree shade, Mr. Thilak took them to the burial site of the martyrs, and briefed them that the tombs were constructed in 1996 and are being maintained by whitewashing annually, the sources said.

Meanwhile, the acting head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in Trincomalee, Mr. Kurt Spur, told the visiting journalists that the Kurankupanchan camp was about 600 meters outside the LTTE-controlled territory. “It's a clear case of violation by the LTTE,” he said.



SLMM acting head in Trincomalee Mr.Kurt Spur talking to media personnel at the Kurankupanchhan LTTE camp site



"We have made our ruling on the camp controversy after reviewing information from both parties. The LTTE has violated the ceasefire agreement by establishing this camp and we stand firm on our ruling," Mr. Spur said.

When the visiting journalists questioned Mr.Thilak about the statement by the SLMM official, Mr.Thilak replied that the SLMM had been given wrong information by the Sri Lanka Army and the statements made by the SLMM were not based on facts. “The SLMM came to know of our camp in Kurankupanchan only after the SLA had registered the complaint,” he added.

”How can the SLMM say that we have violated the ceasefire agreement when we are in our camp put up in our territory long before the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding?" asked Mr. Thilak.




Mr.Thilak shows two LTTE martyrs' tombs to the visiting Colombo journalists



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