Southern Journalists meet with Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 September 2004, 13:08 GMT]
Director of National Peace Council, Dr. Jehan Perera, and a group of about forty journalists from South met with Head of LTTE Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan, at LTTE Planning and Development Secretariat in Kilinochchi Tuesday, sources from Vanni said. The objective of the meeting was to explore ways to strengthen and promote cordial relationship between the North and the South, the delegation members said. Liberation Tigers arranged for the group to tour war affected areas and, to witness progress of humanitarian projects in Vanni. The group left for Jaffna in the afternoon, sources said.


Photo: LTTE Peace Secretariat

Members of the Peace Council, Mr. Nimalan Karthikeyan and Mr. Nathan, also accompanied Dr.Perera in the tour.

Journalists from the South attended a presentation by TRO in Kilinochchi Tuesday Photo: TamilNet

Photo: TamilNet

"Most of the journalists were vocal in the expression of their feelings after the visit, especially after seeing for themselves the remnants of devastation caused by war and the resilience of the people in their effort to resettle and rehabilitate. They were however very much interested in clarifying matters relating to the ISGA, the impediments on the way to the progress of the peace talks and the general fear of the resumption of war", noted a news release from the LTTE Peace Secretariat.

Mr. Thamilchelvan explained the LTTE's stand and requested the journalists from the South to make use of their profession "as the forth estate to educate the Sinhala brethren on the real problems the Tamil people face".

"Peace to Tamil people will definitely be peace to all the people in this island” Mr. Thamilchelvan told the journalists.

The National Peace Council in 2001 had organized a 5 days tour for journalists from South to visit Jaffna.