Islanders' woes addressed in LTTE-SLN discussions

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 October 2002, 11:24 GMT]
A three-hour discussion was held Sunday at Velanai office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission between the Sri Lanka Navy officials and area leaders of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to normalize the situation in Delft, Analaitivu, Nainativu and Eluvaitheivu in Jaffna district, sources said.

Jaffna district political head Mr.Ilamparuthi and Velanai political head Mr.Semmanan participated on behalf of the LTTE in the talks, which commenced around 11 a.m.Sunday lasted for two hours. On behalf of the SLN its Kankesanthurai Officer Commanding Lt.Commander Eranka, its public relation officer Sarath, its Kayts Commanding Officer Lt.Commander Ediriweera and a SLMM representative participated in the talks.

LTTE leaders brought to the notice of the SLN that Indian trawlers are poaching in Sri Lankan waters. They asked SLN officials to take steps to stop Indian trawlers entering Velanai seas. SLN officials promised to take appropriate steps to stop poaching by Indian fishing crafts, sources said.

Meanwhile, LTTE local leaders demanded that public and LTTE members should be allowed free movement through Allaipitty check point without any checking and to open the road in front of the Velanai Central Maha Vidiyalyam closed for several years. The LTTE representatives also requested the SLN officials to allow all three communities to travel through Kurikadduwan jetty after six in the evening without any restriction. The SLN officials present at the discussion promised that they would provide a favourable reply after consultations with their superiors, sources said.