Security Forces, LTTE meet in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 July 2004, 00:14 GMT]
Liberation Tigers agreed to cooperate with Sri Lanka Security Forces to bring the violence and murders in Vavuniya district under control in a meeting attended by Senior LTTE officials and Security Forces commanders at the offices of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in Vavuniya Monday, security sources said.

In only the second meeting between the two parties in three months, Vavuniya district Head of LTTE Political Wing, T.Gnanavel, led the LTTE representatives to the meeting. Regional Commander for Vanni District, Major General Cecil Wijesuriya, Vavuniya district Chief Police Commissioner, T.J.Miskin, and several other senior security officials participated on behalf of the SLA.

Vavuniya Government Agent K.Ganesh also attended the discussions.

Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and LTTE representatives, during their discussions, expressed their willingness to expedite procedures necessary to resettle the displaced in different areas in the district. They also agreed to allow others, who cannot be resettled in their former lands, to inspect their homes and to assist them in resuming cultivation in their fields, sources said.

The attendees also agreed to form a committee with representatives from Civil society, SLA, LTTE and SLMM which is expected to visit villages in the High Security Zone (HSZ) sucha as Iranai Illupaikulam, Kalmadu, Kothandar Nochchikulam and Puthiya Kovilkulam, explore the current conditions, and to take necessary action to improve the conditions in these villages, sources said.

When the SLA delegation said that it is unlikely that LTTE is not aware of the killings in Vavuniya district , Gnanavel denied any involvement or knowledge and added that several elements are bent on tarnishing the name of the LTTE.

LTTE delegation also brought to the notice of the SLA commanders that when women cadres of LTTE's political wing vist Nellukulam Refugee Center to carry out political work they are being forced to register their names and IDs. Police Officials assured the LTTE delegationthat they will look into the matter and take remedial action soon, Gnanavel said.