LTTE, STF meet after long gap

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 August 2004, 11:15 GMT]
The Special Task Force, the elite counter insurgency arm of the Sri Lankan armed forces, met the Liberation Tigers Wednesday in Akkaraipattu, 64 kilometres south of Batticaloa for discussions on observing the cease fire and resolving matters that have been cause for friction in the Amparai district. The LTTE delegation told the STF and Police that attacks on their cadres in Sri Lankan government held areas of the district should stop.

The four hour long meeting, which was presided over by truce monitors, took place after a long gap, exacerbated by allegations that the Sri Lankan military intelligence was backing a renegade LTTE commander.

The Liberation Tigers told the STF and Police that LTTE cadres in government held areas of district should be treated with dignity and that the STF or Police should not be body search them except in the presence of the truce monitors. The LTTE delegation said that body searching of their cadres should not be unwarranted. LTTE cadres who show their official identity cards should not be subjected to undue search, the Tigers' delegation told the STF, according to sources present at the meeting. The Tigers also stressed that their female cadres cannot be body searched by male STF commandos or Police.

The LTTE delegation was led by Mr. S. Kuyilinpan, head of political division in the Amparai District.

The STF-Police delegation was led by Mr. Upul Seniveratne, STF eastern commandante. The officers in charge of Police stations in Akkaraipattu, Sammanthurai and Kalmunai took part along with several STFofficers from the region.