US Ambassador meets SLMM, SLA in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 October 2005, 11:02 GMT]
Mr.Jeffry Lunstead, US Ambassador in Sri Lanka, paid a one-day visit to Trincomalee town Wednesday and held discussions with Trincomalee heads of State armed forces and Police and the members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) based in the east port town. His Secretary, Defense Attache and Political Affairs Secretary accompanied him, diplomatic sources said.

The discussions with the Major General Sumith Balasuriya, General Officer Commanding of the Brigade 22 headquartered in Plantain Point, Orr's Hill in Trincomalee, Mr.Rohan Abeyawardene, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) for eastern region, and services commanders centered on the security situation, sources said.

Military officials are said to have briefed the US diplomat about the frequent attacks on the sentry points, sources said

SLA authorities maintain that LTTE is behind such attacks. However, Tamil sources alleged that security forces themselves to strengthen their sentry points as mini-camps engineer such attacks, sources said.

Later Mr.Jeffry Lunstead met with the members of the SLMM led by its leader Mr.Arthur Tveiten at their Trincomalee office and obtained their views about security concerns of the east port city, SLMM sources said.

With the deployment of large number of troops in the town following the erection of a Buddha statue in the vicinity of the central bus stand, grenade attacks on army sentries take place frequently in the suburbs of east port town.

Sentry points are seen almost in front of every school in the Trincomalee town.

Security personnel carry empty barrels in their trucks and without any notice set up a roadblocks placing empty barrels across the road and start checking vehicles at random, Tamil sources said.