Tigers offer alternative Vanni route

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 July 1999, 19:31 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers are ready to open an access route to the Vanni through the Uylankulam and Pallamadu areas in Mannar district or through Mankulam if the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) agrees to maintain a demilitarised zone in the area between the present defence lines of the two sides, the Voice of Tigers (VoT) said quoting S.P.Thamilchelvan leader of the LTTE’s Political wing in its morning news bulletin today.

The radio said that the offer was detailed in a statement released by the Liberation Tigers giving highlights of the discussions Thamilchelvan had had with representatives of the International Non Governmental Organisations working in the Vanni and the Government Agents of Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu at Mallavi on July 21.

Mr.Thamilchelvan had accused the Sri Lankan government of trying to make political capital out of the situation by deliberately delaying the opening of a route to the Vanni.

He had said that the route to the Vanni is a vital issue which is of vital significance to the lives of the people in the Vanni.

"The Liberation Tigers did not put forward any preconditions but it is the government that is laying down conditions for opening a road into the Vanni" he was quoted as having said.

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