US security officials, ambassador visit Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 February 2001, 20:37 GMT]
The US ambassador for Sri Lanka, Ashley Wills, visited Batticaloa Wednesday with the mission’s Defence Attaché and its Regional Security Officer. The US embassy delegation held a two-hour discussion with SLA officers at the headquarters of the 23-3 brigade in Batticaloa town about the security situation in the district. The delegation also met Air Force and Police officers of the region thereafter. The ambassador later called on Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham, Tamil United Liberation Front MP for Batticaloa. Security was tightened in places the US delegation was expected to visit in the town.

The US ambassador spoke to the Government Agent for the district, Mr. Mounagurusamy and representatives of the Non-governmental organisations worknig in Batticaloa to elicit their views on the human rights situation, rehabilitation and development work and the problems faced by the people in the region.

He met the local NGO’s at Lake View Inn, a small hotel by the lagoon that has survived the ravages of the war in this underdeveloped east coast district.

Mr. Joseph Pararajasigham told the ambassador that Colombo continuing the war against the Liberation Tigers despite the ceasefire unilaterally declared by them would ruin all hopes for peace. The MP urged him that the US and other western nations should therefore prevail on the Sri Lankan government to create the conditions appropriate for peace talks.

Responding to the US ambassador’s observation that there is doubt in some quarters that the Tigers might pull out of talks, Mr. Joseph said that reservations about the LTTE’s bona fide were baseless because the organisation has entered the peace process with sincerity, taking into due consideration the sufferings of their people and are hence determined that a just solution to the problem should be found.

‘If Britain bans the Liberation Tigers it would sink the peace process in Sri Lanka. Hence the international community should urge Britain not act in a manner that would foil the peace initiative’ the MP told Mr. Wills.

The US should welcome that the Liberation Tigers want normalcy restored in the north and east and desire that a just solution be found for the ethnic problem through negotiations and lift the ban on them, Mr. Joseph told the US mission officials.

The mission’s second secretary (political) and it political assistant arrived in Batticaloa on Monday. They met government and NGO officials and had discussions with two senior local journalists as well. The embassy’s Defence and Army Attaché, Lt. Colonel Frank L. Rindone was on a familiarization visit to the district last year.

 

Latest 15 Reports
24.04.22 05:44  
தீவின் நெருக்கடிச் சூழலில் ஈழத்தமிழர் தேசம் கடைப்பிடிக்கவேண்டிய நிலைப்பாடுகள்
09.04.22 14:44   Photo
குறிதவறும் ஈழத்தமிழர் தலைமைகளுக்கு வரலாறு தருகின்ற எச்சரிக்கை
21.01.22 07:24   Photo
ஈழத்தமிழர் தேசத்தின் தலைமைத்துவம் தேர்தல் அரசியற் கட்சிகளுக்கு அப்பாலானது
02.11.21 15:32   Photo
13 ஆம் சட்டத்திருத்தத்தால் கட்டமைக்கப்பட்ட இன அழிப்பை எதிர்கொள்ள முடியுமா?
15.09.21 08:19  
English version not available
17.05.21 19:23   Photo
Ananthi blames war criminal Silva for blocking collective memorial at Mu'l'livaaykkaal
09.04.21 14:46  
English version not available
23.03.21 12:41   Photo
No focus on Tamil genocide, geopolitics gets played out in Geneva in favour of QUAD formation
21.03.21 13:34   Photo
Navi Pillay explains ‘human rights’ limitations in Geneva on Tamil genocide
15.03.21 20:36   Photo
Deceived Tamil activists in UK falsely claimed ‘substantial changes’ to Zero draft
09.03.21 21:34   Photo
UK repeatedly wronged Tamils says hunger-striker, demands genocide justice
26.02.21 11:53   Photo
Tamils witness false dilemma in Geneva as geopolitical formations pit against each other
19.02.21 14:02   Photo
UK not prepared to push for ICC option in new UNHRC Resolution
07.02.21 23:16   Photo
Unprecedented P2P uprising paves the way for rights-oriented politics of Tamils and Muslims
22.01.21 08:01   Photo
Gotabaya sets up deceptive COI citing ‘sovereignty’ and ‘non-aligned’ foreign policy
 
Find this article at:
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=5783