Tigers release Sinhalese fishermen

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 March 2001, 15:52 GMT]

The Liberation Tigers on Friday morning released two Sinhalese fishermen (on the left) who had been in their custody since last December. ICRC representatives transported D.U.Chandrabala and Ajith Kumarasiri to Vavuniya and handed them over to their relatives. Photo:TamilNet

.

The Liberation Tigers on Friday morning released two Sinhalese fishermen who had been in their custody since last December and handed them over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) at Mallavi in the northern Vanni. ICRC representatives transported D.U.Chandrabala and Ajith Kumarasiri to Vavuniya and handed them over to their relatives, said Mr.Harasha Gunawardene, spokesman for the organisation

The fishermen were released following a visit by an inter-religious peace delegation to the Vanni last week. The delegation held discussions with senior members of the LTTE's political wing during their visit to the Vanni.

A representative of the delegation said that the Tigers agreed to release the fishermen as a gesture of goodwill.