SLMM hands over SLA proposals on HSZ to LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 December 2002, 19:15 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Monday handed over a document containing proposals by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) regarding the normalization of High Security Zones (HSZs) in Jaffna peninsula to the representatives of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), sources in Jaffna said

At the second meeting of the Sub-Committee on De-escalation and Normalization (SDN) held at Muhamalai in Jaffna peninsula on December 14, it was agreed that Jaffna SLA area commander Major General Sarath Fonseka would submit proposals on resettling Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in their homes and villages in High Security Zones. Accordingly Major General Sarath Fonseka Saturday in Colombo handed a document containing proposals to Major General (retd) Trond Furuhovde, Norwegian Head of the SLMM.

The SLMM team Monday morning took the document in a special Sri Lanka Air Force flight first to Palali and then by road to Killinochchi and handed the document to the LTTE representative at Killinochchi LTTE political secretariat, SLMM sources said.

Meanwhile, Colombo media Sunday speculated that according to SLA proposals the SLA has proposed a phased withdrawal from parts of the High Security Zones in the Jaffna peninsula on preconditions related to disarming LTTE cadres in the area, removal of heavy artillery by the LTTE and power to the security personnel to do searches in civilian premises.

The proposals submitted by the SLA will be discussed during a meeting between Major General Sarath Fonseka and Colonel Theepan of LTTE in the presence of the SLMM head and Norwegian Ambassador, according to the decision arrived at the December 14 meeting of the SDN at Muhamalai, sources said.