Harim Peiris holds discussions with TRO officials

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 May 2004, 16:40 GMT]
Mr.Harim Peiris, the spokesman for Sri Lanka's President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge, Thursday visited Liberation Tigers-held Kilinochchi and held discussions with the Government Agent, heads of Sri Lanka government departments and representatives of the Tamils' Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), sources said.

Mr.Peiris, who has also been appointed as Director General of the Northern Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Reconciliation Ministry by the President, arrived in Jaffna Wednesday morning and traveled to Kilinochchi via the A-9 (Jaffna-Kandy) highway, going through the Muhamalai checkpoint of the Sri Lanka Army, sources said.

On entering the LTTE held area, The Thamil Eelam Police Service (TEPS) provided security to Mr. Peiris till he left to the SLA-controlled area through the Omanthai checkpoint Thursday evening around 4.30 p.m., the sources said.

The President's media spokesman first met with the heads of Sri Lanka government departments, led by the Government Agent, Mr.T. Rasanayakam, at the Kilinochchi district secretariat. He later met with the representatives of TRO. Thereafter he visited the office of White Pigeon Institute, which is engaged in removal of landmines and manufacturing artificial limbs to landmine victims. He also visited the TRO's vocational training centre, which is providing technical education and other facilities to war victims, sources said.

He is reported to have told the TRO representatives that his government's objective was to implement already formulated development proposals in the northeast province including the LTTE controlled areas, instead of formulating new development proposals, sources said.

The sole purpose of his visit was to obtain first hand information on the ground situation in the war-affected areas and to submit a report to the President, Mr. Peiris told government and TRO officials. He revealed the stand of the present government in implementing development proposals in the northeast including the LTTE-controlled areas during the discussions with the officials, sources said.