LTTE releases Sri Lanka Policeman

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 January 2006, 10:17 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eleam released Thursday one of the three Sri Lankan policemen held in custody since September 2005 for illegally entering into Liberation Tigers controlled area. S.Thangan, Deputy Head of the Political Wing handed over the policeman to Liaison Officer of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), LTTE sources in Kilinochchi said. The policeman was handed over Sri Lankan Government Security Forces in Vavuniya, the SLMM said.

Three Sri Lankan policemen were arrested by the LTTE at Arippu in Mannar for trespassing into the LTTE administered area.

The Leader of the LTTE, V Pirapaharan, ordered the release of Kariapperuma Aththu Koralake Donsarath (40), following the meeting with the Norwegian Minister of International Development, Erik Solheim, sources said.

The policemen were apprehended by the LTTE when the team was in a pursuit of a well known child abuser, the SLMM said in statement issued Thursday.

"We would like to express our appreciation to the LTTE for releasing the police officer but it is important to not forget that the other two police officers remain in LTTE detention," the statement said.

"We would therefore like to appeal to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to immediately release the other two officers so they can join their families and resume their duties for the National Child Protection Authorities," the SLMM statement further said.