'Gopalapuram memorial, not a ceasefire violation'- SLMM

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 17:43 GMT]
Construction of the LTTE war memorial at Gopalapuram junction in Nilaveli village about 16km north of Trincomalee town cannot be cnsidered a ceasefire violation, four local members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee decided at their meeting held recently. The SLMM officials decided not to participate in the war memorial dispute in the future between the Liberation Tigers (LTTE) and the local security forces, sources in Colombo said.

Gopalapuram war memorial

They further decided to inform their decision to the Eastern Deputy Inspector General of Police for further action as the Kuchchaveli Police had filed an action against the LTTE Nilaveli leader Mr.Thooyavan in connection with the war memorial dispute, sources said.

The Kuchchaveli Police filed report in courts under section 81 of the Criminal Procedure Code that the construction could pose threat to the maintenance of peace in the village and cited Mr.Thooyavan as the sole respondent in their report, legal sources said.

Already the Trincomalee courts last week issued warrant on LTTE Nilaveli leader Mr.Thooyavan returnable on March 17 when the Police informed that summons could not be served on him, sources said.

SLMM local members are of the view that if the war memorial was constructed in a private land or a state land then the owner of the land or the head of the government department concerned should take up this matter to find a settlement. The SLMM has no say in this dispute, sources in Colombo said.

Two Tamils, one Muslim and one Sinhalese are the local members of the SLMM in Trincomalee. The head of the Trincomalee SLMM and some other members are from different Scandinavian countries, sources said.

The SLMM local and expatriate members visited the scene at Gopalapuram junction where the LTTE war memorial is situated Friday, sources said. Later local members decided that LTTE war memorial would not come under the ceasefire violation, sources said.

It is learnt that the Sri Lanka navy has also informed the authorities that it has not interest in the Gopalapuram war memorial dispute, sources said,

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