SLA's increased checking of Jaffna civilians violates MoU - LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 June 2003, 18:42 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Saturday complained to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) is violating the ceasefire agreement by checking civilians who pass through main checkpoints at Vallai on Jaffna-Point Pedro road, Ayam on Point Pedro-Chavakachcheri road and Mulli on Point Pedro Kodikamam road, sources said.

Saturday morning, following the killing of a EPRLF senior member Mr.Subathiran, SLA commenced checking civilians who pass through these checkpoints, sources said.

The newly appointed head of the SLMM in Jaffna Ms Carenna Ericson Saturday evening paid a courtesy call to the LTTE Vadamarachchi division political office.

The LTTE political activists in Vadamarachchi brought to the notice of the SLMM head the activities of the SLA, which violate the ceasefire agreement.

LTTE activists told the SLMM head that army field groups are engaged in patrolling the area in a way intimidating the civilians. Members of army intelligence also frequently intefere in civilian life, sources said.

LTTE activists dismissed the allegation by the SLA that the LTTE cadres are in possession of high frequency communication equipment. LTTE activists said they were using communication equipments, which had been brought through A9 highway with the permission from the authorities concerned, sources said.

Jaffna SLMM head told LTTE members that the SLMM would act neutrally without taking a side in any dispute, sources said.

Ms. Ericson suggested that both parties should meet and resolve problems through talks, sources said. However the LTTE activists told the SLMM head that army has failed to implement decisions arrived at earlier talks held between the SLA and LTTE, sources said.

Meanwhile the new SLMM head in Jaffna later also paid a courtesy call to Thenmaradchchi LTTE political office, sources said.