SLA-LTTE in standoff over control of area in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 July 2003, 15:37 GMT]
In the wake of the ruling by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission Monday that the controversial Kurankupanchan area in the Trincomalee district comes under Sri Lankan government control, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Tuesday warned of grave consequences if the Sri Lanka Army advanced into Kurankupanchan, sources said

The SLMM’s ruling followed a complaint made by the LTTE that the Sri Lanka Army had attempted to enter Kurankupanchan, which the LTTE said comes under their control, sources said.

The LTTE’s political head in the Trincomalee district, Mr.S.Thilak, said, however, that as of Tuesday evening he had not received the SLMM report.

Meanwhile, SLMM monitors in Trincomalee rushed to Kurankupanchan in the Kinniya division Tuesday afternoon, SLMM sources said.

The SLMM had earlier said that the construction of a new camp by the LTTE in Kurankupanchan was a violation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE.

The LTTE Tuesday conveyed its stand to the SLMM in Trincomalee, saying that the Sri Lanka Navy had earlier violated the MoU by establishing a new SLN camp at Gopalapuram in the north of Trincomalee district, and the SLMM should ensure that the SLN's Gopalapuram camp is dismantled first before asking the other party to the MoU to follow suit, SLMM sources said.