LTTE returns under-aged Tamil boys, Sinhalese villager

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 July 2003, 19:30 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the Trincomalee district Monday handed over two boys aged about ten years to their parents in the presence of UNICEF officials and also handed over a Sinhalese villager who had strayed into the LTTE controlled area of Kumburupiddy, north of Trincomalee, to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission monitors, sources said.

The two boys, one from Kadatkaraichcenai and the other from Chenaiyoor, had voluntarily gone to the LTTE office and expressed their willingness to join the movement, LTTE sources said, adding that as they were under-aged, the LTTE informed the UNICEF officials.

The LTTE’s Trincomalee district political head, Mr.Thilak, Monday handed over the children to their parents at the Sampur LTTE office in the presence of UNICEF officials, sources said.

Meanwhile, the Kumburupiddy political head of the LTTE, Mr. S.Sivakumar, Monday evening handed over a Sinhalese villager, Abeyaratnasinghe Ariyaretna of Mihintale, to the SLMM monitors. The LTTE said the villager had strayed into the LTTE controlled area near a LTTE military camp on June 5, as he had lost their way in the jungle, sources said

The SLMM monitors went to Kumburupiddy Monday evening and took the Sinhalese villager into their custody. This handing over event took place at the Kumburupiddy political office of the LTTE, sources said.