SLMM head begins three-day visit to the Vanni

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 July 2003, 15:23 GMT]
The Norwegian head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, Major General (retd.) Triggve Teleffsen, Monday began a three-day visit to the Vanni, where he is to meet the leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and discuss problems in implementing the ceasefire agreement signed by the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, sources said.

The SLMM head arrived in Kilinochchi Monday morning and began talks immediately with the LTTE political head, Mr.S.P.Thamilselvan, at the LTTE’s political secretariat. The talks, which commenced at about 11.45 a.m., concluded around 2 p.m., sources said.

Vanni sources said that the SLMM head and the LTTE political head discussed several issues, including the control of the Kurankupanchan area in the Trincomalee district.

The Sri Lanka Army says that the LTTE has constructed a new camp in the area, which the SLA claims comes under its control. The LTTE has told the SLMM that the area in dispute comes under its control, according to a report with a map the Liberation Tigers handed over to the SLMM soon after the ceasefire agreement was signed February last year, the sources said.

The SLMM head is to meet the Commander of the Sea Tigers, Colonel Soosai, and Northern Front Commander, Colonel Theepan, on Tuesday, sources said.