International Aid groups meet LTTE in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 September 2003, 16:09 GMT]
A team of representatives of the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations Development Plan met with Mr. S.P Thamilchelvan, head of the Political division of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, at the LTTE’s Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi Monday, sources in the Vanni said.

The International Aid groups’ representatives discussed matters relating to the progress of on-going projects undertaken by their respective organizations, and the humanitarian needs of resettlement, rehabilitation and reconstruction in the Northeast.

The representatives said after the meeting that they agreed on the importance of an effective Interim Administration for the Northeast, given the urgency of meeting the humanitarian needs of resettlement, rehabilitation and reconstruction, the sources said.

The visiting team comprised Mr. Jeremy Carter, Senior Resident Representative of the IMF, Mr. Miguel Bermeo, Resident Representative of the UNDP, Mr.John R. Cooney, Country Director of the ADB and Mr. Peter Harrold, Country Director for World Bank in Srilanka.



(L-R) Mr.Jeremy Carter, Mr.John R. Cooney, Mr. Miguel Bermeo and Mr. Peter Harrold. Photo: LTTE Peace Secretariat.


The team arrived in Kilinochchi Monday morning by a Sri Lanka Air Force helicopter.

In the meeting lasting for about two hours, Mr. Thamilchelvan briefed the visiting team on the current status of the Interim Administration proposals and the thrust of his briefing was the sense of disappointment and frustration in the minds of the Tamil people regarding the non-implementation of the various articles in the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) signed by the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, the sources said.

The rationale of the articles in the CFA was to alleviate the hardships of the Tamil people and bring about normalcy in their lives, the sources quoted Mr. Thamilchelvan as saying.

Thamilchelvan welcomes representatives of International aid groups

(L-R) Thamilchelvan, George, Selvin Irenuess and Thuyavan