Balasingham to visit Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 May 2004, 10:36 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers’ theoretician and political strategist, Mr. Anton Balasingham, will travel to Vanni this week to meet the movement’s leader, Mr. Vellupillai Pirapaharan, to map out its strategy for future peace talks, TamilNet learns.

Mr. Balasingham will meet Mr. Pirapaharan and other senior LTTE officials on the weekend, ahead of a visit to Kilininochchi next week by the Norwegian Foreign Minister, Mr. Jan Petersen, LTTE sources told TamilNet.

“Mr. Balasingham and Mr. Pirapaharan will meet Mr. Petersen on Monday to discuss the peace process and related matters,” the source said, without giving details.

Mr. Balasingham will leave London, where he resides, on Thursday for Colombo. He will be accompanied by his wife, Adele, the source said.

They will be airlifted by helicopter from Colombo to the Vanni. “They are expected to be in Kilinochchi by Friday evening,” the sources said.

It is almost exactly a year since Mr. Balasingham last visited the Vanni. He was taken ill last May and had to return for urgent treatment. He was subsequently advised by his doctors to take extensive rest. He resumed duties late last year.