SLA, LTTE agree on establishing security measures in the East

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 June 2004, 12:23 GMT]
At a meeting organized by the Sri lanka Monitoring Mission in the Batticaloa district Wednesday, Col. Ramesh, the special commander of the Liberation Tigers for the Batticaloa-Amparai region, pointed out to Major General Shantha Kottegoda, the Overall Operational Commander of the Sri Lanka Army for the Eastern Province, that elements of the SLA were involved in the recent killings in Batticaloa and that the SLA was associating closely with the renegade Karuna group. Col. Ramesh also agreed to immediately establish direct liaison with the SLA and Police, LTTE and SLMM sources said.


Major General S.H.S. Kottegoda, Eastern Overall Operational Command, Sri Lanka Army, Mr. Hagrup Haukland, Acting Head of SLMM and Col. Ramesh, LTTE's Special Commander for Batticaloa and Ampara

The LTTE further agreed to provide information to assist with the identification and apprehension of criminal elements in Batticaloa area, the sources said.

According to the LTTE sources, Gen.Kottegoda assured Col. Ramesh that, in his capacity as the newly appointed overall operations commander in the Eastern region, "it would be [...] his bounden duty and responsibility to keep the region under strict and constant surveillance" against the elements that are involved in such killings.

The full text of the press release issued by the SLMM follows:

"At a meeting held today between GOSL and LTTE representatives LTTE agreed to immediately establish a direct liaison with Sri Lanka Police. The LTTE further agreed to provide information to assist with the identification and apprehension of criminal elements in Batticaloa area.

"The meeting took place in the Divisional Secretariat of Vavunathivu today, Wednesday 2nd June at 1100 hrs. Acting Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, Mr. Hagrup Haukland, chaired the meeting.

"The delegation from GOSL consisted of Major General S.H.S. Kottegoda, Eastern Overall Operational Command, GOC Brigadier Vajira Wijeyagoonewardena, Sri Lanka Army 23 Division, Colonel Laksiri Amaratunga, 233 Brigade, Batticaloa, Mr. Samaradiwakara, SSP Batticaloa District, Mr. Hettiarachchi, Inspector of Police, and Mr. Upul Seneviratne SP STF, and representatives.

"The delegation from LTTE consisted of Col. Ramesh, Special Commander, Batticaloa and Ampara, Mr. Kowsalyan, Head of Political Wing, Batticaloa and Ampara District, Mr. Bavanantham, Deputy Director, LTTE Peace Secretariat, Kilinochchi, Mr. V. Jeyarthan, Mr. Ramanan, and Mr. F. Manoj.

"SLMM delegation consisted of Acting Head of SLMM, Mr. Hagrup Haukland, Mr. Preben Rasmussen, Acting Head of SLMM District Office Batticaloa, and representatives.

"The Parties agreed to arrange regular coordination meetings between local LTTE and Security Forces commanders. These meetings will focus on developing joint actions through practical arrangements and mechanisms to identify, isolate and detain those responsible for the recent killings in the Batticaloa area. The first meeting will take place on 15th June 04.

"Major General Kottegoda and Col. Ramesh agreed to continue having direct meetings. Both representatives stated that they wanted an end to the killings in the Batticaloa area, and stressed the importance of coordination and practical arrangements between local commanders.

"The Parties agreed to continue to uphold and respect the Cease Fire Agreement entered into between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on the 22nd of February 2002."