US demining officials arrive in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 August 2004, 13:25 GMT]
Mr. Richard Kidd, Director of Weapons Removal and Abatement, US Department of State, and Colonel Stuart C.Harris, Deputy Director of the same and Ms Cody Taylor, Political head in the US Embassy in Colombo Tuesday morning arrived in Jaffna by a special aircraft and held discussion with Sri Lanka Army officials and civil authorities in Jaffna district.




The US team first met with the Jaffna area commander of the SLA at the Palaly Military Headquarters. Later the team visited Thanankilappu, Puthur and Ariyalai areas in the high security zones of Thenmaradchchi division where the SLA demining groups are engaged in removing live mines.

In the afternoon the US team held discussion with heads of civil authorities led by the Jaffna Additional Government Agent Mr.K. Sivasamy at the Jaffna District Secretariat.

The US team then visited sites in Chemmani-Ariyalai areas where another de-mining group "Halo Trust" is engaged.