Relatives of POWs on their way

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 February 2000, 11:28 GMT]
Twenty-eight relatives of the POWs left for Puthukudiyiruppu in the Mullaithivu district, from Anuradhapura this morning around 8.30 a.m. The visit was arranged on the invitation of the Liberation Tigers and with the permission of the Ministry of Defence.

Harsha Gunawardene, the Information Officer of the ICRC in Colombo, said that the relatives of the POWs crossed the border between the Sri Lanka Army and the LTTE at Piramalankulam along Vavuniya-Mannar trunk road around 11.45 am today. He said the ICRC provided the transport from Colombo to Piramanalankulam while, the Liberation had arranged the transport from Periaythampanai, on the border of LTTE held area.

Officials said the relatives will have a stop at Mallavi and continue their journey to Puthukudiyiruppu where the 15 POWs have been on a hunger strike since February 10.

The relatives are expected to reach Puthukudiyiruppu around 4 p.m. today.