I.C.R.C. to escort "CITY OF TRINCO"

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 July 2000, 15:48 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government and the International Committee of Red Cross signed an agreement in Colombo Wednesday afternoon according to which the Jaffna passenger vessel " City of Trinco" will sail under the I.C.R.C. flag.

I.C.R.C. spokesman Harasha Gunawardene said that the agreement was signed after written guarantees were obtained from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Sri Lankan Government.

Negotiations had been going on for several months for obtaining the I.C.R.C's escort for the only passenger ship operating between Trincomalee and Jaffna.

The vessel City of Trinco commenced transporting civilians to and from Trincomalee and Jaffna from May 27 this year without the I.C.R.C's escort. Till last Saturday the vessel had transported around 3 thousand Jaffna bound civilian passengers from Trincomalee in nine trips. This vessel also transported same number of passengers from Jaffna to Trincomalee.