LTTE political officials harassed

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 July 2002, 03:46 GMT]
A senior political cadre of the Liberation Tigers was assaulted by Sri Lankan troops last week whilst another was arrested and interrogated, Tamil press reports said. Protests were lodged with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), the reports said.

The LTTE has lodged a complaint with the SLMM that Mr. Theekumaran, head of the movement’s political section in Chenkalady, was assaulted by the Sri Lankan soldiers last Friday.

SLMM representatives raised the matter with the Sri Lanka and in response, the Commanding Officer of the camp at Chenkalady expressed his regret over the assault on the LTTE, the Uthayan reported.

The CO told SLMM officials the incident was being investigated. The Virakesari reported that the SLA officer had later visited the LTTE’s local political office and given his assurances such incidents would not occur in future.

Meanwhile, Mr. Senathy, the head of the LTTE’s political section in Andankulam, was arrested by Sri Lankan troops last Friday and aggressively questioned for over an hour.

He was released when the LTTE’s Special Commander in the Eastern Province, Colonel Karuna, raised the matter with Sri Lanka Army commanders.

Earlier last week, Col. Karuna met with commander of the SLA’s 23 Division, Major General Sunil Tennekoon, to discuss recent communal violence in the region, the Virakesari reported.

Mr S Karikalan, Special head of the Liberation Tigers’ political section in the Batticaloa-Ampara sector, Mr Visu, the political head of the LTTE in the sector, and Commander of the Sri Lanka Army's 23-3 Brigade, Col. V L Rohan Anthoniz also took part.

At the meeting, both parties agreed to directly discuss and resolve any issues and problems arising related to the ongoing ceasefire, and also to improve and return Batticaloa City to a condition of normalcy.

Apart from the meetings between the military commanders on both sides, other leaders of the Liberation Tigers’ political section met with Sri Lankan government officials last week regarding the development of the Batticaloa city, the Thinakural reported. Mr Thurai, deputy head of the LTTE’s political section in Batticaloa-Ampara, chaired the meeting in Mahajana school hall.

Meanwhile, a resident of Vakarai was questioned and threatened by the Sri Lanka Army intelligence officers, Tamil press reports said. The man was accused of assisting the LTTE in holding a political meeting. Terrified by his ordeal, the man has fled his home with his family. A complaint has been lodged with the SLMM.