Ian Martin holds meetings, workshop for LTTE judges

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 March 2003, 04:00 GMT]
The former Secretary General of the Amnesty International, Mr. Ian Martin, visited Kilinochchi Wednesday and had a meeting with Mr. Anton Balasingham and S.P. Thamilselvan of the LTTE, where the discussions focused on human rights and the rights of children on women, sources said.

Later, Mr. Martin met with members of the LTTE’s judicial administrative division, including Mr. R. Pararajasingham, the head of the division, other judicial advisors and the chief justice. Mr. Martin learnt from the advisors about the way human rights are ensured in the LTTE’s judicial administration and observed the hearing of a case in a court administered by the LTTE, the sources said.

The judicial advisors, including former judge Mr. Ekanathan and former lawyer Mr. Kodeeswaran, explained the reasons why the LTTE leader, Mr. V. Pirapaharan, had to start the judicial administrative division, and told Mr. Martin that, in the last decade, of the 24,000 cases brought before the courts, 18,000 cases have been decided.

Mr. Martin conducted a training workshop on human rights for the LTTE’s 22 judges in Kilinochchi, and will meet with the LTTE’s police service on Thursday, sources said.