SLMM head meets LTTE’s Trinco leaders

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 April 2003, 18:53 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Tuesday agreed to hold a meeting with the local heads of Sri Lankan Government armed forces on April 21 at the no-man zone in the Mutur area, south of Trincomalee town, to sort out the problem that has arisen over the question of LTTE members crossing through the army controlled areas to LTTE controlled areas, sources said.

A decision to this effect was taken at a discussion held between the SLMM head Major General (retired) Tryggve Tellefsen and the LTTE district area commander Colonel Pathuman at the latter's office at Sampur in Mutur-east Tuesday.

The SLMM head arrived in Trincomalee from Colombo by a Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopter, Tuesday, and travelled to Sampoor by a Sri Lanka Navy boat.

The LTTE’s Trincomalee district political head, Mr.S.Tilak and a senior LTTE commander in Trincomalee, Mr.Mathu participated with Colonel Pathuman in Tuesday's talks. The SLMM’s Trincomalee head Mr.Jan Ledang accompanied the SLMM head, sources said.

Major General (retired) Tryggve Tellefsen told press later that talks were conducted in a constructive way in a cordial atmosphere.

(L-R) LTTE Trincomalee district political head, Mr.Tilak, Colonel Pathuman, Major General (retired) Tryggve Tellefsen, senior LTTE commander, Mr.Mathu and SLMM Trincomalee head Mr.Jan Ledang.

"We worked out details about a meeting to be held on April 21 regarding problems about sea movement and crossing points in land," said the SLMM head.

Colonel Pathuman told press after the meeting, "We have told the SLMM categorically that if the talks scheduled to be held on April 21 fails, we will have no alternative other than to take food and medicine to our members in areas held by us, crossing through Sri Lanka Army controlled areas, without waiting for permission from the Sri Lankan government troops. It cannot be considered as a ceasefire violation."