Trinco LTTE, SLA commanders to meet

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 July 2003, 16:10 GMT]
A top level discussion is to take place between the commanders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Sri Lanka Army in the Trincomalee district on Wednesday evening at the no-man zone in Kattaiparichchan in Muttur, in the presence of the Norwegian head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, Major General (retd.) Triggve Teleffsen, to thrash out the disputes that have arisen between them, SLMM sources said

Earlier on Sunday, the SLMM head had discussions with the LTTE area commander, Colonel Pathuman, and others at Sampur

The SLMM head, who left Trincomalee Monday to Colombo, is to return Tuesday to the Eastern port town and spend the day as a guest of the LTTE at Sampur in the LTTE controlled Muttur east, SLMM sources said.

He is likely to spend Tuesday night at Sampur accompanied by the SLMM’s local head and deputy head in Trincomalee, Messrs Abdel Burkan and Kurt Spur respectively, the SLMM sources said.

The SLMM head is to preside over the top level meeting Wednesday between the LTTE and SLA commanders. The no-man zone, where the meeting will take place, is located between the SLA camp in Kattaiparichchan on one side and the LTTE check point on the other side, sources said.

The dispute that has arisen over the Kurankupanchan area in the Kinniya divisional secretariat division and the release of a Sri Lanka Navy soldier, who was captured and detained by the LTTE cadres when he entered the LTTE controlled area of Kadawanaikulam, in the Tampalakamam divisional secretariat division in April this year, would be taken up at the meeting, sources said.

On behalf of the SLA, its two commanders in Trincomalee, Brigadiers Senevira and Zahir, are expected to participate at Wednesday’s meeting. The LTTE is likely to be represented by Colonel Pathuman and other area commanders, LTTE and SLMM sources said.