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by Ranga Jayasuriya

Peace Secretariat Chief Ambassador Bernard Gunatillake yesterday held another round of talks with LTTE Political Wing Leader S.P. Thamilchelvam on the reconstruction and development of the North-East.

Discussions focused on the initial reconstruction of the war-torn region and normalisation of civilian lives, which will also be among the key issues at the formal talks in Thailand, a spokesman for the Peace Secretariat said.

Reconstruction of road networks, irrigation projects and the rejuvenation of agriculture and fisheries in the region have been discussed at the meeting which lasted two and a half hours.

Ambassador Gunatillake was accompanied by a group of bankers from the National development Bank, Japan Bank for International Cooperation and the Janasaviya Trust who were on a fact-finding mission on the socio-economic situation in the region.

This was the second meeting on development issues between Gunatillake and Thamilchelvam within a week. Gunatillake flew to Kilinochchi last Friday too for talks with the LTTE Political head.

After the talks, the Government delegation visited Iranamadu where the Agricultural Faculty of the Jaffna University was located before it was shifted to Jaffna in 1996.

A spokesman for the LTTE Kilinochchi branch said the LTTE has conveyed to the Government delegation its interest in relocating the faculty at its former site.

Meanwhile, The LTTE is reported to have informed the Government of its willingness to exchange prisoners of war.

"The LTTE hopes to release the seven PoWs in its custody and expects a reciprocal gesture from the Government," the spokesman said.

The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission said yesterday that unarmed Government troops are at liberty to travel between Jaffna and Vavuniya through the A9 Jaffna- Kandy highway whenever they wish, even though they are yet to use this facility.

"Unarmed government soldiers can use the passage between Jaffna and Vavuniya whenever they want in accordance with the Ceasefire Agreement," SLMM Deputy Head Hagrup Haukland told the Daily News.

According to the article 1.10 of the Ceasefire Agreement reached by the Government and the LTTE, "Unarmed Government troops shall as of D-day+60, be permitted unlimited passage between Jaffna and Vavuniya using the Jaffna-Kandy road (A9)".

Modalities for troop movement were to be worked out by the parties with the assistance of the SLMM. D day + 60 fell on April 25.

"Soon after D day + 60, the Government said it would commence troop movements soon. However, in July the Government asked for modalities to act in an emergency which can arise during the journey," Haukland said adding that "since then, no discussions on the modalities had been held between two parties".

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