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Govt, LTTE to discuss ceasefire violations

by Rodney Martinesz

A highlevel meeting between the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to deal with the thorny issue of ceasefire violations will be held within the next two weeks.

The meeting is the first of its kind arranged to confront head on the contentious issues which has been receiving wide media coverage in recent times including the vexed topic of child conscription and abductions of Government soldiers.

The meeting is in keeping with an arrangement at the latest round of peace talks in Thailand where Defence Secretary Austin Fernando and LTTE Batticaloa Commander Karuna is to meet on a monthly basis to thrash out issues arising from the ceasefire violations to draw up solutions.

The meeting will be a tripartite affair also involving the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) which will present the list of violations to be dealt by the parties.

SLMM spokesman Teitur Torkelsson yesterday confirmed the meeting and said it was important that the resolution of ceasefire violations be accorded top priority for the smooth passage of the peace talks. "Now that the last round of peace talks have provided this opportunity, we are hopeful that all thorny issues will be resolved", the spokesman said. Although no specific date has been fixed the meeting will probably be held before the end of the month, the spokesman said adding the venue too will be known in the coming week. He was not certain if the meeting will be a one to one affair or there will be other representatives of both parties.

The first meeting will touch on the recent detention of a soldier in Kilinochchi, the forcible removal of an LTTE prisoner while being transported at Mankulam, the disappearance of a soldier gathering intelligence and the forcible conscription of child soldiers.

In September, Secretary to the Prime Minister Bradman Weerakoon, held talks with LTTE political wing chief S.P. Thamil Chelvam on North East development and issues regarding the ceasefire agreement. Earlier in June, the Government and the LTTE held face to face talks - the second such since the ceasefire agreement was signed - ahead of formal talks in Thailand.

On that occasion, Director General of the Peace Secretariat Bernard Gunatilleke met LTTE political leader Thamil Chelvam. The talks focused on commercial transport in the Jaffna- Kandy A9 highway.

The Government and the LTTE on May 21 had face to face talks for the first time, when Gunatilleke met Thamil Chelvam in Kilinochchi to discuss issues relating to commercial bus service in the A9 highway, repairing the highway, removal of security forces from places of worship and LTTE political work in the islands off Jaffna.

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