Release policemen, SLMM exhorts LTTE

by Ranil Wijayapala

The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) yesterday insisted on the immediate release of three Police officers in LTTE custody as the LTTE has detained the three Policemen in violation of the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA), spokeswoman to Nordic Truce Monitors Helen Olaffsdottir told the Daily News yesterday.

The LTTE violates the 'good intention' of the CFA as mentioned in the third and forth paragraph of the preamble of the CFA by detaining Policemen who had entered the LTTE areas in search of a criminal.

In the CFA, the two parties have agreed to refrain from conduct that could undermine the good intentions or violate the spirit of the Agreement.

The spokeswoman said the LTTE has 'remanded' the three police officers until September 27 after producing them before 'LTTE courts' in Kilinochchi on Monday afternoon. She said the LTTE has also informed the SLMM that they will allow access to the three Police officers under LTTE custody only after the 'court hearing' is completed on September 27.

"We are trying our best to get the three Policemen released before September 27," he added. "The SLMM is demanding the immediate release of the Policemen as they have strayed into LTTE controlled areas in search of a criminal. They had no intention of violating the Ceasefire Agreement," she added.

The three officers from the Child Protection Authority were taken into LTTE custody on Saturday as they entered an LTTE controlled area to investigate a case related to child abuse. LTTE Media Spokesman Daya Master told the Daily News that the three Policemen will be produced before 'court' on September 27.

He said the SLMM was reportedly granted permission to visit the three Policemen adding that he was not aware whether they have visited the Policemen or not.

Daya Master said the LTTE was keeping the three Policemen under their custody as they entered the area without obtaining LTTE permission. He said the LTTE could have assisted in the investigation if a formal request was made to arrest the foreigner in connection with the child abuse case. Asked whether the LTTE would give permission for the relatives of the three Policemen to visit them Daya Master said this could be arranged.