Sends strong signal to LTTE through peace envoy

Govt strongly protests Principals' killings

by Ranil Wijayapala and Manjula Fernando

The Government while vehemently condemning the killing of two school principals by suspected LTTE cadres, yesterday sent a strong message to the LTTE through the Norwegian facilitator and the international human rights expert Ian Martin pressurising the LTTE to sign the draft agreement on human rights.

Cabinet Spokesman Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told the Cabinet press briefing yesterday that the Government protested strongly over the killings by suspected LTTE cadres and wanted Trond Furhovde and Ian Martin to take the incident seriously with the LTTE on their visit to Kilinochchi.

Suspected LTTE pistol gang members on Wednesday gunned down Jaffna Central College Principal Kanapathy Rajadurai (58), a strong critic of LTTE child conscription. Just 20 hours earlier, suspected LTTE pistol group men gunned down Kopay Christian College Principal N. Sivakadadchan.

"According to circumstantial evidence so far unearthed by the Security Forces and the Police we believe that LTTE was behind the killing of the two school principals in Jaffna," the Minister added.

Former Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission Chief Major General (Retd) Trond Furhovde who arrived in Sri Lanka as a special Norwegian facilitator to have talks with the Government and the LTTE to strengthen the Ceasefire Agreement and international human rights advisor Martin yesterday went to Kilinochchi to have discussion with the LTTE.

"We wanted them to highlight the human rights violations by the LTTE specially stressing the killing of two school principals", Minister added.

Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told the press briefing yesterday that at the peace talks held in Hakone Japan, Martin who was appointed as the special human rights advisor in the peace process, was entrusted with the task of drafting a road map on human rights for both parties to follow.

"However, the LTTE was dodging the signing of the draft agreement on human rights and we need the LTTE to sign it," the Minister said.

The Government also wanted to convey the message that it was quite illegal and unwarranted to keep three Police officers who went in search of an accuse of a child abuse case, under LTTE custody.

"We need the LTTE to respect the Ceasefire Agreement," the Minister added.

The Government also wanted them to convey the message that there should be a conducive environment to conduct a free and fair Presidential election.