As SLMM Chief Trond Furhovde prepares to meet LTTE political wing leader S. P. Thamilselvan near Katunayake today to negotiate the release of two homeguards by the LTTE, the government reiterated it would not agree to any prisoner swap.
Mr. Thamilselvam and an LTTE delegation are due to arrive at the BIA today to take a flight to Geneva and the SLMM chief is likely to meet him at the Airport Garden Hotel.
Public Security Ministry Secretary Tilak Ranaviraja said the detention of two members of the security forces was a violation of the ceasefire terms and it was clear the LTTE was exploiting the agreement to its advantage.
He said that when government forces arrest any LTTE cadres, they brought the matter to the notice of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission and the two peace secretariats as required by the Ceasefire Agreement, but the LTTE was not observing such procedures.
He said if the government agreed to any prisoner swap, it might set a dangerous precedent with the LTTE taking in more security forces members and demanding swaps.
The secretary said that on a directive from President Chandrika Kumaratunga, a special committee headed by Deputy Defence Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake was appointed to work out the release of the homeguards.
He said the committee including Defence Ministry Secretary Cyril Herath, a representative from the Presidential Secretariat and himself decided to exert 'strong pressure on the LTTE through the SLMM for the release of homeguards.
