A high level security forces and police delegation on Saturday accused the Scandinavian truce monitors of sitting on their complaints relating to indiscriminate LTTE cease-fire violations in the Ampara-Batticaloa sector.
The delegation expressed serious concern over the monitors’ obvious failure to investigate complaints at a tri-partite meeting, at the Vavunativu Divisional Secretariat, chaired by the outgoing second-in-command of the Norwegian-led mission, Hagrup Haukland.
The security forces delegation comprised Gen. Officer Commanding Army’s 23 Division Brig. Vajira Wijegoonewardene, Batticaloa Brigade Commander Colonel Laksiri Amaratunga, SSP Mahesh Samaradivakara and SSP Wasantha Ratnayake. The LTTE delegation had been let by their regional political leader Kausalyan.
The government delegation had emphasised that they were not satisfied with the way the truce monitors handled complaints. Brig. Wijegoonewardene, during the discussion, had stressed that the security forces should be given periodic progress reports. He had suggested that the truce monitors conduct comprehensive investigations into abductions and disappearances. He had pointed out the absurdity in asking the LTTE for information on the missing persons knowing that they were responsible for the abductions.
The Brigadier had urged the truce monitors to visit LTTE-held areas to look for the missing persons.
The security forces dismissed Haukland’s claim that the gangsters and criminals were responsible for a spate of incidents in the area. They expressed disbelief that that the Norwegian was so na`EFve to blame the ongoing wave of incidents on the underworld. The forces stressed that the LTTE was responsible for violations including the recent killing of ex-TNA MP Kingsley Rasanayagam. The forces identified the LTTE hit men who carried out the recent political assassination in Batticaloa.
The LTTE delegation had not responded to this.
The forces took up the position that it would be easier to restore normalcy if the LTTE respected the Oslo-arranged Cease-Fire Agreement (CFA). While denying any link with the breakaway Karuna faction, the forces delegation emphasised the security forces had nothing to do with the battle between the Vanni and Batticaloa factions.
The forces delegation explained the action taken by security forces against persons carrying arms irrespective of their loyalties to the LTTE. This point was proved when the LTTE delegation thanked the STF for killing a Karuna loyalist shortly after he gunned down a middle-level LTTE leader.
Following the meeting with the LTTE, the security forces chiefs briefed the visiting Japanese peace envoy Yasushi Akashi at the Batticaloa Brigade headquarters. The forces explained the difference between the warring LTTE factions, while emphasising the fact that Karuna was liked by the vast majority as he stopped taxation, abductions and harassment metered out to the civilians, particularly the Muslims.
