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| Sunday, 13 January 2002 |
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Foreign dpls asked to join Jaffna mission by FRANCES BULATHSINGHALA The Association of Relatives of Servicemen Missing in Action has invited the Norwegian Embassy, the Indian High Commission, the American Embassy, the British High Commission and the French Embassy to send a representative each, to join the parents of missing soldiers on their trip to the LTTE controlled areas of Vanni, on January 19. Representatives of over 60 non-governmental organisations are also expected to join the association, including a large number of residents from the border villages surrounding Anuradhapura, comprising nearly five thousand individuals. E. P. Nanayakkara, head of the association, said that he had already extended a special written invitation to the Indian High Commission to make India as the venue for peace talks. Asked why the association was lobbying to get India as the venue for peace talks, Nanayakkara said that it was a 'sincere appeal' and not in any way persuaded by the LTTE. The association has for the past five years, been campaigning for the support of the previous PA government to visit the Vanni to ascertain the whereabouts of over 2000 military personnel, whom they claim, to be held by the LTTE. Nanayakkara said that his association had obtained both the governmental and military support for the visit and an 'informal' meeting with the LTTE political wing leader Thamilchelvam was also confirmed. Nanayakkara also said that a discussion over 'prisoner exchange' was also on the cards. "If the LTTE promises to release the 8 military personnel and 9 civilians officially declared by it as being held at the Vanni Tiger camps and informs us for certain the number of POWs we assume to have with the LTTE, we will then consider appealing to the government to release Tiger suspects not accused of serious charges", Nanayakkara said. "We want representatives of other countries to join us so that there would be transparency about our visit which is largely a goodwill gesture that will complement the efforts of the government towards peace. "We want everyone to know that having sent our sons to war, we are the first casualties of this 18-year-old conflict and that we suffer the most not knowing whether they are indeed dead or prisoners of war", he said, adding that the association would expect the foreign representatives to put pressure on the LTTE to reveal the exact number of prisoners of war held by it. According to Nanayakkara over 50 CTB buses would be made available by the government for the Vanni 'mission'. |
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