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| Sunday, 27 January 2002 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Parents of
missing servicemen return dejected from Vanni
by FRANCES BULATHSINGHALA Nearly two-thousand mothers and fathers of servicemen declared as missing in action returned disappointed with all hopes sunk from their much publicised visit to the Vanni, after LTTE political wing leader Thamilchelvam assured the parents that there were no more POWs except for those indicated to the ICRC, a total of seventeen, ten of whom were released last Monday. The Association of Relatives of Servicemen Missing in Action (ARSMA) had earlier claimed that over 1,500 were estimated to be missing in action and that it had reliable information that they were with the LTTE. At a special meeting convened by the LTTE at its political headquarters in Killinochchi last Monday, with four committee members of the association of relatives of servicemen missing in action and six members of the mothers front, a non-governmental organisation headed by yet another mother of a military serviceman missing in action, S. P. Thamilchelvam said that the LTTE did not have any more held in captivity. The LTTE political wing leader in a 'categorical and unequivocal' statement, confirmed it did not have the number of POWs speculated to be at the LTTE camps and largely blamed the PA regime for misleading the public. Meanwhile, a majority of members of ARSMA, mostly from rural areas, blamed the president of the association, E. P. Nannayakkara, for giving them false hopes that their children were with the LTTE. According to the association members who travelled upto the Madhu region, each of them had been charged Rs. 500 for the trip in addition to a list of dry rations worth around another Rs. 500, to be distributed among the residents of the Madhu area. However, Nannayakkara who himself claims to be lamenting over the disappearance of his pilot son who went missing in Mankulam over five years ago, said he had 'clearly' told his members that the Vanni trip was mainly a 'peace mission'. He said that he had informed his members that the journey to Madhu was largely a peace venture and that he would be obtaining the assistance of other local non-governmental organisations who were to join them on the journey. The association members, however, pointed out that Nanayakkara had at every committee meeting of the association said that he had 'sufficient proof' that there were at least one-thousand servicemen missing in action. When interviewed by the 'Sunday Observer' after the statement by the LTTE political wing leader that there were no more POWs as speculated, Mrs. Nanayakkara, the elegantly dressed mother of the only son in the family, said that it 'could not be helped' if the parents had their own 'individual' belief. Asked whether he had, while convincing over a thousand association members to believe that there might be hope in getting their children back, told them that they should also be prepared to accept a negative response, Nanayakkara replied in the affirmative and shrugged off completely any responsibility for fostering hopes. He also refuted allegations that his organisation was getting foreign and local funds but said that he would staunchly pursue the peace process. However, according to the Ceylinco Group Chairman, Lalith Kotalawala, a sum of Rs. one lakh had been provided to Mr. Nanayakkara by him for the journey. This was revealed by Mr. Kotalawala at a press conference held on Friday (25). |
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