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| Sunday, 26 October 2003 |
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Thamilselvan briefs media in Kilinochchi, Saturday LTTE proposals include rehabilitation, land, security by Ananth Palakidnar The much-awaited LTTE proposals on an interim administration (IA) for the North-East, to be submitted to the Government in Colombo on Friday, is expected to be a comprehensive package pertaining to administrative structures and subjects and also, to rehabilitation and reconstruction matters, the Sunday Observer learns. The proposals will be handed over to the Government through the Norwegian Ambassador in Colombo Hans Brattskar. Once the document is officially handed over on Friday, the LTTE will hold a media conference in Kilinochchi on Saturday, November 1, where it will brief the world's media on its proposals, an LTTE spokesman told the Sunday Observer. The Norwegian facilitators have also been requested by the LTTE to begin arrangements for date and venue for a resumption of formal talks on the basis of the Government's and LTTE's proposals. While Tamil political sources remained tight-lipped about the administrative structure issues, they said that a major focus of the LTTE document is on the urgent issues of refugee re-settlement, distribution of re-construction aid and finance, the high-security zones, and the general rehabilitation of the war-torn North-East region. Land management and security matters are also among the subjects included in the LTTE proposals. Political wing leader S.P. Thamilselvan will brief the media at the November 1 media conference. The press briefing is likely to attract a large number of media personnel to kilinochchi since the Mallavi press meet in Vanni which was convened by the LTTE supremo Velupplillai Prabhakaran on April last year to explain his views on the peace process. The press conference on November 1 is also considered a significant event as it is for the first time a press briefing of this nature is to be held without the presence of the LTTE theoretician Dr. Anton Balasingham, who is currently domiciled in London , sources said. Meanwhile the LTTE 's political wing leader Thamilselvan met the representatives of the Tamil National Alliance in Kilinochchi last Wednesday and outlined the future plans of the organisation. The General Secretary of the Tamil United Liberation Front R. Sampanthan commenting on the meeting told the Sunday Observer that several issues were discussed and he noticed a positive outlook from the LTTE engaging more towards the peace process in the future. Earlier Minister Prof G.L. Peiris at his press briefing last week said the Government was hopeful of meeting for a preliminary round of talks to set an agenda for the resumption of peace talks in January next year after a positive response was received on the proposals on an Interim Administration for North and the East. Meanwhile Minister and the Upcountry People's Front leader P. Chandrasegaran along with Colombo District Parliamentarian Mano Ganeshan are scheduled to meet Thamilselvan today. The CWC leader and Minister Arumugam will visit Kilinochchi on Tuesday, sources said. |
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