The Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) was informed by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Colombo that a Senior Commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) – Thillayampalan Sivanesan alias Soosai – was in need of emergency medical treatment abroad because of his rapidly worsening condition caused by an old injury sustained in conflict.

The assistance of the Government of Sri Lanka was sought to facilitate his departure from Sri Lanka on Tuesday 19th October accompanied by his medical team.

In response to this, and on humanitarian grounds, the LTTE group was transported by the Government from Kilinochchi to Colombo. Thereafter, the group traveled abroad on Sri Lanka passports at their own expense.