Printable Version

Release date: 21 November 2002
Release time: Immediate

BATTICALOA DISTRICT MEETING, NOVEMBER 20, 2002

STATEMENT TO THE PRESS

TYPE OF MEETING: - District Committee Meeting
DATE: - Wednesday, 20 November 2002
VENUE: - Divisional Secretary’s Office, Vavunatheevu
PURPOSE: - To submit the recommendations to the Sub – Committee on De – escalation and Normalisation
CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE: - Mr. Heikki Hulkkonen – Head of the SLMM – DO5 – Batticaloa. On behalf of the Facilitator.

The following matters were discussed at the District Committee Meeting

The Public Buildings in Batticaloa District

Private Residences occupied by Security Forces

Removal of Roadblocks

Occupation of Private / Public buildings by the Police and Armed Force

The land disputes prevailing at the Kattankudy and Manchanthoduwai

Normalisation regarding the Muslim communities

The meeting was held in an extremely friendly and productive atmosphere and with mutual understanding of both parties. Both LTTE and GosL Delegations were well prepared and had specific requests that could easily be decided upon. Both parties showed understanding of each other’s difficulties and made their recommendations to the benefit of the public by consensus. It is the evaluation of SLMM that during this meeting both parties demonstrated a clear will and capability to find realistic solutions to the matters discussed.

The District Committee arrived at certain recommendations to be forwarded to the Sub-committee on De-escalation and Normalisation.

PARTICIPANTS: -

GoSL: -	Maj Gen SHS Kottegoda Rear Admiral SP Weerasekara Brig SR Balasuriya Brig P Chandrawansa Col GPR De Silva Col SWL Daulagala Col J Pathiratne GP Capt.K Gunathilaka DIG N Lewke SSP HVPL De Silva SSP Majeed LT Col KPA Jayasekara Lt Col SG Gunasekara Wing Com Shri Nissanke Maj MMS Perera Maj TDMMP Perera ASP Jamaldeen RWW MC Ranawana Lt RG Rohan Mr R Monogurusami Mr S Dayabaran Mr S Punyamurthi Mr M Naufar Mr N Sri Shankar Mr Udayakumar
LTTE: -	Col Mr Karuna Mr Ramesh Mr Ram Mr Kaushalyan Mr Varathan Mr Vaman Miss Banuka Mr Keerthi Miss Neelavini
SLMM: -	Mr Heikki Hulkkonen – Chairman DO5 Batticaloa Mr Pekka Vihervas, Legal Adviser HQ SLMM Mr Karl Juliusson, Head of DO6 Mr Teitur Torkelsson PIO HQ SLMM Mr Troels Jakobsen – Monitor DO5, Batticaloa Joint Secretaries: K Sathasivam & A Uwais