MIA: LTTE says no, Govt. says maybe
By Shelani Perera
As the Government yesterday asked the LTTE to double check its claim that it held no more captives, the rebel group urged the government to take steps to release LTTE detainees in Government custody.

Defence Secretary Austin Fernando speaking at a ceremony in Omanthai, where the government released 11 LTTE prisoners in exchange for seven troops, sought information about hundreds of soldiers who are categorized as missing in action. Mr. Fernando said that there was a belief "rightly or wrongly" among relatives of those missing in action that they could be somewhere in an LTTE-controlled area.

"I would earnestly urge the LTTE to verify as to whether any such persons still remain in these areas, either living on their own or otherwise," he said. In response, the LTTE insisted that this was the last batch of its prisoners but urged the government to take steps to release all Tamil detainees.

LTTE representative Sudahar Master said his leader Velupillai Prabhakaran had been considerate to arrange the release of several batches of detainees from time to time purely on humanitarian grounds.

"Releasing this last batch of detainees, please note Defence Secretary, was subject matter to a lengthy course of dialogue between the LTTE and the Government. While expressing our satisfaction in the reunion of these families, we expect that similar steps will be initiated for the release of several hundreds of Tamil youth languishing in Sri Lankan prisons," Sudahar Master said.

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