Front Page

Front Page

LTTE asks for police, land, finance
By Chris kamalendran
The LTTE will include proposals on recognising its Police force, distribution of land and powers to take over finance control in its counter proposals to be submitted to the government later this month.

The proposals will be handed over to the Norwegian government at the end of the month and this is likely to be done before LTTE's political wing leader, S.P.Thamilselvan leads a delegation to Northern Ireland for a peace seminar on September 27. The seminar has been organised by Norway.

An LTTE spokesman in Kilinochchi said the counter proposals would not be handed over when the Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister, Vidar Helgessen visits the Wanni next week, but outstanding issues connected with the peace process would be discussed.

The Sunday Times learns that one of the proposals to be put forward by the LTTE would be to recognise its police force which has been expanding over the past few months. The 'Police Headquarters' was opened in Kilinochchi by LTTE leader, Velupilliai Prabhakaran last Sunday while the eastern regional police headquarters will be declared open in November.

The LTTE police force is said to have over 3,000 LTTE cadres and paid employees working as 'policemen'. The LTTE will also be demanding powers on land distribution as it wants to have authority on distribution of land in the northern and eastern provinces.

Regarding financial control the LTTE is set to demand powers over handling of funds from donor countries and international agencies for rehabilitation and reconstruction activities in the north and east.

The Government in its proposals sent to the LTTE on August 14, did not refer to the topics of Police, land and financial powers. The head of the LTTE's Peace Secretariat, Pulidevan yesterday returned to the island after jointly attending a seminar with the head of the Government's peace Secretariat, Bernard Goonetilleke in Switzerland.

Meanwhile visiting Japanese envoy Yasushi Akashi will only be granted an appointment with Thamilselvan and not with LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.
The LTTE is due to explain its position as to why it boycotted Friday's aid review meeting held in Colombo.

Japan's special envoy on Friday said he was cautiously optimistic that the peace process would resume within the next few weeks.

Back to Front Page