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No more chopper rides for Tigers
By Our Defence Correspondent
There will be no more helicopter rides for members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) either to arrive at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) or to commute between the North and the East.

The move follows a decision by the Sri Lanka Air Force, in consultation with the Ministry of Defence, not to operate any helicopter flights to "uncleared" areas in the Wanni or the East.

The decision stems from a refusal by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), tasked to monitor the ceasefire, in response to an Air Force request for assurances that their helicopters would be safe when they fly to Tiger guerrilla dominated areas. The SLMM has taken up the position that it cannot offer such an assurance.

Consequently even flights by Norwegian peace facilitators will be only to airports closer to the Wanni, either Vavuniya or Palaly. Norway's Special Envoy Erik Solheim, who arrives in Colombo tomorrow will fly from the Ratmalana airport to the Air Force base in Vavuniya. From there he will travel to Kilinochchi for meeting with Tiger guerrilla leaders in vehicles made available by the Norwegian Embassy in Colombo.

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