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Kaushalyan killing: LTTE, northeast public ignore Presidential Commission
By Chandani Kirinde
The Presidential Commission probing the death of a senior LTTE cadre has accepted the submissions made by Batticaloa Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission Head Steen Joergensen that under the ceasefire agreement armed groups, should not be allowed to operate in the northern and eastern provinces and that they should be relocated elsewhere.

This was among several observations made by the two-member Commission which presented its report to President Chandrika Kumaratunga on October 20.
However due to the lack of evidence the Commission has been able to reach only some general conclusions.

Appointed in April this year to probe the killing of LTTE Ampara-Batticaloa political wing leader Kaushalyan, the Commission said its findings were not specific because it could only interview members of the police, military and the SLMM while neither LTTE cadres nor the general public came to give evidence.
As a result the Commission comprising Vavuniya High Court Judge Jeremiah Wishwanathan (Chairman) and Ampara High Court Judge W.T.M.P.B.Warawewa could not find out causes for friction between the two sides and arrive at a definite conclusion.

The Commission sent out an open invitation to the LTTE and members of the public to come before it to give evidence. A Commissioner when asked why direct summons was not issued to LTTE members said “it was not proper for us to communicate with them as we are sitting judges”.

Immediately after the Commission was appointed, the LTTE said it had no faith in the Commission nor could the LTTE expect justice as the Commission was appointed by the President and the armed forces came under her directive.
“Even before the sittings began the LTTE had arrived at conclusions”, a Commissioner told The Sunday Times.

President Kumaratunga too had observed that the findings were on a very general basis but said she would not fault the Commissioners as they were able to listen to only one side.

The Commission however has emphasised that the security forces and the LTTE need to abide by the ceasefire agreement and co-operate with the SLMM. The Commission in its conclusions noted that both sides were at fault for violating the ceasefire agreement.

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