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DISCUSSION ENDED IN NO-DECISION AS R.SAMPANTHAN AND GROUP WANT SL ARMY TO LEAVE JAFFNA AND GO TO DESERTED KAKKATIVU

By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles

Under an apparent new policy adopted by the Tamil National Alliance that pressure should be applied to remove or change Sri Lanka Army military facilities according to the military needs of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam a discussion held between the army and the Tamil National Alliance to select a site for the Army's Jaffna town brigade ended in the midst of argument and no decision.

R. Sampanthan the leader of the TNA team said that they would not allow the army to remove their barracks from one populated area to another populated area in the Jaffna Municipal limit. He was somewhat sarcastic when he said that they should be sent to the deserted Kakkativu. The team of TNA members of parliament were expected to meet the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today to obtain concessions.

The controversy arose when the plans to move Jaffna town brigade headquarters conducted in the Ashok and Gnanam Hotels to state lands within the Jaffna Municipal limits were suspended by the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe under tremendous pressure of the Tamil National Alliance. The Prime Minister ordered new discussions between the Sri Lanka Army and the pro-LTTE group of Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians to settle this matter.

Sources in Jaffna said the discussions between an army delegation which had Jaffna Commander Sarath Fonseka and a delegation led by R. Sampanthan failed since the Tamil National Alliance MP's were keen that the army should be somehow be expelled from any site in Jaffna strategically important to the army.

The Tamil Guardian , the main organ of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam said one of the first things their group discussed with Ranil Wickremesinghe's United National Front government just after it was formed was the removal of Sri Lankan troops from Tamil areas. The Sri Lanka Army's decision," the Tamil Guardian said, " to establish a new base complex in the heart of Jaffna town will…. undermine the peace process." Calling it a provocative move the LTTE wanted the UNF government to stop the army from building the new garrison near the old Jaffna Fort.
LTTE's official news website the Tamil Net said both the army team and the pro-LTTE team of parliamentarians led by R. Sampanthan visited alternative sites proposed by the TNA at Kallundai veli, Kaakaithivu and Cey-nor factory premises, and explored the possibilities of shifting the brigade headquarters to one of these sites. Sites have been proposed with the knowledge of the LTTE. Sources in Jaffna said the Sri Lanka Army did not agree to move into any one of the LTTE recommended sites, all far away from the Jaffna town.

R. Sampanthan , the pro-LTTE parliamentarian was quoted as having said that success of the peace talks solely depended on the successful resettlement of displaced in their own lands. The SLA should co-operate with the government to make the peace process a success and avoid setting up new camps in residential areas. He went to the extent of adopting a racist position when he said he was opposed to Sinhalese people coming and living in and manning these camps.
But army sources said the army was only trying to move into a site not owned by various individuals but by the government.

The discussion between the Defense Ministry officials and TNA parliamentarians took place at the Jaffna district secretariat presided over by the Government Agent, Mr.S.Pathmanathan, . The defense team was led by the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Mr.Karaliyadde, and included the Chief of Staff, Major General Lohan Gunawardene, SLA Jaffna area commander, Major General Sarath Fonseka, and Jaffna town SLA commander, Brigadier Silva.
The pro-LTTE TNA parliamentary group comprised of R.Sampanthan, Mavai Senathirajah, A.Vinayagamoorthy, G.G.Gajendrakumar, N.Raviraj, K.Thurairetnasingham, and M.K.Sivajilingam .

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