SCOPP frowns on diplomat’s meeting with LTTE

COLOMBO: SCOPP has taken exception to a visit by an Icelandic diplomat to Killinochchi which it says was undertaken without the permission of the relevant authorities.

Secretary General of SCOPP Prof. Rajiva Wijesinghe in a statement says:

“At the weekly meeting with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission held at the Peace Secretariat this morning, the issue of a visit to Kilinochchi by an Icelandic diplomat was discussed. He had entered the country on a tourist visa, but had travelled, in the company of the SLMM Liaison Officer for the Vanni, to Kilinochchi without permission from the relevant authorities. It was reported that this was in view of him possibly applying for a position with the SLMM.”

“The SLMM Head of Mission had not however known previously that he would be taken to the LTTE Peace Secretariat, nor that he would there meet the LTTE political head Thamilchelvam. It had in fact been reported to him that Thamilchelvam’s presence there at the time of the visit had been coincidental, and the impression created by the LTTE that formal discussions had taken place was incorrect.

The gentleman had represented neither the Icelandic Foreign Ministry nor the SLMM during his visit.”

“Head of Mission did not think that the report in one paper, that the gentleman had visited the Politial and Administrative Offices of the LTTE, could be accurate, though he agreed to check on this and report back. SCOPP also pointed out that, even accepting the position that the meeting had been accidental, it was singularly inappropriate that the LTTE was told that the visitor, when not on holiday, worked for the Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The SLMM, while agreeing to check on how the information had been given, pointed out that the LTTE was extremely well informed and might have been aware of this independently.”

“Though the SLMM had previously hoped to bring the gentleman to the Peace Secretariat, it had refrained from doing so in view of the inappropriacy of what had transpired and the unfortunate use made of this by the LTTE. The SLMM mentioned that they had reported earlier in the day to the Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry and expressed their regrets about the incident.”

“In response to a question about the manner in which the gentleman had got through the checkpoint, it was noted that sometimes vehicles belonging to established agencies such as the SLMM were not checked.

The SLMM agreed that, in view of what had transpired, it was appropriate that the Ministry of Defence exercise greater caution and ensure that checking of all vehicles and the individuals travelling in them be carefully done.