June 23, 2002	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 11, 1423

COLOMBO, June 22: Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Austin Fernando said on Friday that his ministry has received complaints of an attack on two LTTE workers in Valani, a village in Jaffna peninsula.

The report has sent shockwaves throughout the island on the eve of talks between the government and the LTTE expected to be held in Thailand.

The navy chief, Rear Admiral Mohan Wijewickrama, has been sent to Jaffna to “carry out preliminary inquiries and advise the naval personnel on the operational aspects of LTTE’s political activities in the islands,” a press release said.

“Anyone from the navy found involved in the alleged incident or found guilty will be severely dealt with,” he stated.

A spokesman for Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Teitur Torkelsson, said the Jaffna SLMM office had investigated the complaint and found no evidence to prove the incident.

The SLMM monitors the implementation of a ceasefire agreement between the Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on Feb 22.

There was a complaint that on Thursday night that two LTTE workers had been approached by armed men in a vehicle. The complaint said one had been attacked while the other ran away.

“We sent monitors to Kayts, but in the investigations we did not find any proof of an assault,” he said. Asked whether the LTTE had lodged a complaint, he said he was not informed of such a move till Friday evening.

Meanwhile, SLMM chief Gen Trond Furuhovde flew to Kilinochchi to hold discussions with the LTTE’s political hierarchy.

“Gen Furuhovde will meet Thamilchelvam to discuss the LTTE demand for sea movement, possible opening of the A-5 highway and setting up of a joint committee to ascertain the position of disputed places of worship,” Torkelsson said.