October 3, 2002	Thursday	Rajab 25, 1423

COLOMBO, Oct 2: Much controversy has arisen over the abduction of seven military personnel by the LTTE last week, just prior to releasing seven other servicemen by the rebels.

The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, supervising the ceasefire between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE, has not been able to acquire the release of seven soldiers, abducted last week, from a border in Trincomalee in the Northeastern region.

The LTTE has justified the “arrest” by stating that the military personnel were in uniform and had trespassed into “their territory”.

This justification came just days after the LTTE theoretician Anton Balasingham told newsmen in Thailand that the Tigers were not interested in a separate homeland.

The government has sought the release of its military personnel, but has not received any acknowledgment from the LTTE.