SRI LANKA: GOVERNMENT AND TAMIL TIGER REBELS SWAP PRISONERS OF WAR IN LATEST PEACE PROCESS MOVE

Record ID: 646702

  • Title: SRI LANKA: GOVERNMENT AND TAMIL TIGER REBELS SWAP PRISONERS OF WAR IN LATEST PEACE PROCESS MOVE
  • Date: 30th September 2002
  • Summary: (W3) OMANTHAI, SRI LANKA (SEPTEMBER 28, 2002)(REUTERS) 1. MV ELEVEN RELEASED LTTE POWS BEING ESCORTED BY SRI LANKAN SOLDIERS TO THE EXCHANGE CEREMONY; SLV OFFICIAL TABLE; MV RELATIVES WATCHING CEREMONY 0.18 2. SLV/MV OFFICIALS SIGNING DOCUMENTS (3 SHOTS) 0.37 3. SCU WIFE OF SRI LANKAN NAVY COMMANDER AJITH BOYAGODA WATCHING CEREMONY 0.41 4. MV GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE AND LTTE AND ICRC REPRESENTATIVES SHAKING HANDS 0.46 5. MV RELEASED LTTE POW BEING GREETED BY LTTE NORTHERN COMMANDER THEEPAN; MV RELEASED SRI LANKAN NAVY COMMANDER AJITH BOYAGODA WITH HIS WIFE/ HIS WIFE WIPES AWAY TEARS (2 SHOTS) 1.15 6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NAVY COMMANDER AJITH BOYAGODA, SAYING "On and off they are telling that we are going to get released. They were giving us promises, and we knew that they will not hurt us. Someday we will get back to our families, so that was the thing that kept us going, hope for living." 7. SLV RELATIVES WATCHING 1.37 7. MV RELATIVES SEATED WATCHING 1.41 8. (SOUNDBITE) (Sinhalese) BOYAGODA'S WIFE SAYING "I felt a lot of pain when he went missing. But I always believed that he was alive. I always felt that he would return one day. This happened because of the peace process". 2.17 9. MV RELEASED POWS AND SRI LANKAN MILITARY (2 SHOTS) 2.32 10. (SOUNBITE) (Sinhalese) BOYAGODA'S MOTHER SAYING "As a mother I have a sense of happiness I cannot describe in words." 2.41 (W3) COLOMBO, SRI LANKA (SEPTEMBER 28, 2002) (REUTERS) 11. MV SRI LANKAN PRIME MINISTER RANIL WICKREMESINGHE GREETING RELEASED SRI LANKAN MILITARY POWS 2.57 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 15th October 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: OMANTHAI AND COLOMBO, SRI LANKA
  • Country: Sri Lanka
  • Reuters ID: LVA7MJ6EMZBVF6TYOAWLQ60UFVMH
  • Story Text: The Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels have
    swapped prisoners-of-war in the latest move to push ahead a
    peace process that has already silenced the guns after 19
    years of war.

    The exchange on Saturday (September 28, 2002) in a dusty
    no-man's land in northern Sri Lanka happened amid
    unprecedented scenes of friendliness between top military
    leaders from both sides, who mingled with the prisoners to say
    their goodbyes.

    Sri Lanka's top military officer, army chief General
    Lionel Balagalle, sat casually next to Liberation Tigers of
    Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Northern Commander Theepan, an encounter
    unimaginable several months ago.

    The swap under a plastic tent came less than two weeks
    after the two sides met for a first round of peace talks in
    Thailand.

    The Tamil Tiger prisoners were given going-away gift packs
    that included chocolate, crackers and fruit with a card that
    read "With the compliments" of army chief Balagalle.

    Sri Lankan police stood next to "Tamil Eelam Police" --
    the police the Tigers have in areas they control -- during the
    ceremony that saw 11 rebel soldiers exchanged for seven
    government military personnel.

    "On and off they are telling that we are going to get
    released. They were giving us promises, and we knew that they
    will not hurt us. Someday we will get back to our families, so
    that was the thing that kept us going, hope for living," said
    navy Commander Ajith Boyagoda, who was released after being
    captured by the rebels in a naval battle eight years ago.

    One of the released Tigers was a member of the feared
    "Black Tigers" suicide squad.

    Another two rebels were released in the east in the latest
    in a series of confidence-building measures, including opening
    roads and allowing greater movement of people, since a
    Norwegian-brokered truce was signed in February.

    None of the soldiers or police carried weapons, which are
    not allowed in the crossing-over area between the front lines
    of the two sides near Omanthai, 270 km (167 miles) north of
    the Colombo.

    The government personnel were later flown by helicopter to
    Colombo for a meeting with Prime Minister Ranil
    Wickremesinghe.

    The Tamil rebels say they have no more prisoners of war
    while the government says it has Tamil detainees held under
    terrorism charges, who are not considered prisoners of war.

    Another round of of talks is set for Thailand in late
    October to try to bring an end to the 19-year ethnic conflict
    that has claimed more than 64,000 lives.


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