
LTTE Released Sinhala home-guards
Two Sinhala home-guards who were held for two months by the LTTE on charges that they entered the area under their control with guns were released by the LTTE yesterday. The LTTE courts in Sampoor released the two home-guards on bail.
The two home-guards were brought before judge Iniyavan by the Tamileelam police in the Sampoor courts. The judge ordered them to be released on bail for Rs100,000 each. The wives and relatives of the two home-guards were present at the courts. The relatives informed the judge that they do not have the money needed for the bail as ordered by the courts. Realizing the financial situation of the families of the two accused, the Trincomalee political wing head C Elilan paid and signed the bail to release the two and handed them over to their wives. The bail money was paid by the Trincomalee branch of the LTTE Peace Secretariat. The two were released in the presence of, representatives of the ICRC and SLMM and some media personnel. The two released home-guards and their relatives were taken back to the army controlled area on the same evening with the help of the SLMM. Chanthana Bandara and Chaminda Piyasiri, the two home-guards, were arrested by the LTTE when they entered Pathaviya Kallapaththai on August 10th with T-56 model riffle. That the relatives of the home-guards and Sinhala groups were demanding their release since then is well known. For the last three weeks the Sinhala groups in Trincomalee were holding protests by fasting, through Hartal and picketing demanding the release of the two home-guards. This has created a tensed situation in Trincomalee. The LTTE put forward the condition that the 10 LTTE cadres held by the military must be released in order for the LTTE to release the two home guards. Their condition was accepted and the 10 LTTE cadres who were held in the Batticaloa prison for more than a year were released on bail on orders from the high court. It is only after their 10 cadres were released that the LTTE permitted the two home guards to be released. Yesterday afternoon, the released home guards were brought to their relatives who were on a fasting protest in Trincomalee. The home guards were given an enthusiastic welcome.
16 October 2004
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