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Annan's
visit to LTTE areas blocked Government sources accused the guerrillas of preparing to seize the opportunity of such a high-profile visit for grandstanding and propaganda purposes, and said the fallout of a visit by the senior-most UN executive without the presence of Sri Lankan officials to an area outside their control, would have been detrimental to Sri Lanka's territorial integrity. Immediately after it was known that Dr. Annan was scheduled to visit Sri Lanka following the conclusion of the Jakarta summit on the tsunami disaster, LTTE legal advisor V. Rudrakumar had extended a written invitation to Miguel Bermeo, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Sri Lanka for Dr. Annan to visit "Tamil areas affected by the tsunami". About the same time, The Sunday Times learns, the LTTE Peace Secretariat head, S. Prabagaran alias Pulithevan, had also sounded his counterpart, Secretary General Jayantha Dhanapala about an Annan visit to Mullaitivu, the headquarters of the LTTE, and a district badly affected by the recent tsunami. The request for the visit was made on humanitarian grounds. Peace Secretariat officials, however, declined to either confirm or deny these reports, and passed the buck saying the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was responsible for drawing up the UN Chief's Sri Lanka itinerary. According to diplomatic sources in Colombo, the UNDP chief here had prepared two itineraries for Dr Annan’s visit. One had included a visit to LTTE-controlled Mullaitivu district whilst the other included visits only to Government-held areas. The local UN Resident Representative had also lobbied with officials of the President's Office for Dr. Annan to visit LTTE-held areas. Following consultations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, Mr. Bermeo had to pick on the second option. Foreign Secretary H.M.G.S. Palihakkara said yesterday the LTTE had made “no direct request from the Government” for the UN Secretary General to visit areas held by it. Asked whether the UN had made such a request, he said, “I cannot comment". He said the programme for Dr. Annan’s visit was drawn up by Sri Lanka as the host country in consultation with the UN office in Colombo. The Government had offered a visit to Jaffna if the UN Chief was interested. Dr Annan yesterday toured the coastal areas in the south and east, getting off at Hambantota and at Kinniya in the Trincomalee district. In Hambantota, he told Reuters correspondent David Fox, “I am here on a humanitarian mission. I would like to visit all the areas, but as you know I am here as a guest of the Government and they set the itinerary". Reuters said: “UN officials privately vented their frustration that the itinerary did not include a stop in rebel-held areas.” The agency quoted an official speaking on condition of anonymity as saying “It is a relief visit, not a political one. The Secretary General wanted to go, but it just didn’t happen". According to reports from the Wanni, the LTTE had planned a grand welcome for the UN Chief. LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran, who was once more at the centre of wild speculation that he had died during the tsunami disaster, had planned to make his appearance with the world leader. First indications came, when his security cadres finecombed areas they had wanted Dr. Annan to visit. Meanwhile, the visit of another foreign dignitary, Britain's Overseas Development Minister Hillary Benn raised concern at the Colombo Foreign Office yesterday. Mr. Benn had arrived in Sri Lanka, obtained an aircraft, toured the country and left for the Maldives, without meeting a single Sri Lankan Minister as was previously scheduled by arrangement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This followed an earlier diplomatic incident where the LTTE had received direct aid from Italy. Italian Ambassador Salvatore Zotta said the matter was "now cleared", and refused to answer questions by telephone. When The Sunday Times reporters called over at his office, Ambassador Zotta said he was willing to answer any questions, other than those relating to this issue. |
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