On 23 February, Navy personnel attempted to arrest seven Tigers at Kallampathai and in turn were surrounded by a LTTE unit. SLMM members rushed to the scene and prevented clashes. Five days later, talks were held between the government and the LTTE regarding six LTTE cadre arrested by the Navy in December at sea near Trincomalee. LTTE’s Col. Karuna, Defence Secretary Austin Fernando and the new head of SLMM, Maj. Gen. Tryggve Tellefsen participated in the meeting at Vavunativu in Batticaloa District. The Tigers are accused of smuggling weapons. The issue was not resolved and the LTTE have insisted that their cadre must be freed if they are to consider releasing a soldier and a policeman in their custody.
In Batticaloa District, over 150 families who were displaced in 1990 from Eravur are unable to resettle because their homes are occupied by the security forces. They have been asked to vacate the refugee camps and dry food rations given to them have been stopped because each family was paid Rs 4,000 nine years ago. Because of this reason, they are also not included in the resettlement list prepared by the Batticaloa government secretariat. Local observers say that they are likely to be excluded in the plans that are being drawn for resettlement. The IDPs staged a protest in Eravur demanding the return of their houses and food assistance until they are able to occupy their homes.
A number of villages in Batticaloa District have been destroyed. One such village in Miravodai in Valaichenai area. Around 450 families in the village fled the area following fighting between the Army and the LTTE in 1990. The Army established a camp which included a number of houses in the village. Over 250 houses were demolished and the two temples in the village were damaged.
Villagers say at least ten people who returned to the village in the late 1990s disappeared. They suspect that they were murdered by the Home Guards who were involved in military operations with the Army. Around 75 families have now returned and are attempting to rebuild their lives. Others who have taken refuge in areas such as Valaichenai and Vinayagapuram say that they would return only if the Army camp is removed and their security is guaranteed.
In mid-February, people staged a demonstration in Batticaloa against new security force camps. Police Special Task Force (STF) camps are being established at Vinayagapuram in Batticaloa District and Thirukkovil and Sagamam in Amparai District.