During a meeting today with LTTE political wing leader S.P. Tamilselvan in Killinochchi, Ambassador Bratskar emphasised the necessity for the two parties, the Government and the LTTE to expeditiously reach consensus on this matter as the international community is in anticipation of an accredited structure to pool in the overwhelmingly flowing aid and thereby ensure the right mechanism for equitable distribution of aid, with transparency and accountability devoid of corruption and malpractices.

Mr. Tamilselvan noted that his organisation is aimed at effectively carrying out reconstruction activities based on ground realities and the realisation that the people in the North East coast already suffered immensely during the two-decade old war and therefore deserve an asymmetric treatment and the necessity for an equitable distribution mechanism. Published: Sat Feb 5 05:41:27 EST 2005

Anthony Arulappan, 23, left the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam last year and was staying at his home in the eastern Batticaloa district when rebel cadres arrived and took him away at gunpoint on Friday, said Brig. Daya Ratnayake.

``On the way he snatched a gun from one of the guards and shot himself,'' Ratnayake said. Most of the bullets hit him in the abdomen and lower parts of the body. He was in critical condition at the Batticaloa hospital, Ratnayake said.

The incident preceded a visit to the rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi by Hans Bratskar, Norway's ambassador to Sri Lanka, who is also one of the facilitators in the country's peace process, the pro-rebel Web site TamilNet said.

Bratskar ``had in-depth discussions'' with rebels top political wing leader S.P. Tamilselvan on achieving agreement between the Tigers and the government on tsunami aid and reconstruction efforts.

Tamilselvan insisted on a relief distribution mechanism for Tamil-devastated areas in the country's north and east, the report said. No other details were given.

Though millions of dollars in aid has poured into Sri Lanka since the Dec. 26 tsunami killed at least 30,000 people, 70 percent of survivors haven't received anything because of bureaucratic bungling and incompetence, the government has said.

Also in Batticaloa on Friday, a rebel identified only as Kalamaran shot and killed himself after he was denied permission to visit his ailing father, Ratnayake said.

The rebels made no mention of the incidents, and telephone messages left at the rebels' office in the northern town of Kilinochchi went unanswered Saturday.

The rebels have been accused of enlisting child soldiers and forcibly conscripting others in their quest for a homeland for Sri Lanka's 3.2 million Tamil minority, accusing the majority Sinhalese of discrimination.

The Tigers fought a 19-year civil war against the government before Norway brokered a cease-fire in 2002 that continues to hold despite infractions. The conflict killed more than 65,000 people.

Peace talks broke down in April 2003 when the rebels withdrew, demanding more autonomy in Tamil-majority areas. Published: Sat Feb 5 09:29:51 EST 2005

The party’s Colombo district organiser Shafeek Rajabdeen pointed out that in the East alone more than 300,000 families had been displaced while over 14,000 had died and while more than 51,000 houses had been completely damaged. “However despite all of these losses, the Government has failed to provide relief to the affected survivors in the Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee districts of the eastern province,” said Rajabdeen. He also stressed that even the centre for National Operations (CNO) is unable to cater to these districts fully due to their lack of manpower. Published: Sat Feb 5 05:44:20 EST 2005