by Shamindra Ferdinando

While ruling out the immediate re-opening of the main overland route to the Jaffna peninsula, authoritative officials yesterday revealed that preparations were underway to set up another entry and exit point to facilitate movement of people and commodities to and from the LTTE held parts of the Wanni.

Responding to questions, officials expressed the belief that it was too early even to consider the re-opening of the Kandy-Jaffna A9 highway, the scene of some of the bloodiest battles between the army and the LTTE over the past decade.

Army’s northern-most forward defence-lines go across Omanthai and Puliyankulam, north of Vavuniya while the LTTE controls rest of the A9 road right upto Pallai situated eastwards of army’s Eluthumadduval frontlines in the Jaffna peninsula. The army has control of the road from Jaffna town to Eluthumadduval.

The army made an abortive bid to restore the route in May 1997. It ended in failure the following year. Subsequently, the LTTE seized army held areas in the Wanni and Jaffna [Soranpattu-Pallai] and present frontlines have been in existence since the last major army initiated battle in April in the Jaffna peninsula where the government forces suffered a humiliating defeat.

The army lost control of the overland route to Jaffna in 1990 during the then President Ranasinghe Premadasa’s administration.

Both sides have extensive defences facing each other across the main road, they said adding that there was no likelihood of the two sides removing defences including mine fields in the near future. Opening of the road would depend on the progress of the proposed direct talks between the government and the LTTE, they said while implying that people should not expect to see traffic on the main road in the near future. They pointed out that even if the road is opened, police and security forces in the peninsula would have to depend on regular naval convoys and daily SLAF flights for their supplies. "Don’t expect LTTE to permit military convoys on the A9 road," the sources said while pointing out that both the military and the civilian population in the peninsula would have to depend on existing arrangements for travel and from the besieged district.

Overland travel between the Wanni mainland and the peninsula would not be possible although people living in the LTTE controlled parts of the Wanni were to given the opportunity to use another entry and exit point. The sources said that the second cross-loading check point would be situated at Uilankulam also on the Vavuniya-Mannar road.Uilankulam is situated between Wankalai and Nanattan.

However, Piramanalankulam, situated 24 kms west of Vavuniya, will continue to be the main cross-border check point, the sources said adding that it was in operation since late 1999. With the UNP led United National Front government’s decision to lift restrictions on a range of goods with effect from January 15, food convoys would be allowed on four days instead of three. The government has also decided to send in 30 lorry loads of commodities instead of 23, the sources said while explaining that there would not be any changes with regard to security checks at Piramanalankulam.

Six hundred civilians would be allowed to enter the government held area while the same number of people would be allowed to leave to the other side. "Civilian movements would be permitted from Monday to Friday," the sources said while reminding that earlier civilian movements were permitted on Tuesdays and Fridays. Seven hundred persons were allowed into the government held area while the same number of people were permitted to leave.