| We started our journey towards Kilinochchi and | | | | around for places to accommodate us.Visiting |
| reached the Omanthai Military Check Point, the | | | | NGO members and the media people had already |
| Northernmost Frontier of the Sri Lanka Army in | | | | occupied the available places.We were stalled for a |
| the mainland and stopped for clearance.Dr. | | | | couple of hours.The German T.V. crew and the |
| Jayalath Jayawardene spoke to the Military | | | | German Praktikum (Internship) students were in |
| Officials and we were cleared after a few | | | | their vans for hours and it was sad to see their |
| procedures and set on our journey towards | | | | situation.Some of the youths who came with us |
| North.In a few minutes’ time by passing | | | | from a local T.V. channel started to scold me, as I |
| the No Man Zone, we reached the LTTE Check | | | | was the coordinator in those areas.But I had to |
| Point.I spoke to an LTTE member who | | | | pacify them saying after all it’s a relief |
| questioned me about our mission.I explained our | | | | mission, and we were prepared to bear the |
| mission and introduced the German team and | | | | hardships.Some how or other the LTTE’s |
| others there.I told we had already informed the | | | | Political Wing found accommodation and I had to |
| Political wing of the LTTE about our mission.They | | | | take some of the German students to the |
| were highly concerned about our mission as we | | | | lodgings, which had been arranged for them.My |
| were about to visit the Mulaitivu region which is an | | | | responsibility had been narrowed down.The |
| LTTE stronghold.The German Television crew had | | | | German Television crew had also been assigned a |
| come with satellite equipment for direct | | | | place.Some of the students were asking whether |
| transmission of disaster immediately from the | | | | their rooms were equipped with mosquito nets.I |
| spot.We thought whether we would be facing any | | | | had to find rooms with mosquito nets for |
| difficulties because of the security issues.But we | | | | them.But one room with nets, I had to reserve |
| had been cleared and were on our way to | | | | for a Singhalese couple as promised.I had taken |
| Kilinochchi.While we were traveling we found both | | | | some extra care that they should not feel that |
| sides of the highway were a blend of dense | | | | they had been discriminated in a Tamil area.I had |
| forests and the paddy lands created a lot of | | | | told the students I had to keep that room for the |
| excitement within me.Peacocks were | | | | couple.All the students got rooms with mosquito |
| everywhere, busily foraging in the paddy | | | | nets in that complex except two students.Then I |
| lands.After two hours of our journey we reached | | | | went to the LTTE’s Political Wing office to |
| Murukandy, a stopover for passengers where a | | | | check what was happening there.AGSEP’s |
| small Hindu temple is found.It has become a | | | | Director Dietmar Doering said he would be staying |
| tradition for passengers to stop there and | | | | where the female students and some of the |
| worship the God, which was enshrined in that | | | | AGSEP staff were staying for their safety and |
| small temple especially if they were Hindus.Others | | | | went with them.The young Singhalese couple got |
| too used to stop there as a pastime and buy a | | | | a room at the LTTE’s Political Wing |
| variety of foodstuff available there.We too | | | | office.The incident might be as surprising as an |
| stopped for a while but not very long, as we | | | | Israelit couple taking night shelter at the office of |
| were already late according to our schedule to | | | | the Palestinian rebels.I returned to one of the |
| reach Kilinochchi.We had to arrange | | | | lodgings, where the students were staying and |
| accommodation for more than twenty-five | | | | got into the room, which had a mosquito net, |
| persons.I was highly worried as there were | | | | which became available, as the couple had found |
| fifteen German nationals, and they would expect | | | | room at the Political Wing.I was a little worried |
| reasonable accommodation for the night.When we | | | | staying in my room because of my German |
| reached Kilinochchi it was early night.We went to | | | | friends. Would they have any misgivings about |
| meet LTTE’s media spokesman who was | | | | me?So, I knocked at their room doors, but got |
| coordinating our mission in the LTTE-controlled | | | | no response from them.The exhausting day-long |
| areas.He was startled at the number of people on | | | | journey had overcome them with deep slumber. |
| our mission.He asked his subordinates to look | | | | |