Economic Reforms Minister and peace negotiator Milinda Moragoda ordered the SLMM to get the LTTE to remove a cut-out depicting one of its cadres with the slogan “The land of the heroes” at the entrance to Batticaloa town saying it was violation of the Government - LTTE MoU.

The cut-out was removed yesterday. Minister Milinda Moragoda visited Batticaloa on Sunday to appraise the situation in the East before the fifth session of the peace talks to be held in Berlin next month, sources said.

At the entrance to Batticaloa town there had been a massive cut-out depicting an LTTE cadre holding a dead LTTE cadre with his right arm and holding a weapon with the left arm. The cut-out carried the slogan “The land which produces heroes.” Sources said that Minister Milinda Moragoda seeing the cut-out had said that it was a clear violation of the MOU and had instructed the SLMM to tell the LTTE to remove the cut-out. If the LTTE fails to remove it he had instructed the police to do so themselves.

Minister Moragoda was accompanied by Defence Ministry Secretary Austin Fernando, Mr. Nanda Godage and Major General Anton Wijendra. Thereafter the government delegation had met the Batticaloa citizens’ group headed by Father Miller who had complained about the increased extortion and abduction of children by the LTTE. He said that the government servants were also taxed and the heads of departments had to collect the taxes from government servants and hand them over to the LTTE.

They also met a Muslim citizens’ group which complained about LTTE extortion and threats. The group told the Minister that it did not feel secure any more and had drawn his attention to a statement by Karuna recently where he had said that the LTTE would “break the economic stranglehold of the Muslims.”