LTTE says relief funds not reaching the Tamil speaking regions

Head of the delegation, LTTE's political wing leader SP Tamilselvan told BBC Tamil Service, from Oslo, that they raised the issue of international relief funds not reaching the Tamil speaking regions of Sri Lanka with Norwegian foreign minister Jan Patterson.

He said though the north and east of the island bore the brunt of the tsunami destruction, the region was not getting enough international relief.

Tamil Tigers had accepted a Norwegian proposal on creating a joint mechanism for undertaking tsunami relief works but the government had yet to come forward with its stand, thereby delaying the constitution of the mechanism, he said.

Commenting on resuming peace talks with Sri Lanka's government SP Tamilselvan said the immediate priority was providing humanitarian relief to the Tamil speaking areas hit by Tsunami and the two decade old civil war.

He said the delegation would be visiting several other European countries, including Ireland, during this trip and meeting government leaders.