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Re: 'Dead/Captured' Soldier Returns After 10 Years

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Date: September 30, 2002

"Given-up-for-dead soldier released in Sri Lanka

By Scott McDonald

OMANTHAI, Sri Lanka (Reuters) - S.H. Gunawardana's family held a funeral for him while he languished as a Tamil Tiger prisoner in Sri Lanka's ethnic war.

Told the soldier had been killed in fighting in November 1993, Gunawardana's family was given an urn containing ashes and held a funeral ceremony before finding out three months later that he had been captured by the Tigers.

"My family thought I had been killed until they got a letter from the Red Cross," the 29-year-old said on Saturday, when he and six other government military personnel were swapped on Saturday for 13 Tiger fighters held by the government.

"It was very hard on them," Gunawardana said, patting his brother's stomach and joking about how much weight he had gained in the nearly eight years since they last saw each other.

The prisoner exchange, which took place in a dusty no-man's land about 270 km (167 miles) north of Colombo, was the latest in a series of confidence-building measures since the government and rebels signed a ceasefire in February.

The two sides will hold a second round of peace talks at the end of October to end the 19 years of war that has left 64,000 dead.

Gunawardana looked healthy and said he had been treated well by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

He learned to speak passable Tamil and even played cricket to keep busy.

"I can manage in Tamil," he said as he joked with Krishnapillai Srianandaruean, a 27-year-old Tiger soldier, who had been released by the government.

"I heard he was one of the ones to be released and now I meet him," said Gunawardana, who was flown to Colombo by helicopter to meet Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe after his release.

Both do not know what they will do now that they have been freed into a Sri Lanka that has its best chance yet to end the war.

"I'm not sure, I may go into business," said Srianandaruean.

"I'm encouraged by the peace process."

Srianandaruean and the other Tiger prisoners were given going-away gifts -- chocolate, crackers and fruit with a card that read "With the compliments" of Sri Lankan Army Chief General Lionel Balagalle.

"I kept going by the hope I would see my family again," said Navy Commander Ajith Boyagoda, as his wife wept.

Boyagoda was released after being captured by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in a naval battle eight years ago.

One of the released Tigers was a member of the feared "Black Tigers" suicide squad. Eleven of the rebels were freed in Omanthai and two others were released in the east.


Copyright © 2002 Reuters Limited"