Prisoners exchanged in Sri Lanka

Reunited families in Omanthai show their delight

By the BBC's Frances Harrison At the Omanthai checkpoint

The Sri Lankan Government and Tamil Tiger rebels have held a prisoner of war exchange for the first time.

Both sides say it is an indication of how far the peace process has come.

It's a good step forward, it's a confidence building measure

Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe

Eleven Tamil Tiger detainees were flown in by helicopter from the capital after being released from Sri Lankan jails, while six soldiers and a naval captain were handed over by the Tigers.

Earlier this month, representatives of both sides met in Thailand for formal peace talks aimed at ending the two decade-long conflict.

Border

The exchanges took place at the Omanthai checkpoint on the border of the rebel controlled area.

This is the first time the Sri Lankan military and Tamil Tigers have held a joint function.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe welcomed their release.

A mother waits for her son to arrive

He said: "It's a good step forward, it's a confidence building measure. I must thank the army commander for the initiative that he has taken.

"It also resolves one issue which is very difficult one and which has affected many people very closely as to who are the missing people, who were kept in custody and who were not."

Bitter enemies until a few months ago, soldiers in combat fatigues stood side by side with rebels dressed in their characteristic stripy uniforms.

The two groups of soldiers were providing security for the leaders of both sides who came to exchange their prisoners.

Some of the detainees have spent up to eight years in captivity and their immediate family came to receive them.

The father of one rebel fighter from the suicide squad said he had initially been told his son had been killed and it was some time before he came to know he had actually been captured.

Lucky

Most of the relatives said this was a day they had been looking forward to for years. But they are the lucky ones.

A message from the political wing of the Tamil Tigers said there were still several hundred Tamil youths languishing in jails in the south of the island.

And the Sri Lankan Defence Secretary, Austin Fernando, appealed to the Tigers to make sure there were no more prisoners in their custody.

More than 3,000 Sri Lankan soldiers have gone missing in action in this war and their families hope they might still be alive and in a rebel jail.

The Tigers however have been quite clear that these are the last Sri Lankan soldiers they are holding.