Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger guerrillas on Wednesday insisted European Union ceasefire monitors quit following the EU's outlawing of the rebels.
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers on Wednesday insisted that Nordic truce monitors from European Union countries must be replaced in light of an EU ban against the rebels, Norwegian envoys said after visiting their stronghold.
That means that Norway must now scramble to find monitors from elsewhere to replace those from Sweden, Finland and Denmark. That leaves only 20 monitors from Norway and Iceland, which analysts say will leave a dangerous vacuum at a time when attacks and ambushes are soaring.
“The (Tigers) have informed us that they stand by what they previously informed us,” said Erik Ivo Nurnberg, First Secretary at the Royal Norwegian Embassy. “That is something that we regret.We are now in the process of assessing together with other Nordic countries how to replace the monitors,” he added.
SLMM stands for the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission which oversees a 2002 ceasefire between rebel forces and the Sri Lankan military. The LTTE on Tuesday vowed to ensure the safety of SLMM monitors, following a close shave in May when the rebels fired at a navy patrol boat with a monitor aboard.
But many fear a rash of escalating violence, particularly a Tiger feud with a renegade commander called Karuna — could still spiral into renewed civil war.
Sri Lankan foreign minister in New Delhi
Sri Lanka’s foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera is flying in to New Delhi late on Wednesday to brief Indian leaders on the situation in the island state. Samaraweera will call on Prime Minister Singh on Thursday evening. The Prime Minister is likely to convey India’s growing concern at the fast deteriorating situation in Sri Lanka, and the possible reaction in Tamil Nadu. There are indications that National Security Adviser MK Narayanan will personally visit Colombo to assess the situation. —DNA
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