Opposition proposes expanding of SLMM to include India, two others

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

The People's Alliance yesterday declared that the opposition parties have lost confidence in the Norwegian Monitoring Mission and proposed that the SLMM be expanded to include India and two other countries.

" This is the suggestion of the entire opposition and we are confident that India will favourably respond to this request," PA Parliamentarian and Presidential Advisor Lakshman Kadirgamar told a media briefing yesterday.

He said it is of utmost concern to the opposition to observe the Head of the Monitoring Mission undermining the sovereignty of Sri Lanka. He(the SLMM head) had proposed in a discussion paper- which contains no contrary possibilities for discussion- that the Government, especially the Sri Lanka Navy recognise the LTTE sea tigers as a de facto naval unit and that the LTTE should be excluded from a law concerning limitations on outboard motors.

This clearly indicates the Nordic Monitoring Mission is contentious of Sri Lanka's sovereignty and heavily biased in favour of the LTTE. The present Head of the Monitoring Mission has lost the confidence of opposition parties. Therefore, the view of opposition parties is that the time has come to change the structure of the Monitoring Mission.

He said opposition parties are not surprised at this turn of events. At the commencement of the negotiations, the Ceasefire Agreement was unbalanced and structurally flawed. It gave the LTTE unwarranted and unnecessary concessions by placing the Armed Forces at a considerable disadvantage.

The reasons given by the LTTE for their withdrawal from negotiations are that they were unjustifiably excluded from the recent Washington talks for which they have requested a change of the venue which was not granted.

They (the LTTE) said the Ceasefire Agreement has not been properly implemented by the Government and the funds for development work are being earmarked essentially to the South rather than for the North and East.

The view of opposition parties is that the LTTE letter is a tactic to bring maximum pressure on the UNF Government to yield to unreasonable demands as the price for returning to negotiations, especially in the context of its demand for recognition as a de facto naval unit and the withdrawal of the Armed Forces from the High Security Zones in Jaffna.

Opposition parties support the Navy Commander in his opposition to the proposal of the Monitoring Mission with regard to the status of the LTTE sea tigers.

Likewise we also wholeheartedly support the Army Commander of the North on his stand regarding the withdrawal of the Armed Forces from the High Security Zones in Jaffna.

He said all countries involved in negotiations must realise that the sovereignty of Sri Lanka is not a tradeable commodity. "It is not negotiable and cannot be compromised. The UNF Government should note well the feelings of the people of Sri Lanka on this matter and act accordingly," he said.

The LTTE's letter regarding withdrawal from the ongoing talks comes in the wake of serious clashes in the sea, the harassment of the Muslim community in the East and the demand for the withdrawal of Armed Forces from the High Security Zones in Jaffna, the suppression of democratic political activities in the North and the East and continued violations of the Ceasefire Agreement.