|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Monday, 21 July 2003 |
 |
|
 |
Security | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
|
LTTE challenging SLMM wisdom - Austin by Ranil Wijayapala With the LTTE yet to come out with its 'assessment report' over the Wan Ela camp issue, Defence Secretary Austin Fernando yesterday came out strongly against the LTTE's response to the SLMM, stating that the LTTE reaction was tantamount to challenging the wisdom of the SLMM. "The LTTE's response to the SLMM Chief is challenging the wisdom of the SLMM and the faith placed on the SLMM by the LTTE", Defence Secretary Austin Fernando told the Daily News yesterday. The Defence Secretary's comments came as the LTTE political wing leader Thamilselvan was in the process of assessing the situation by his own team dispatched from Kilinochchi to Wan Ela in Kinniya. The LTTE so far had not abided by the SLMM ruling that the LTTE should take immediate action to dismantle the camp in Wan Ela in Kinniya which was constructed in Government controlled areas violating the Ceasefire Agreement. LTTE Political Wing leader S.P. Thamilselvan has told the SLMM Chief that he wants to send his own team to assess the situation before giving a final word to the SLMM over the dismantling of the camp. Fernando said the Government always expects the SLMM to hold the scales even to both parties and that the Government has always followed the rulings of the SLMM. "Whenever, there is a ruling by the SLMM the Government has acted accordingly. So we are expecting equal treatment from the SLMM", Fernando added. This is something like a game of cricket where the umpire is giving a decision and the affected captain is saying that he will send a team to assess the situation. "The whole world sees this as bad cricket and that it is bad gamesmanship", he said. Inquired about other available options to tackle a situation of this nature where the LTTE does not comply with the SLMM ruling, Fernando said: "We may have to consider the involvement of the Norwegian facilitator to get the LTTE to implement SLMM rulings". He said the Norwegian facilitators are the ones who selected the monitors with the approvals of both parties. "So they have the right to see whether the SLMM is functioning well", he said. "The rest of the world has to look at the situation if the LTTE does not comply with them", he said. Meanwhile, SLMM Spokeswoman Agnes Bragadottir told the Daily News that they were expecting a response from Thamilselvan today (Monday). "We were informed by the SLMM in Trincomalee that a team from Kilinochchi was there in Kinniya on Saturday and Sunday. But we don't know what they are doing there", Agnes added. Thamilselvan is also expected to respond to the SLMM over the free access to the no mans area of Welioya, for the SLMM to inquire into construction of a bunker by the LTTE, Bragadottir added. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
