Finland and Denmark to withdraw ceasefire monitors from September 1

Ranil Wijayapala

COLOMBO: Finland and Denmark, two of the five countries to form the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission yesterday announced that they would withdraw their ceasefire monitors from the Mission on September 1 as the LTTE had failed to give them a security guarantee to continue their work.

SLMM Spokesman Paul Bjerke, confirmed that Finland has informed the Mission that they will withdraw their 11 monitors from the SLMM on September 1.

Finland was the first country to announce its decision to withdraw their monitors.

An AFP report filed from Finland quoted a Finnish Foreign Ministry Spokesman as saying that they will recall their observers, based on the fact that the LTTE was not going to guarantee the monitors' safety after September 1.

According to a Reuter report, the Foreign Ministry of Denmark also announced that they will withdraw their nationals from the Mission.

Government Defence Affairs Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella, however told the Daily News that the Finnish Government had not made any official intimation on their decision to the Government Peace Secretariat. "They will soon convey their message to the Peace Secretariat," the Minister added.

Commenting on Finland's decision to withdraw their monitors, the Minister said they have succumbed to the pressures of a terrorist organisation as a sovereign Government.

"It is a bad precedent for the whole world which is supposed to fight against terrorism," the Minister said.

Norway Special Envoy Jon Hansen Bauer, following the Swedish Ambassador-at-large Anders Oljelund's failed attempt to get a security guarantee from the LTTE for the truce monitors from EU countries to continue, is due to arrive in the country to take this matter with the Government and the LTTE.

Following the EU's decision to proscribe the LTTE as a terrorist organisation, the LTTE declared that truce monitors from EU countries Sweden, Finland and Denmark should quit from the Mission by September 1.

Out of the 57 truce monitors, 37 are from Sweden, Denmark and Finland and the Head of the Mission is a Swedish.

An AFP report quoted a Swedish Foreign Ministry Spokesman as saying that they will await the decision from the Government and the LTTE.

"We have not given up," Swedish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Janonius was quoted by the AFP.