SLMM gets more monitors

COLOMBO: The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) has been strengthened with additional manpower to carry out their functions here more effectively, SLMM spokesman Thorfinnur Ommarson was quoted as saying by the Xinhua news agency.

Omarsson said they will increase staff by 10 more monitors raising its strength up to 30 from the current 20 and five of them have already arrived in the country from non-EU Nordic countries.

After the European Union’s decision to proscribe the LTTE as a terrorist organisation Tiger protests forced the EU monitors to abandon their mission here.

Meanwhile, diplomatic sources denied reports that Norwegian Special Envoy Jon Hanssan Bauer or International Development Minister Eric Solheim was scheduled to visit the country shortly.

“There is nothing on record of any travel plans by Special Envoy Bauer or Minister Solheim to Colombo,” the sources said brushing aside widespread speculation in the media.