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by Frances Bulathsinhala

The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission has expressed concern about the hartals in the North-East and the delay in complementing certain aspects of the MoU by both the Government and the LTTE.

Teitur Torkelsson, Media spokesperson for the Monitoring Mission said that these issues will be taken up for discussion when the Mission headed by Major General Furuhovde meets the LTTE political wing head Thamilchelvam in the Vanni today."We are concerned about the hartals organised by the LTTE in the North-East. We have also received a large number of complaints against the LTTE regarding extortion. These would be some of the main issues which would be raised by the Head of the Monitoring Mission" Torkelsson said. The Mission team will arrive in Colombo today and consequently meet Government officials to brief them about the meeting with the LTTE hierarchy.

The day-to-day functions of the entire North-East came to a halt last week with the LTTE initiating hartals in protest at the recent incident where two LTTE political wing representatives were allegedly assaulted last Thursday by eight men of whom two (according to the LTTE) were in army uniform, one in navy uniform and five masked civilians.

Meanwhile, strict opposition from residents of the North-East has risen against the LTTE members showing videos of former attacks including the Elephant Pass, Mullativu and Bandaranaike Airport attacks last year. Students in the North-East region point out that the most recent of such demonstrations was held last Wednesday at the Jaffna Hindu College and the one prior to that, last week at the Jaffna Vembady Girls High School.

Residents of the Jaffna region who are not opposed to the LTTE continuing their political work in schools embarked upon three months ago with formal permission from the Government, point out that such political activities should be in line with the peace process.

"We do not have anything against the LTTE recruiting youth (not children) if it is done after instilling the message of peace. If the recruitment is for carrying out administration and political work it should fit the present peace process and suit a permanent peace millieu of the future", opined a human rights activist of Jaffna.

Reports soon after the LTTE established their political offices in the North-East region indicated that parents were not averse to sending their children to join the LTTE's political work as they felt that their children would have a secure political career with the prospect of the Interim Administration to be handed over to the LTTE looming ahead.

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