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| Sunday, 4 May 2003 |
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No sanction for LTTE shipping weapons - SLMM by FRANCES BULATHSINGHALA With the tryst for the northeastern seas by the LTTE being a main issue discussed at the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission said yesterday that the meeting to be held on Wednesday May 7 between the SLMM, the LTTE and the Government is likely to be postponed. This decision for a possible postponement was arrived at the meeting held between the Government Defense authorities and the SLMM last Friday to analyse the newest phase in regard to the sea sharing suggestions that were brought forward by the Government on 30 April to the SLMM. The two hour meeting on Friday morning, had clarified SLMM's stance with regard to the LTTE sea Tigers. Meanwhile a meeting was held yesterday (Saturday) evening in Killinochchi between the SLMM officials and the LTTE to discuss further proposals with regard to avoiding clashes between the LTTE and the Sri Lanka Navy in the North east seas. A meeting will be held again today between the SLMM leadership and the Norwegian Ambassador and the Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister, Vidar Helgessan soon after their arrival from India. controversial issue Tackling the controversial issue of the LTTE's rights to the northeast seas, the ceasefire monitors point out that what is debated is not equal status of the sea tigers to the Sri Lanka Navy, but rather a similar freedom of movement of the LTTE in the seas as enjoyed by them in land. As such, the overall analysis is that a designated area or a general understanding or acceptance of the sea tigers as an existing force in the sea territory would lead to avoiding catastrophes such as the recent Mullaitivu incident. "Meetings scheduled with the LTTE, the Naval high command and the Government to find a solution agreed by both parties to the issue of sharing sea territory will be carried out without change. The Ceasefire Agreement signed by the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on February 22nd, last year is in force. Any suspension of planned sessions of Peace Talks has no impact on the validity of the Agreement or the adherence of the two Parties to the Ceasefire. Both Parties have confirmed this to Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM). SLMM will continue to monitor the Ceasefire and work on assisting the Parties in solving disputes that arise and normalizing the situation in the war-torn areas in North and East Sri Lanka", reiterates spokesperson of the SLMM Teitur Torkelsson. Concerning recent comments on the recommendations made by the SLMM to the Government with regard to the LTTE sea Tigers, Torkelsson in an interview with the Sunday Observer said that the SLMM had not in any way indicated in its suggestions that the LTTE sea Tigers be equal to the Sri Lanka Navy. "We have received the proposals by the Sri Lanka Government last Friday detailing out its suggestions about LTTE's access to the North-eastern seas. We are still awaiting the recommendations by the LTTE", he said. When asked whether it could be considered as a lack of enthusiasm on the part of the LTTE for the delay in the submission of their proposals, it was pointed out that there previously had been delays on the part of the LTTE in handing over reports and that the SLMM, if the LTTE document, was not sent by this Sunday (today), would be requesting in writing for an immediate submission of the LTTE's proposals with regard to sea sharing. "The LTTE is clearly still a guerilla organization. There is no question of recognizing a guerilla organization as a Naval unit. There is clearly also all powers vested with the Sri Lanka Navy to carry out investigations on any LTTE vessels suspected to be carrying military hardware on the waters surrounding Sri Lanka. This is in accordance with the Ceasefire Agreement and there is no reason to believe that in granting the LTTE's request for exercises in sea territory would mean that there would be sanction for shipping of weapons. Any LTTE vessel being sighted shipping weapons would not be allowed both by the Navy and by the SLMM", points out Torkelsson. The SLMM however did not detail out previous many instances when the LTTE had been allegedly transporting ammunition but where an apparent 'lack of proof' meant that the matter was not questioned further than a few printed reports which have been proved not sufficient enough to stop the recurrent incidents of LTTE's ammunition transporting vessels. On the present situation with regard to a solution which will end sea clashes between the Government and the LTTE the SLMM remains positive despite the LTTE not delivering its set of suggestions which were to be submitted to the SLMM last Thursday. "We have received the maps of the LTTE of the territories controlled by them, as requested by the SLMM. As there was no delay in the submission of these maps and simultaneously no reluctance on the part of the LTTE participating in the previous discussions held in Trincomalee and Batticaloa last week with regard to various issues concerning the peace process we have no reason to believe that the Ceasefire agreed upon by the Government and the LTTE is in anyway threatened by non-co-operation by the LTTE as a result of the temporary walk out of the peace talks", Torkelsson further said. He reiterates that the SLMM is of the view that it is of the utmost importance that the mechanisms and arrangements specified in any final arrangements agreed upon must not interfere with the Sri Lanka Navy's obligation and legitimate task of safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. "To work out effective arrangements for the operation of their naval units in keeping with existing treaty obligations and to prevent future incidents at sea that could threaten the stability of the Ceasefire, were objectives agreed to at the Sixth Round of Peace Talks in Japan and we will go ahead and carry out working towards a plan that will sustain stability with regard to the requirement of having a agreement concerning the sea territory of the North and East. The Parties also agreed that SLMM should; "undertake preventive measures to avoid serious incidents at sea and on land" and the SLMM would stay committed to this undertaking", he adds. SLMM's explanation The SLMM's explanation of the whole sea scenario is that when the Ceasefire Agreement was signed on the 22nd of Feb 02, the LTTE fighting formations, including the Sea Tigers, exists and that consequently, the LTTE Sea Tigers exists as a De Facto Naval Unit and the SLMM points out that these are the reasons why SLMM has been tasked to work out these arrangements. The formal stand of the Scandinavian ceasefire monitors with regard to the Sea Tigers is that the Sea Tigers have neither legal rights nor any legitimate tasks of safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka and as these obligations belong purely to the Forces of the Government of Sri Lanka, balance of power is one of the basic elements for the present Ceasefire. According to the SLMM the Initial Discussion Paper submitted to the Government with regard to the issue was not a legal document, but a basis for discussion and that although the second draft of proposals has been sent to the Parties, requesting them to forward their comments to SLMM not later than 30th April which had received a response only from the Government which the SLMM points out is being worked on. "The issue at hand is not what can be worked out in a short time, as much as one would like to do so. The matter with regard to sea territory was being discussed last June as well and now we are confident that we would be able to find a workable solution in the following weeks", the SLMM authorities point out. |
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