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| Sunday, 16 February 2003 |
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Take ceasefire responsibilities seriously The incident off the island of Delft in the Northern seas in which an LTTE boat carrying arms in violation of the Ceasefire Agreement was apprehended last week by the Sri Lankan navy and International Monitors was one that was fraught with dangerous consequences. We are distressed by the danger that the Monitors of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission were subjected to. Both parties have a duty to ensure the safety of the International Monitors. On this occasion they had to jump of the LTTE boat they were checking into the open sea in order to save their lives. The National Peace Council also regrets the loss of life when the LTTE cadres who were apprehended blew themselves up along with their boat. No one should have to die in such a manner during a time of ceasefire. While this was an entirely avoidable incident we commend the Government and LTTE forces in that area for exercising restraint and ensuring there was no breach of the peace between them. The incident confirms the need of the parties to honour the terms of the Ceasefire Agreement in deeds as much as in words. The Ceasefire Agreement that they both signed voluntarily confers both advantages and responsibilities upon the Government and LTTE. The credibility of their agreement lies in the parties taking up their responsibilities seriously instead of only seeking to maximise their advantages. It is incumbent on the LTTE to ensure that such incidents are not repeated as they lead to an erosion of confidence of the general public in the peace process and strengthen the opponents of the peace process. We welcome the announcement made at the most recent round of peace talks in Berlin that the LTTE would stop the recruitment of children and together with UNICEF would ensure that credible review mechanism is established in the North and East. We are also pleased that the parties agreed that former Amnesty International Head Ian Martin will draw up a comprehensive human rights program to safeguard the peace process. In implementing their decisions regarding human rights, the National Peace Council calls on the Government and LTTE to seek the assistance of civil society and religious organisations. This would help to ensure people's participation and help to broad base the peace process in a manner that will best guarantees longer term sustainability. |
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