Norway discusses monitors' safety with Sri Lanka rebels

Norwegian peace facilitators in Sri Lanka took up the matter of safety of the international truce monitors with the Tamil Tigers on Tuesday, rebel and diplomatic sources here said.

Hans Brattskar, the Norwegian ambassador in Colombo traveled to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) political headquarters in the northern town of Kilinochchi on Tuesday after his visit to the northern Jaffna city on Monday.

Brattskar met with the LTTE's Head of Political Wing S. P. Thamilselvan and discussed the safety concerns of the members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and its role in the future of the fragile peace process.

The safety issues of the SLMM came after the incident in the northern seas on May 11 when the LTTE rebels surrounded a government troop carrier and destroyed a Navy fast attack craft killing some 17 sailors.

The troop carrier with 700 soldiers on board was also carrying a member of the SLMM and the attack came despite the presence of the SLMM monitor.

The SLMM condemned the Tigers for failing to assure the safety of its official on board the troops carrier.

Sources said that the Norwegian ambassador had also expressed regret over the LTTE decision not to attend the truce talks scheduled to have been held in Geneva late April.

The Tigers citing the government failure to disarm the paramilitary groups and the government's refusal to allow air transport for its eastern commanders to travel to the north, stayed out of the talks.

The non starter of the Geneva talks which was to have been the second round added to the already heightened tension in the north and east.

The upsurge of violence that started in December last year have continued to affect the atmosphere and over 200 people have been killed in the month of April alone.

Both sides say despite the violence they are committed to the truce but want the other side to stop perpetrating violence.

Source: Xinhua