Release date:  29 July 2002
Release time: Immediate

THE GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA AND LTTE ARE PREPARING FOR A LASTING PEACE

Present Status of The Ceasefire Agreement

The Government of Sri Lanka and The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, (LTTE) are preparing, not for war, but a Lasting Peace through gradual and steady implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement. The Dedication of the Parties, The International Environment and the Great longing for Peace among the population is the basis for this evaluation of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission.
 

Especially encouraging is The LTTE’s responsible and sensible statement that they will not insist on being technical in demanding a 100% implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement as a precondition for talks with the Government. Major General Trond Furuhovde, Head of SLMM, states that ”In some cases the timetable put forward in the Ceasefire Agreement has been quite optimistic. SLMM has during the last months accepted delays in implementation of certain issues and it is good to see that both parties have shown a mutual understanding for that and are still moving forward.”
 

Benefits for the People

The Ceasefire has now lasted for more than five months, the longest cessation of hostilities since the beginning of the conflict. The A9 road has been opened for the great benefit of the general public and now the A5 road is open for traffic without restrictions. The absence of SLMM at the opening ceremonies for the A5 road was an important sign of the fact that the parties can also communicate and cooperate without the assistance of a third party. Both parties have successfully refrained from military operations during the Ceasefire. Fishing restrictions have mostly been removed. Freedom of Movement for both parties and the public has been greatly enhanced. The preparations for ground transport of Sri Lanka soldiers on the A9 road and sea transport of LTTE Cadres in the waters off the East Coast are in the final phase and will start in the very near future.
 

Out of a total of 159 Places of Worship listed in the Government controlled areas in the North and the East of Sri Lanka, only 2 are still occupied by the Government forces and 3 partly occupied. All together 19 places of worship are not yet accessible to the public since they are situated within areas still defined as “High Security Zones”. According to information from SLMM’s District Offices, the great majority of School buildings have been vacated, leaving only 1 school occupied in Mannar, 1 in Trincomalee and 11 in Jaffna District, or a total of 13 schools, most of them within “High Security Zones” where very few people reside. It is therefore clear that the Sri Lanka Army has so far carried out the Prime Minister’s orders with good success. These numbers are from around the 20th of July so the occupied schools are likely to be even fewer on August 1st, the last day for vacating schools according to the Ceasefire Agreement.
 

Difficulties & Challenges

Focus on National Sea Territory and different opinions on who is in control of parts of the Sri Lankan waters have increased somewhat during the last weeks but should not pose a serious threat to the Ceasefire. Some difficulties are also related to areas on land that both parties claim to control. Violent clashes have occurred between parts of the population in Mutur and Valaichchenai on the East Coast leading to the tragic death of civilians. Furthermore a recent shooting incident between the parties led to the death of one Army soldier, and the wounding of two LTTE cadres. Leaders of both parties have moved swiftly to calm these incidents down. Other isolated incidents have not had a serious effect on the Peace Process. Further clashes between parts of the population and even the parties in the near future should not be ruled out, but SLMM is confident they will be tackled in the same responsible manner by the parties.
 

The problem of Extortion, and Child Recruitment/Child Abduction of The LTTE can be seen through the amount of complaints that SLMM receives from the population. SLMM believes that The LTTE will realize the tremendous negative impact this is having on their organization both in the eyes of the public in Sri Lanka and Internationally. Therefore SLMM trusts that The LTTE will live up to the expectations that people have for their just governance and responsibility.
 

Media Support

The Newspapers, Radio and Television Media, both in Sri Lanka and Worldwide has in general been extremely supportive of the Peace Process. Both the Free Press and Political Leaders can therefore be praised for having become more and more encouraging and constructive in their support for Peace.
 

Balance of Power

The Balance of Power between the parties is extremely important, since is can be considered as one of the Cornerstones of the Ceasefire Agreement. Normal recruitment and training is therefore to be regarded not as a preparation for war but as a natural part of the Balance of Power between the parties and therefore the Peace Process.
 

Preparations for Peace

Both parties have shown their dedication to Peace in the following manner: Steady Implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement, Admirable restraint in volatile situations and Achievement in cooperation and coordination. Through this both parties have managed to remove some of the uncertainty and distrust created by decades of conflict and started to create Mutual Confidence.
 

It is the Conclusion of SLMM that both parties look at war as a thing of the past. The Government and the LTTE are steadfastly preparing for Peace, resulting in the welfare and wellbeing of the people.
 

Released By
SLMM HQ
Colombo

Ref: SLMM HQ/29th July 2002/MED/6010