GOVERNMENT SAYS IT WILL COMPLAIN AGAINST THE NORDIC MONITORS FOR CLOSING CONFLICT AREA OFFICES

By Walter Jayawardhana

Sri Lanka’s Defense spokesman and cabinet minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that the government will complain against the Norway dominated Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) to the co-chairs for closing down seven of its offices in conflict areas in the country creating an “advantageous” and “conducive” atmosphere for the recruitment of children for war by the Tamil Tigers.

Rambukwella charged that according to intelligence reports mass scale child recruitment had begun since the Monitoring mission closed down their offices in the conflict areas and came down to Colombo.

The minister said the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission created for monitoring the peace process and mostly consisting of representatives from Norway closed down seven of its offices in conflict areas and returned to Colombo without any intimation to the government.

Rambukwella charged that the SLMM has done it in contravention of the provisions of the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) signed between the Sri Lanka government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) with Norway acting as the facilitator between the parties.

Rambukwella , indicating the Norway handled peace process is gravely impaired, said the SLMM did not have the common courtesy of informing the government of their decision.

While the newspapers have been reporting about the sudden closure of SLMM offices during the past few days this was the first time a government minister announced that it happened unaware to the government. Earlier the Sri Lanka peace Secretariat was protesting about it.

A Sri Lanka government Defense website quoted the Minister of having said, “The provisions of the CFA clearly indicate that both parties are responsible for the safety of SLMM members. They explained that their duty was to inquire into minor incidents like cattle-lifting and not inquire into major incidents. On the contrary, the SLMM rushed to Sencholai scene which was highlighted as a major incident. SLMM act has to be condemned in terms of the provisions of the CFA and in terms of natural justice and common courtesy”

Sencholai is a military training school that gave forced military training to teen aged school girls which was bombed by the Sri Lanka Air Force.

The minister further said the SLMM has said that claymore mine and landmine explosions are a threat to their lives. It is the LTTE that specializes in those weapons. So the implication is that they left because of the escalation of violence by the LTTE.