LTTE accepts invitation for talks on SLMM issues

Colombo, May 29: The Tamil Tiger rebels today said they have accepted the invitation by the Norwegian facilitators to attend a meeting in Oslo early next month with the government to discuss issues relating to the functions and operations of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM).

''Our leadership has agreed to the request by the Norwegian facilitators and decided to attend the proposed talks in Oslo next month to discuss the functions and operations of the SLMM,'' LTTE's political wing head, S P Thamilselvan has been quoted as saying by a pro-LTTE Tamil language website, www.nitharsanam.com.

The LTTE's acceptance to attend the Oslo talks comes exactly a couple of days after the visiting Norwegian special peace envoy, Jon Hanssen-Bauer invited the rebels and the government to Oslo on June 8 and 9 to discuss the SLMM issues, but clarified that these ''are not peace talks''.

According to the website, although the LTTE has agreed to attend the Oslo talks, the transport arrangements and the safety measures of the LTTE negotiating team attending the talks have not been finalised as yet.

''The Norwegian facilitators have taken full responsibility arrangements and safety of the LTTE negotiating team. Decision in this regards would be taken within a couple of days,'' Mr. Thamilselvan said.

Although the LTTE has promptly accepted to attend the Oslo talks, the government has not announced its decision officially whether it would attend the talks or not. However, a top government source said that the decision ''was under consideration''. Commenting on the fresh invitation, the political pundits here said that the proposed talks may have been called in the background of an impending EU ban on the LTTE and its possible reflection on its member countries in relation to Sri Lanka's peace process, especially the SLMM.

Based on the existing four-year long ceasefire agreement, the Norwegian government and the government of Sri Lanka concluded a Status of Mission Agreement (SOMA) where status, privileges and immunities of SLMM and its members are defined and determined. This was endorsed by the LTTE leadership later.

The SLMM currently consists of members from the five Nordic countries, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland and according to the CFA, the government and LTTE must be in agreement through a mutually accepted process before any amendments to the CFA can be made. So far no amendments have been made to the CFA.

Significantly, LTTE's acceptance has come amidst reports that the European Union ban on the organisation is likely to be declared today, a move that could affect the truce monitoring activities of some of the Nordic countries in Sri Lanka.

On May 14, the SLMM announced that it had temporarily suspended its naval monitoring operations in the north-east sea waters of Sri Lanka, after the LTTE made an abortive attempt to attack a Sri Lankan naval vessel carrying over 700 security force personnel on May 11.

The SLMM claimed that the LTTE had endangered lives of the truce monitors, who were onboard of the naval troop carrier vessel at the time of the fierce mid sea battle on May 11 and thus had violated its commitment to ensure the safety of the monitors.

Claiming that its intention was to recommence the naval monitoring as soon as possible the SLMM said that it had decided to forward some requirements to the Parties before the resumption of naval monitoring can take place.

UNI

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