Important signs of the building of mutual confidence between the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE leadership have emerged during recent discussions of Rtd. Major General Trond Furuhovde, Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, SLMM, with both parties.

General Furuhovde, accompanied by his Chief of Operations, Mr. Tarmo Kauppila, flew into Kilinochi, Sri Lanka, Friday for talks on two key issues with the Liberation Tamil Tigers Eelam, LTTE leadership. The issues, that Furuhovde has already discussed with representatives of the Sri Lankan Government, are firstly; the access of LTTE members to the Jaffna islands for political work, and the rules that should apply for that access. And secondly; the possible sea movements of LTTE members from the LTTE controlled areas in the north of Sri Lanka to the LTTE controlled areas on the east coast, in order for the LTTE to be able to transport their own members in LTTE vessels, to visit their families in these areas, unarmed.

According to Furuhovde, both parties have shown significant flexibility and will to find a solution, during these talks, which has created a good and positive atmosphere. “I’m very satisfied with these talks and have found them to be extremely constructive. This emerging mutual confidence of both parties is exactly what is needed for strenghtening the Ceasefire Agreement, and eventually a lasting peace in Sri Lanka.” Furuhovde said after his briefing with the Prime Minister’s Secretariat for Co-ordinating the Peace Process, just after having arrived from Kilinochi to Colombo on Saturday. Furuhovde added that “at this point, I am very optimistic that the parties will find a solution to these issues between them, even as early as next week.”

The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, SLMM, monitors the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement, reached by the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, on 22nd february 2002. SLMM has six district offices and local monitoring committees in the Eastern and Northern part of Sri Lanka, two naval monitoring teams based in Jaffna and Trincomalee and Liaison officers to both the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Government. SLMM is an international Nordic mission, consisting of monitors from the countries of Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland and has headquarters in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka.

Released By

SLMM HQ
Colombo

Ref: SLMM HQ/09th June 2002/MED/6000