Following discussions with the government local monitors held at the Peace Secretariat yesterday, SCOPP has written to SLMM urging that it resumes the naval monitoring it stopped ‘temporarily’ in May 2006.

In informing SCOPP of that decision, the then SLMM Head of Mission had written that ‘Following the LTTE attack on a vessel carrying an SLMM Monitor on 11th May, SLMM temporarily suspended all naval monitoring activities due to grave security concerns. The suspension of activities is also based on the statements by the LTTE instructing SLMM to limit its activities and refrain from sailing with SLN vessels or face the risk to put their monitors in danger’. Gen Henricsson’s letter of May 17th had however gone on to say ‘Our intention is to recommence naval monitoring onboard SLN vessels as soon as the Parties have agreed to our requirements.’

SCOPP had a couple of months ago pointed out that it had responded to positively to some conditions specified by the SLMM at that time. The SLMM had been unable to trace a response by Gen Henricsson to the SCOPP letter of May 2006. It is possible that, in the embarrassment caused by the LTTE soon afterwards refusing to attend talks to which it had been transported, the matter lapsed.

However a few weeks back SCOPP had asked SLMM to pursue the matter and it had agreed to do so. In the interim, the ICRC had responded positively to appeals at the CCHA meeting which Sir John Holmes attended, and was able to obtain the required guarantees from the LTTE to enable the opening of the road northward from Omanthai on more days in the week, which has helped with supplies to the Vanni.

Given current constraints on and the expenses of travel from Jaffna, there have been repeated requests from Civil Society, as discussed at the meeting held at SCOPP, including from the Bishops of Jaffna and Mannar, to open up a transport service by sea between Jaffna and Mannar. SCOPP therefore has once again urged the SLMM to follow the helpful example of the ICRC and endeavour to persuade the LTTE to facilitate travel by sea on at least this route, by allowing SLMM monitors to accompany vessels as they did previously.