The Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) held their regular weekly meeting yesterday in which ongoing issues regarding the peace process were discussed.

SLMM provided details about abductions that it said had taken place in the East recently and SCOPP agreed to inquire about the alleged abductions. SLMM also provided information regarding constant shelling it said its monitors reported in the North. SCOPP said it will look into the alleged shelling.

SCOPP expressed concern about a news report that highlighted continuous LTTE attacks on civilian villages in Weli-Oya in the Anuradhapura district and another separate report about an LTTE attack on civilians in uncleared areas in Mannar. SLMM said it will look into these two matters.

SCOPP reiterated statements by government officials that only security forces should carry arms. SLMM agreed and welcomed these statements.

SLMM informed SCOPP that it paid special attention to its monitoring work in Jaffna during the past two weeks and it will soon publish the results of this effort.