The Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) held the regular weekly meeting on Thursday. The meeting was productive and various ongoing issues regarding the peace process were discussed and successfully dealt with.

The SLMM, as a caretaker of the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA), welcomed the extended opening of the Omantai Entry/Exit point from three to five days a week. The SLMM said it had noted that the flow of goods was eased last week, with more commodities being brought in and out of Vanni. The SCOPP welcomed SLMM’s recognition of the easing of the flow of goods through the checkpoint.

The SLMM explained to the SCOPP various steps the SLMM had taken to further enhance its monitoring work and information collection. This will be done with the arrival of new monitors and more interactive information sharing with both parties. The SCOPP welcomed this initiative and stressed that information collection about the ongoing conflict was important.

The SLMM said it had received reports about an LTTE cemetery being destroyed in Vakarai, which SLMM said their monitors had confirmed. The SCOPP said it would look into the matter.

The SLMM voiced concerns about allegations that Security Forces together with civilians attacked Tamils in the village of Veerapuram. SLMM said that the alleged attack was in retaliation for an LTTE attack on a Home Guard post outside the Sinhalese village Ulukkulam. The SCOPP said it will look into the alleged incident.