Sri Lankan Leftists Call for Ouster of Int'l Truce Monitors

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, July 08, 2003

Sri Lankan Leftists Call for Ouster of Int'l Truce Monitors

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

A group of Buddhist Monks belonging to the leftist JVP or People's Liberation Front on Monday called for the ouster of the international truce monitors who are supervising the ceasefire between the Sri Lankan government and the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels from the country.

The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) comprising personnel from Nordic countries monitors the ongoing Norwegian-brokered ceasefire between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels which commenced in February 2002 when the two sides signed a formal ceasefire agreement.

Around 200 monks went in a procession to the SLMM headquarters in downtown Colombo to hand over a quit notice on the mission, accusing them of bias toward the LTTE rebels.

Kalawelgala Chandaloka, the monk who led the procession, said "the SLMM is working towards the LTTE objective of dividing the country and setting up a separate state."

The JVP which is the third largest political party in the 225-member parliament has expressed vehement opposition to the presence of the SLMM in the country ever since the Tamil Tigers and the government entered the current ceasefire agreement in February last year.

The SLMM headed by Norway has intervened in times of ceasefire violations, a bulk of which have come from the LTTE.

They recently ruled in favor of the Sri Lankan navy on the sinking of an LTTE vessel on June 14.

The SLMM is repeatedly accused of bias toward the rebels by theopposition parties and nationalist groups in the country.

Despite the continuity of the ceasefire, the rebels in April pulled out of the Norwegian-brokered peace process which is aimed at ending the long running ethnic conflict in the country.

Diplomatic efforts to bring back the Tigers to the negotiation table are still underway.

More than 64,000 people have been killed in the two decades of armed ethnic conflict since 1983.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Sri Lankan Tamil Rebels Set Preconditions for Resumption of Peace Talks

12 Feared Dead in Clash Between Sri Lankan Navy, Tamil rebels

Sri Lanka Plays Down Consequences of Sea Clash between Navy, Tamil Rebels

Tripod Set Up in Deng's Hometown to Commemorate Anniversary of His Birth ( 3 Messages)

Chinese Regard Haphazard Spitting as most Disgusting Habit ( 3 Messages)

Chinese Mainland, HK Vows to Forge Closer Economic Ties ( 3 Messages)

Hu Jintao Addresses Symposium on "Three Represents" ( 3 Messages)

BBC, Downing Street Dispute over Weapon Dossier ( 3 Messages)