The Hindu : LTTE, Colombo preparing for lasting peace: report

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 30, 2002

International

International

LTTE, Colombo preparing for lasting peace: report

By V. S. Sambandan

COLOMBO July 29. Striking a note of optimism, the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, overseeing the compliance of the Norwegian-brokered ceasefire agreement between Colombo and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), today said that the parties were "preparing for a lasting peace.''

Conceding that there were difficulties and challenges, especially on issues relating to sea territory, communal clashes and "extortion" by the Tigers, the SLMM said that it was its "conclusion'' that both the parties "look at war as a thing of the past'' and were "steadfastly preparing for peace.''

On the "problem of extortion, child recruitment and child abduction'' by the LTTE, the SLMM said that it "believes that the LTTE will realise the tremendous negative impact this is having on their organisation, both in Sri Lanka and internationally,'' and that it "trusts that the LTTE will live up to the expectations that the people have for their just governance and responsibility.''

Referring to last month's Tamil-Muslim clashes in the east, the SLMM, striking a note of caution, said "further clashes between parts of the population and even the parties should not be ruled out,'' but it was "confident that they will be tackled in the same responsible manner."

Terming ``the balance of power between the parties'' as "one of the cornerstones of the agreement,'' the SLMM said "normal recruitment and training is to be regarded, not as a preparation for war, but as a natural part of the balance of power between the two parties and therefore the peace process.'' This reference comes against the backdrop of reports that both the Tigers and the Sri Lankan Army did not stop recruitment and training during the cessation of hostilities.

The Government and the rebels, through "steadfast implementation'' of the agreement, by "admirable restraint in volatile situations,'' and "achievement in cooperation and coordination,'' had removed "some of the uncertainty and distrust created by decades of conflict,'' the report said.

The agreement, which came into force on February 23, after the Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, and the LTTE leader, V. Prabakaran, signed similar copies of the pact separately, silenced the guns of the past seven years and provided for a pullout by both the parties to their designation areas. The final deadline for the pullout, mandated in a phased manner, falls on August 2 — 160 days after the agreement came into force.

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