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Colombo faults SLMM report

V. S. Sambandan

COLOMBO: Colombo on Friday raised doubts over the "impartiality" of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM). It expressed concern over the timing and contents of a report prepared by the SLMM on implementing agreements inked by the Government and the LTTE during the first round of truce talks held in Geneva in February.

The document, Geneva Report, published on the SLMM's website on Friday, was to be submitted at the second round of the ceasefire talks in April. But, the meet did not take place following the LTTE's refusal to participate.

"Aspersions cast"

Colombo expressed "dismay" at the attempt by the Head of the SLMM (Ulf Henricsson) to "cast aspersions on the Government's conduct." It described certain comments of Maj. Gen. Henricsson as "ill-considered," bordering on "the realm of speculation" and those that could "incite the LTTE to engage in violence," the Government's Secretariat for Co-ordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) said in a statement.

India's concern

New Delhi Special Correspondent reports:

India on Friday expressed concern over the failure of the proposed meeting between the Sri Lanka Government and the LTTE representatives, aimed at strengthening the role of the SLMM.

Supporting the monitoring mission's role, India believed it would significantly contribute to maintaining the ceasefire and preventing violations of the truce conditions.

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