Nordic countries condemn attack on Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 January 2006, 07:30 GMT]
The contributing countries to Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, have condemned the attack on the Batticaloa district office of SLMM on Friday 13 January. Four vehicles parked in front of the SLMM office were damaged in the explosion. Batticaloa office of the SLMM is located on Lake Road, 50 meters from the paramilitary Razeek Group camp, which is attached to a Sri Lanka Army camp. The area, a high security zone of the SLA, also houses other paramilitary camps and ex-militant offices of EPRLF (Varathar faction), PLOTE and EPDP.

Clause 1.8 of the Cease Fire Agreement prohibits the deployment of paramilitary cadres in NorthEast.

Full text of the press release from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oslo, 17 January 2006:

Nordic countries condemn attack on Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission

The contributing countries to Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, condemn in the strongest terms the unacceptable attack on the Batticaloa district office of SLMM on Friday 13 January.

Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission is an impartial, civilian mission that monitors the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement by the Sri Lankan Government and LTTE, at the invitation of the parties to the Agreement. SLMM has always enjoyed the full confidence of the affected populations, and good cooperation on behalf of the parties to the Ceasefire Agreement. The contributing countries expect the parties to the Ceasefire Agreement to ensure the security of SLMM, in accordance with the Agreement, and to ensure that SLMM is given the opportunity to fulfil the responsibilities placed on the mission by the parties to the Ceasefire Agreement.

Explosives detonated under a vehicle belonging to SLMM on the premises of the SLMM's district office in Batticaloa caused serious damage to four vehicles. No one was physically injured in the attack.