Cease-fire monitors visit Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 March 2002, 17:40 GMT]
Two Scandinavian cease-fire monitors were on a familarisation visit to Batticaloa Thursday. Mr. Lars Tio Beck, a Swedish national who earlier worked with a Norwegian non-governmental organization FORUT in Batticaloa in the early 1990s and Quaker Peace Movement and Mr. Ola Kristian Hegge, a Norwegian are to serve on the local monitoring committee to be established in Batticaloa and Ampara respectively.

They said they would start work by next week once the local monitoring offices are established. "We would try our best to solve problems arising in connection with the cease-fire agreement at the local level," they said.

Mr. Lars Tiobeck and Mr. Ola Kristian Hegge (right). (Photo:TamilNet)

They added they expect to have access to information on both sides regarding matters related to the cease-fire.

One of the two government's nominees in the Batticaloa monitoring committee would be Reverend Fr Harry Miller, an American Jesuit priest and the most senior Human Rights activist in Batticaloa. The other nominee is Mr.M.M.Rahuman, an engineer from Kattankudy. The two LTTE's nominees are Mr.S.Sinniah, former Municipal Commissioner and Mr.K.Krishnapillai, a retired Principal.

According to the cease-fire agreement signed by the Prime Minister and the LTTE leader, a local monitoring committee would be established in Jaffna, Mannar, Vavuniya, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara.

Each committee will consist of five members, two appointed by the government, two by the LTTE and one international monitor by the Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission. The international monitor would chair the local monitoring committee.