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Norwegian Peace Initiative >
LTTE Suspends Negotiations > Clarifications on Proposals on Security at Sea
- SLMM
Clarifications on Proposals on Security at Sea - SLMM
25 April 2003 SLMM HQ Colombo Subject: The Ceasefire Agreement signed by the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on February 22nd, 2002 is in force. Any suspension of planned sessions of Peace Talks has no impact on the validity of the Agreement or the adherence of the two Parties to the Ceasefire. Both Parties have confirmed this to Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM). SLMM will continue to monitor the Ceasefire and working on assisting the Parties in solving disputes that arise and normalizing the situation in the war torn areas in North and East Sri Lanka.
When the Ceasefire Agreement was signed on the 22nd of Feb 02,
the LTTE fighting formations, including the Sea Tigers, existed. Consequently,
the LTTE Sea Tigers exists as a De Facto Naval Unit. (In the Oxford Advanced
Dictionary �De Facto� is defined as follows: �Existing as a fact although it may
not be legally accepted as existing�). These are the reasons why SLMM has been
tasked to work out these arrangements. SLMM would like to emphasize that the
LTTE Sea Tigers has neither legal rights nor any legitimate tasks of
safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. These
obligations belong purely to the Forces of the Government of Sri Lanka. Balance
of power is one of the basic elements for the present Ceasefire. Hence, to
maintain their Forces� capabilities both Parties must have the right to carry
out training and exercise in designated areas. Such exercises and training
should cause minimum disturbance to the normal life, i.e. fisheries. In this
context it should also be noted that there are no requirements in the Ceasefire
Agreement to demobilize any of the LTTE military units, including the LTTE Sea
Tigers. Final composition of The Sri Lanka Armed Forces should be reached at the
Peace Talks. |