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GoSL paying "scant regard" to Norway's peace efforts - LTTE
TamilNet, 7 August 2006
[see also SLMM had entered Mavil
Aru area unannounced - Sri Lanka Secretariat for Coordinating Peace]
"It is the plea of the Tamil people to the international
community that it understands the stark truth behind these actions of the GoSL,"
the Peace Secretariat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said Monday
as Norwegian Special Envoy Jon-Hanssen Bauer was scheduled to visit Trincomalee
to meet Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission Major General Ulf Henricsson in his
final efforts to avert the outbreak of war. The Tigers on Sunday said they
considered Sri Lankan forces continued attacks towards the LTTE controlled
territory as Declaration of War by Colombo.
"The GoSL action by implication not only rejected LTTE’s good
will gesture it also shows that the GoSL is paying scant regard to Norway’s
peace efforts," said the LTTE press release.
The LTTE said that Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL), bombed Mavil Aru with full
knowledge of the presence of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) monitors at
the location, knowing LTTE's decision to open the sluice gate, conveyed by the
Norwegian Special Peace Envoy to the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Secretary
General of the GoSL Peace Secretariat, the GoSL had decided to shell Mavil Aru.
Fulltext of the press release follows:
Press release - 7 August 2006 [also
in PDF]
Battle for water or something else
The Political Head of the LTTE, S P Tamilselvan, told Norwegian Special Peace
Envoy, Jon Hanssen Bauer, and Norwegian Ambassador, Hans Brattskar, at the
meeting on 6 August 2006 in Kilinochchi, that the LTTE leadership has decided to
open the Mavilaru sluice gate, without any conditions, which was shut by the
protesters and requested the delegation to address the concerns of the Tamil
people of Mavilaru that were put forward by the protesters.
This information was immediately conveyed by the Norwegian Special Peace Envoy
to, the GoSL Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mangala Samaraweera, Secretary General
of the GoSL Peace Secretariat, Palitha Kohana, and Norway’s’ Development
Minister Eric Solheim. Agreement was reached to act on the decision made by the
LTTE to open the Mavilaru sluice gate.
On the same day, accompanied by the Head of SLMM, Ulf Henricsson, and SLMM
Trincomalee district Head, Ove Jansen, the LTTE Trincomalee Political Head S
Elilan and protest leaders went to the damn location to open the sluice gate.
The GoSL forces began shelling the location. Some fell very near the SLMM Head
and exploded. SLMM monitors and others who went to open the sluice gate were
forced to take cover in bunkers.
With the full knowledge of the presence of the SLMM monitors at the location and
the decision by the LTTE to open the sluice gate, the GoSL had decided to shell
the exact location. The LTTE considers this act by the GoSL as deliberate and
strongly condemns the attack. The GoSL action by implication not only rejected
LTTE’s good will gesture it also shows that the GoSL is paying scant regard to
Norway’s peace efforts.
The very next day, at 7.30 am on the morning of 7 August, 15 civilians were
killed when the GoSL forces shelled the civilian areas in the LTTE administered
section of Mutur. Many more were injured and large number of people were
displaced. Buildings and property sustained severe damages. 40,000 civilians
living in LTTE areas were displaced.
Do these actions reveal anything about the GoSL’s intentions? It is the plea of
the Tamil people to the international community that it understands the stark
truth behind these actions of the GoSL.
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