Contradicting the Sri Lankan government’s claims that paramilitary armed groups were not operating in government-controlled areas, international ceasefire monitors insisted last week that such groups were active in government-controlled areas, although there was no explicit proof if they had the assistance of the military.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, in an interview with BBC Television last Monday, claimed an Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) report had proved there were no armed groups operating in government-controlled areas.
SLMM spokeswoman Helen Olfsdottir strongly rejected the Foreign Minister’s claim saying the ceasefire monitors had always maintained anti-LTTE armed groups were operating in government-controlled areas.
“I’m not sure what report he is referring to. We have always maintained armed groups are operating in government-controlled areas,” she said. “However, we said there was no proof to say the armed groups had the backing of the government security forces.”
Earlier, responding to Sri Lanka military’s denials over its paramilitary units, SLMM head Hagrup Haukland insisting “there is no doubt that such groups do exist.”
Mr. Haukland said the SLMM was monitoring the activities of the armed groups and would present a report at the next round of talks in Geneva from April 19-22.
At the last talks in Geneva, the government gave a commitment to the LTTE that it would ensure no group other than the government security forces would be allowed to carry arms after the LTTE claimed that there were at least five armed groups in operation in the North and East.
Mr. Samaraweera also asserted in the BBC interview that his government would not disarm the Karuna faction, as it was “an internal problem of the LTTE”.
The LTTE responded said the government was obliged to take responsibility for disarming the Karuna Group because Colombo had meddled in the issue, which was at one time an internal problem of the LTTE, by providing arms and support to the renegade commander Karuna.
The LTTE’s Batticaloa district political head Daya Mohan speaking told the Daily Mirror if the government had not used Karuna when the LTTE put him out of the organization on disciplinary grounds, the issue would have remained an internal problem of the LTTE.
“When we put him out of the LTTE, the government gave him refuge and used him against us so now the government can’t say it is an internal problem. It should have kept its hands off. Now it is the government’s responsibility to get rid of him,” Mr. Mohan said.
The LTTE Batticaloa leader said the international community should not blame the LTTE if it pulled out of the April talks because of the government’s failure to stick to the commitment given in Geneva.
Meanwhile, LTTE’s Jaffna political head Illantheriyan met SLMM representatives on Monday and lodged a complaint that armed groups were seen operating in the Jaffna peninsula last week despite heavy army presence in the area.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, in an interview with BBC Television last Monday, claimed an Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) report had proved there were no armed groups operating in government-controlled areas.
SLMM spokeswoman Helen Olfsdottir strongly rejected the Foreign Minister’s claim saying the ceasefire monitors had always maintained anti-LTTE armed groups were operating in government-controlled areas.
“I’m not sure what report he is referring to. We have always maintained armed groups are operating in government-controlled areas,” she said. “However, we said there was no proof to say the armed groups had the backing of the government security forces.”
Earlier, responding to Sri Lanka military’s denials over its paramilitary units, SLMM head Hagrup Haukland insisting “there is no doubt that such groups do exist.”
Mr. Haukland said the SLMM was monitoring the activities of the armed groups and would present a report at the next round of talks in Geneva from April 19-22.
At the last talks in Geneva, the government gave a commitment to the LTTE that it would ensure no group other than the government security forces would be allowed to carry arms after the LTTE claimed that there were at least five armed groups in operation in the North and East.
Mr. Samaraweera also asserted in the BBC interview that his government would not disarm the Karuna faction, as it was “an internal problem of the LTTE”.
The LTTE responded said the government was obliged to take responsibility for disarming the Karuna Group because Colombo had meddled in the issue, which was at one time an internal problem of the LTTE, by providing arms and support to the renegade commander Karuna.
The LTTE’s Batticaloa district political head Daya Mohan speaking told the Daily Mirror if the government had not used Karuna when the LTTE put him out of the organization on disciplinary grounds, the issue would have remained an internal problem of the LTTE.
“When we put him out of the LTTE, the government gave him refuge and used him against us so now the government can’t say it is an internal problem. It should have kept its hands off. Now it is the government’s responsibility to get rid of him,” Mr. Mohan said.
The LTTE Batticaloa leader said the international community should not blame the LTTE if it pulled out of the April talks because of the government’s failure to stick to the commitment given in Geneva.
Meanwhile, LTTE’s Jaffna political head Illantheriyan met SLMM representatives on Monday and lodged a complaint that armed groups were seen operating in the Jaffna peninsula last week despite heavy army presence in the area.
