SLMM temporarily suspends Sea monitoring

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 May 2006, 15:15 GMT]
Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Saturday evening suspended sea monitoring missions, according to informed media sources in Colombo. The presence of one SLMM monitor on board a ship charted by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) to transport SLN sailors, caught in the middle of a clash between the Sea Tiger Fast Attack Crafts and the SLN Dvoras Thursday, saved the lives of at least 700 SLN personnel in the seas off Vadamaradchi East, sources from Kilinochchi said.

The SLMM decision was a temporary one, made after increased pressure from the nordic countries that feared for the safety of their citizens on board SLN vessels, informed sources said.

Tigers have previously warned that any hostile acts in the areas of seas under their control perimeter will be retaliated, and slammed SLMM for ignoring their repeated requests and warnings not board SLN ships.