LTTE condemns attack on SLMM office

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 January 2006, 14:19 GMT]
Expressing concern about the attack on the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) offices, and relief that no one was hurt in the attack, Head of the Liberation Tigers Political Wing, S P Thamilchelvan, in a letter to the Head of the SLMM, Mr Hagrup Haukland, Saturday said: "Our leadership views this attack as an attempt to wreck the ceasefire agreement. Our leadership also expresses the continued support of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to the SLMM to implement the ceasefire agreement in its fully intended meaning and to rectify the deteriorating ceasefire environment. "

Full text of the letter follows:

14 January 2006

Mr. Hagrup Haukland,
Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission
Colombo.

We are extremely disturbed and concerned about the attack on the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) office on Lake Road in Battticaloa on the night of Friday, January 13. We are very relieved that no one was hurt in this attack.

We would like to express our strong condemnation of this distressing attack on unarmed peace monitors whose presence has been invaluable for the people of this island.

We wish to bring to your notice that this attack has taken place within a Sri Lanka Army High Security Zone. An SLA base is located near this SLMM office and this SLA base also houses the paramilitary groups.

Our leadership views this attack as an attempt to wreck the ceasefire agreement. Our leadership also expresses the continued support of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to the SLMM to implement the ceasefire agreement in its fully intended meaning and to rectify the deteriorating ceasefire environment.

Thank you

Yours truly,

S. P. Tamilselvan,
Head of the Political wing