Truce Monitors Warned To Keep Off Navy Ships

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday May 13, 2006

Simon Gardner in Colombo

SRI LANKA'S Tamil Tiger rebels have told truce monitors that they travel aboard navy ships at their peril after the worst military confrontation since a 2002 truce halted two decades of civil war.

A flotilla of rebel boats on Thursday attacked the Pearl Cruise II, a troop carrier carrying 710 soldiers to the Jaffna peninsula. They also sank a fast-attack guard boat. The military said 17 sailors and 50 Tigers died in the attacks, which later prompted air strikes on rebel territory, but both sides say the ceasefire still holds.

The transporter was carrying a truce monitor and flying the monitors' flag when the military says suicide rebels attacked them. The Tigers say their fighters were conducting a naval exercise when they were fired upon by the navy.

The monitors accused the Tigers of a gross violation of the ceasefire and said they had no rights at sea, which is considered under government control.

"Today, we felt like we were monitoring a war and not a cease-fire," said Helen Olafsdottir, the spokeswoman for the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission.

In response, the rebels said in a letter posted on their official website overnight, "SLMM monitors are used by the Sri Lankan Navy as human shields," referring to the mission.

"We urge you for the last time not to be on board Sri Lankan naval vessels until further notice from us. If you choose to ignore our warning and request, we are not responsible for the consequences," it added. "Please take this as the last warning to you."

The chief monitor, Major General Ulf Henricsson, travelled to Kilinochchi yesterday for emergency talks with the leader of the Tigers' political wing S.P. Thamilselvan.

Bombings and land and sea clashes have killed about 270 people in the past month.

The Government said the bombing raids by fighter jets and helicopter gunships near the Tigers' northern stronghold were a "limited response" to the naval battle, and would not be repeated unless the armed forces were again attacked.

The Tigers have withdrawn from peace talks indefinitely, and warned ominously on Tuesday that Sri Lanka was moving towards the fringes of war.

The clash came after a rash of attacks in April and after a Japanese peace envoy had made an abortive attempt to coax the Tigers to return to peace talks.

Residents in army-held Jaffna were rattled. "The situation is scary. It's killing our normal life," said Tilan Thevadasan, 24, a pharmaceutical salesman. "It seems as though war will erupt again. If it does, I will go to Colombo."

While the truce still holds on paper, diplomats and analysts expect to see continued low-intensity conflict.

"If either side had wanted to go for a full-on war, they have had ample opportunity and excuses to do so by now," said one diplomat. "I expect to see more of the same. The danger is that things could spiral out of control."

Reuters

A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE

* In February 2002 Colombo and the Tamil Tigers signed a ceasefire agreement, brokered by Norway, after two decades of bloodshed that left 64,000 dead and 1.6 million people displaced.

* Violence began to worsen in December.

* Last month was the deadliest since the truce was signed, with at least 191 deaths.

© 2006 Sydney Morning Herald

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