The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has reiterated to the visiting
Ambassador-at-Large of Swedish Foreign Ministry that there is no change in its
demand for withdrawal of EU monitors
from the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) by September 1. The Swedish Ambassador Anders Olijelund is met LTTE political head S.P. Tamilchelvan at Kilinochchi to try changing the group’s mindset and also to infuse some energy into the floundering mission. Olijelund is also negotiating with the Sri Lankan Government (SLG) on this issue.
The LTTE argues that the EU members cannot be trusted to be independent and unbiased because their nations have banned it on the charge of terrorism. The SLG says that the mission members were global bureaucrats and do not necessarily carry affiliations or represent their respective Government policies. The SLG also insists that only it can change the SLMM mission as it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the EU and not the LTTE.
Apparently, the LTTE also raised serious objections to President Mahinda Rajapakse’s
proposals including
large monetary package to solve the ethnic conflict.
