OPERATIONAL ASSESSMENT
The situation remained very tense in the North and the East. Heavy fighting continued in the LTTE controlled Vakarai area in Batticaloa district as well as continued shelling in the Kallar area of Trincomalee district. 

The situation also remained relatively tense in the Jaffna peninsula however the situation in Jaffna town was calmer than in the previous weeks. The curfew was lifted and the mobile phone network turned back on.

In Vavuniya abductions were ongoing, as were extortions by armed political groups against civilians and the business community. 

Mannar and Trincomalee districts remained relatively calm however shelling was ongoing in the Kallar area in Trincomalee district throughout the week.

The situation in Batticaloa district remained difficult, with a high number of abduction cases, some of which were mass abductions. The situation in Vakarai remained tense with constant streams of civilians attempting to leave. 

Statements were made from the GOSL side that attacks would be restrained until all civilians had left the area.

 

OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES
SLMM is reduced to approximately 45% of its capacity due to holiday leaves.

Due to the present situation it was decided to conduct a series of workshops at a conference venue, starting on 28 December, for all international monitors. As the Christmas/New Years Eve period is one of constant comings and goings as monitors go on or return from leave, all monitors will attend the workshops, however not necessarily at the same time. 

The workshops will be result driven rather than time based and will attempt to result in an in-depth assessment of the present situation and state of the SLMM as a mission, as well as an extensive outlining of how SLMM should and will function in the future. A series of different topics ranging from technical and practical to administrative, emergency and operational issues will be covered on group and individual level, as well as in plenary sessions.

During the arrangement, HQ in Colombo will be manned by international and national staff and the district offices by national staff. International monitors from the district offices will be in constant contact with their district and Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) have been set up to deal with major incidents occurring in the different districts. Other monitoring will in this period be limited in the districts.

In addition to the workshops in itself, this will also be an exercise in how rapid SLMM can be moved from place to place, and on the cooperation with the parties in such situations as where this sort of move is deemed necessary. 

The situation in the country as well as the results stemming from the workshops will be assessed on a day to day basis and the exercise will end when the wanted results have been achieved.

It is hoped that the SLMM through this exercise can grow as a mission and function in the best possible way both towards the parties of the CFA as well as towards the Sri Lankan population.

Further on during the workshops, both parties will be invited to give input as to how they see the SLMM functioning to the best possible extent in the future.