One year has passed since the guns fell silent in Sri Lanka. How is this year different from the years that have made up the last two decades? During the last year people have stopped waging war and begun to build peace, people have stopped creating problems and have started solving problems, and people have stopped hurting each other and started trying to understand each other and live for each other. People have stopped asking if the war will start again and started asking how society can be made better. Fear and distrust is being removed and replaced with a feeling of increased safety and confidence.

Press and Information Officer of SLMM, Mr. Teitur Torkelsson, is wrongly quoted in the Late City Edition of the Sri Lankan Newspaper Daily Mirror, Friday 22nd November 2002, as saying that during the Trincomalee District Committee meeting of the SDN, (Sub-Committee on De-Escalation and Normalisation) QUOTE: ”…the LTTE had agreed to release the vehicles and weapons that they took into custody, when they took the seven soldiers hostage." This is an incorrect quote, hereby officially denied by SLMM.

“Recent violent events in Ampara and Trincomalee districts have clearly shown how fragile and sensitive the situation is at this time in the peace process. Innocent people have once again lost their lives or been injured, tension has been created and fear psychosis has grown. You have seen irresponsible and destructive elements in the society attempting to break the confidence you have carefully built up during the ceasefire. These elements do not want a peaceful solution to the conflict and are ready to sacrifice lives of innocent people to achieve their goals. You must also be aware that there can be considerable difference between the parties and the individuals in their ranks. Sometimes a Government soldier or a cadre is involved in violent or irresponsible behaviour. That does not mean that the Government or the LTTE is behind such behaviour. Disloyal members of both parties will eventually be identified. I have seen that the top leaders of both parties and their commanders on the ground are determined to promote the peaceful situation in Sri Lanka so that the peace talks can succeed.

Seven people tragically lost their lives and fourteen people were injured when a large crowd of people forcefully entered the Kanjirankudah STF (Special Task Force of the Sri Lanka Police) camp south of Thirukkovil shortly after 17.00 on Wednesday. A demonstration of an estimated 500-1000 people crowd outside the camp got out of control when the crowd broke through the main entrance and a barbed wire fence and entered the camp. According to the STF officer in command of the camp, the members of the crowd were throwing stones, burning tyres and shooting with firearms. The STF used teargas and fired rubberbullets at the crowd and eventually fired at the people with live ammunition.

40% fewer complaints were made against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Government of Sri Lanka in August compared to last July. Violations of the Ceasefire Agreement were also considerably fewer in August compared to July. Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission received a total of 226 complaints against both parties in August compared to 391 complaints in July. During the same period, complaints ruled as violations went down from 98 in July to 71 in August, which is a decrease by 28%. According to Major General Trond Furuhovde, Head of SLMM; “This is a clear sign that restoration of normalcy is underway in Sri Lanka. Both parties are showing considerable restraint and a common responsibility for restoring peace, to the benefit of the public. To know that the complaints of the parties and the people of Sri Lanka have fallen down by almost a half between months is especially encouraging news now at the start of Peace Talks.”

Four LTTE vessels left Mullaitivu 0830 A.M on Sunday the 18th and transported 170 cadres going on leave to their families in the Eastern LTTE controlled areas. The convoy reached Vakarai around 1600 Hrs P.M.

Of the total valid complaints that have been processed by Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, SLMM, since the beginning of the Ceasefire Agreement, 576 have been made against the LTTE and 164 against the Government of Sri Lanka or a Grand Total of 740. Thereof, already 146 have been ruled as violations of the LTTE and 28 have been ruled as violations of the Government side. The most common Violations of LTTE are 55 cases of Underage Recruitment, 43 cases of Abduction and 20 cases of Harassment. The most common Violations of the Government side are 11 cases of Harassment, 6 cases of Restriction of Movement and 5 cases of Restriction of Fishery.

The Government of Sri Lanka and The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, (LTTE) are preparing, not for war, but a Lasting Peace through gradual and steady implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement. The Dedication of the Parties, The International Environment and the Great longing for Peace among the population is the basis for this evaluation of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission.

SLMM Naval Monitors will from now on, as a general rule, stay onboard the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) vessels and not join the SLN inspection team when entering an intercepted vessel. These operating procedures have been established following the recent Iranativu incident where two SLMM Monitors where held onboard a LTTE vessel against their will. These New Operating Procedures are aimed at ensuring the safety of SLMM Naval Monitors. However, under special circumstances and if deemed necessary, the monitors involved may enter the intercepted vessel.

One Sri Lankan Army Soldier tragically lost his life today, after having ventured into the Zone of Seperation in Jaffna Peninsula for unknown personal reasons and opened fire on four LTTE cadres. The incident took place today between 12.00 and 13.00, 150 metres East of the Muhamalai Checkpoint on the A9 road.

A serious violation of the Ceasefire Agreement between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, occurred on Saturday afternoon when two LTTE trawlers, at least one with an Indian registration number, entered Sri Lankan territorial waters in Palk Bay, south of Jaffna peninsula. The Sri Lankan Navy (SLN) intercepted the two trawlers at 17.45. One of the trawlers fled from the scene and managed to leave the SLN vessels and the other trawler behind by going through shallow water and go ashore close to Devil’s Point. At the same time the second trawler was adrift close to Iranativu Islands in Palk Bay being closely monitored by SLN vessels.

Of the total valid complaints that have been processed by SLMM, since the beginning of the Ceasefire Agreement, 270 have been made against LTTE and 110 against the Governmental side or a Grand total of 380. Thereof, already 56 have been ruled as violations of LTTE and 20 have been ruled as violations of the Governmental side. The most common violation is abduction/kidnapping by LTTE, or a total number of 21. Second most common violation is harassment by LTTE, or a total number of 11. Third most common violation is extortion by LTTE, or a total number of 7. After that comes the Governmental side, which has violated the Ceasefire Agreement with 6 cases of Harassment, 6 cases of Restriction of movement and with 5 cases of Restriction on fishery.

Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, SLMM, has not requested the LTTE leadership to stop Hartals and demonstrations, as might be understood from two separate newsreports today 2nd of July. Major General Trond Furuhovde, head of SLMM, met with the political leadership of LTTE in Kilinochchi on Friday and raised the issue of Hartals and demonstrations in general and the risks related to them. General Furuhovde asked the LTTE to support the Government and the people on the East coast of Sri Lanka in calming down the recent unrest in the area. Mr. S.P. Tamilchelvan, head of LTTE’s Political Section reacted very positively to this request and promised that the LTTE would use their influence to calm things down and keep the situation under control.

Major General Trond Furuhovde, head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, will ask the Government of Sri Lanka to establish an Independent Special Commission to inquire into an alleged assault on two LTTE members in Velanai village on the Jaffna island of Kayts on the evening of Thursday 20th. The Special Commission is to be established as soon as possible and, if accepted by the Government, will report directly to the Prime Minister. High ranking representatives of the Sri Lanka Navy and Army, Chief of Police in Jaffna peninsula and representatives of the LTTE agreed on this, in a meeting at the SLMM district office in Jaffna today.

Important signs of the building of mutual confidence between the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE leadership have emerged during recent discussions of Rtd. Major General Trond Furuhovde, Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, SLMM, with both parties.

Deputy Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, SLMM, Mr. Hagrup Haukland, is wrongly quoted in the Sri Lankan newspaper Daily Mirror, Wednesday 05th June, page 1, as saying that QUOTE: “the [Government’s] new gazette notification on fishing restrictions was not in accordance with the [Ceasefire] agreement.” This is an incorrect quote, hereby officially denied by SLMM and is therefore entirely the Daily Mirror’s responsibility.

The Parties compliance with the Cease Fire Agreement is going extremely well. Till the 15th of May 02 SLMM has recorded only 58 Cease Fire Violations and some 196 complaints and allegations. None of the Cease Fire Violations jeopardised the Agreement.