July 15, 2002	Monday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 4, 1423

JAFFNA, July 14: Two foreign members of the Sri Lanka monitoring mission (SLMM) observing the truce between the government and the LTTE, were held for a few hours on board an LTTE vessel on Saturday, and released early on Sunday morning, the SLMM spokesperson Teitur Torkelsson said.

The SLMM monitors were called by the Sri Lankan navy to investigate the entry of two LTTE trawlers with Indian registrations, into Sri Lankan territorial waters in Palk Bay. They `were held on one of the LTTE trawlers and released later.

Representatives of the LTTE’s political wing brought the two to Kilinochchi, from where they finally got to their office at 5.40 p.m. on Sunday morning.

Maj-Gen Trond Furuhovde, head of SLMM, as a “serious violation of the Ceasefire Agreement” and a “major blow to the trust of (the) SLMM in the LTTE.”

“This kind of behaviour is extremely counterproductive to the success we have had so far. Instead of relying on (the) SLMM as impartial monitors working for both parties in solving disputes and ensuring the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement, LTTE members decided to mistreat two SLMM Monitors. After this irresponsible behaviour it is clear that the LTTE will have a lot to do in rebuilding people’s confidence in their organization.’’