COLOMBO, May 2: The international monitoring mission in Sri Lanka has so far recorded over 200 complaints of violation of the Memorandum of Understanding which had been signed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan government on February 22, it was learnt on Thursday.

The MoU seems to be on unsteady ground, even in the midst of country-wide peace marches organised by the ruling United National Front (UNF).

The international monitoring mission headed by Maj-Gen Trond Furuhovde has so far recorded over 200 complaints of violation of th MoU. Overwhelmed with work, the Norwegian general has requested his government for more monitors to help oversee the situation. He told Dawn on Thursday today that he was expecting more monitors from Norway by mid-May.

He admitted that there has been a steady infiltration by armed LTTE cadres into government-controlled areas and skirmishes between the Navy and the LTTE in the north-eastern seas have taken alarming proportions.

On Wednesday, a LTTE boat blew up when a flotilla of five rebel vessels was confronted by the Sri Lankan Navy off Vaharai on the eastern coast.

Today morning too skirmishes between LTTE boats and the Navy were reported in the eastern seas but had apparently been ‘brought under control’ quickly.

The government’s stand is that the navy was chasing LTTE boats which were laden with explosives. But the LTTE’s stand conveyed to journalists via phone is that the boats were innocent fishing vessels.