COLOMBO, July 1: Visiting Amnesty International representatives, who have spent over a week in Sri Lanka evaluating the alleged human rights violations of the LTTE in the north and east, have called for an international monitoring committee.

Addressing newsmen in Colombo, Ingrid Masaji, head of Amnesty for the South Asia region, said they had informed both the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE about this need.

“We have told the LTTE political wing leader Thamilchelvam about this need and have received a good response from the LTTE leaders. The response from the government too has been very good. We feel that this proposal should be incorporated into the peace talk to be held between the LTTE and the government in August,” Masaji said.

The visiting Amnesty officials suggested that the Norwegian team monitoring the ceasefire should focus on the human rights aspect.

Masaji said LTTE members had informed Amnesty that they would not want a monitoring team focusing on human rights to be monopolized by foreigners.

Asked by the media whether Amnesty was satisfied with their investigations into the main charge of human rights violations levelled against the LTTE _ the recruiting of children for military training _ he said his organization had received a “categoric no” regarding the issue by the LTTE.