Colombo, Nov 14: Scandinavian peace monitors
today reported a dramatic drop in complaints of violations
of the truce between Tamil rebel and government troops in an
unexpected spin-off of Sri Lanka's power struggle.
While Norway today said it was suspending mediation due
to the feud between the president and prime minister, the
Norwegian-led monitors said it was so quiet they were
investigating old complaints.
"Both sides appear to be holding their horses," said
Agnes Bragadottir, the spokeswoman for the Norwegian-led Sri
Lanka monitoring mission. "We used to get about 10 complaints
a day earlier, but nothing now."
"We are now having more mobile patrols and looking
into complaints made in the past," she said.
Both the Tamil Tigers and President Chandrika
Kumaratunga, who last week took over the Defence Ministry,
said they will abide by the February 2002 truce brokered by
Norway with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's government.
The monitors' spokeswoman herself has seen a drastic
drop in the number of telephone inquiries from journalists on
the status of the ceasefire and alleged violations by both
sides.
"Now I hardly get any calls and never at night unlike
before the political crisis when I had too many calls," she
said.
Bureau Report
