SCOPP urges co-chairs to condemn LTTE move

Government Peace Secretariat Chief Rajiva Wijesinha has written to Co-Chairs urging them to denounce the LTTE’s forcible recruitment of one member from each family in the Wanni.

Citing a recent report by Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar to back his claim, Prof Wijesinha has stated in his letter that it is imperative for the sake of the suffering people of the Wanni that the international community makes clear that it has zero tolerance for such practices.

“I hope very much that, while doing all in your power to ensure adherence to human rights norms throughout the country, you make clear that forced recruitment of anyone is intolerable, and that the co-chairs and all countries that are particularly concerned about such issues will stand foursquare against such practices,” he has noted in his letter.

In a related move, Prof. Wijesingh has written to Norwegian peace envoy Jon Hanssen Baur asking him to withdraw current SLMM spokesman Thorfinnur Omarsson for reportedly misinterpreting the positions of the Sri Lankan government and the SLMM.

“He has been consistently involved in misrepresentations of the position of the Sri Lankan government and the SLMM, in a manner which regrettably destroys confidence and may take away much of the good work that I believe you and your colleagues, both as facilitators and monitors are trying to do,” he said in his letter.