by Shamindra Ferdinando

Norway’s failure to influence the LTTE to allow free movement of passenger transport in the Omanthai-Muhamalai stretch of the Kandy-Jaffna road that was opened last Monday-17 days after the scheduled re-opening of the road-appeared to have upset ambitious plans to permit unlimited passage for unarmed government forces as envisaged in the February 22 MoU.

The government and the LTTE agreed to open the A9 road for free movement of people and merchandise within 30 days from the day the cease-fire agreement was reached on February 22 (D-day). The two parties also agreed as of D-day plus 60 days, unarmed police and security forces be permitted unlimited passage between Omanthai-Muhamalai stretch of the A9 road.

"The LTTE will have to permit overland movement of troops on the road in less than two weeks’ time. If they refuse, they will be violating the agreement again," a senior security source said.

Sri Lanka expects the Norwegian-led Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) to ensure implementation of the clause 1:10 of the cease-fire agreement that allows unlimited passage for government forces, the source said. SLMM head Major General Trond Furohovde on Wednesday (10) agreed that the LTTE has violated clause 2:10 of the agreement by refusing to allow free movement of  passenger transport on the A9 road. Furohovde has ruled that the dispute over the road opening should be settled by or before May 7.

SLMM made desperate bids last Monday and Tuesday to persuade the LTTE to abide by the MoU. But, the LTTE has brushed aside government and SLMM protests, claiming that they intended to operate their own bus service between Omanthai and Muhamalai unless they are permitted to subject both SLCTB and private buses to a ‘special road tax.’

It was evident that the Norwegians did not expect the LTTE to blatantly violate the MoU, a senior National Joint Committee (NJC) spokesperson said. "They brazenly violated the MoU at least on 50 occasions. The government has lodged dozens of complaints with the Oberoi based SLMM headquarters. What have they done. Nothing," said Dr. Piyasena Dissanayake of the NJC. Dissanayake, a strong critic of the so-called Norwegian-led peace process said that Major General Trond Furohovde has washed his hands of the A9 fiasco by setting another deadline for the re-opening of the road for public transport. Were they in a position to do anything if the LTTE stuck to its guns? he asked.

Another source said that it would not be an easy task to convince the LTTE. Furohovde and Norwegian ambassador in Colombo Jon Westborg would renew their efforts to persuade the LTTE to abide by the cease-fire agreement.

However, an agreement was unlikely before Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen visits LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran next week. Talks were likely to centre on proposed government-LTTE talks in Thailand in late May. However, Helgesen would be compelled to raise the A9 issue with the LTTE leadership, the sources said while expressing the belief that the LTTE has again shown that it has no regard for any agreement. "They will not hesitate to violate this MoU again," Dissanayake claimed.