As from 00:00 hours on 23 February
2002, a ceasefire agreement enters into force between the
Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam
(LTTE). The ceasefire document, signed by Sri Lankan Prime Minister
Ranil Wickremesinghe and LTTE leader Vellipulai Prabhakaran, has
been deposited with the Norwegian Government, and we have been
asked to make the agreement public.
The overall objective of the
parties is to find a negotiated solution to the ethnic conflict in
Sri Lanka, which has cost 60,000 lives and caused widespread human
suffering. The ceasefire will pave the way for further steps
towards negotiations.
Through this formalized ceasefire
the parties commit themselves to putting an end to the hostilities.
They commit themselves to restoring normalcy for
all the inhabitants of Sri Lanka,
whether they are Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims or others. And they
commit themselves to accepting an international monitoring mission,
led by Norway, which will conduct on-site monitoring.
Both sides have taken bold steps to
conclude the ceasefire, and this agreement is a message that they
are prepared to continue taking bold steps to achieve peace. They
are embarking on a long road towards a political solution. It will
not be easy. It will require determination and courage. The parties
will face risks and uncertainties, and they will have to make hard
choices. But no hardships are worse than those of conflict and
bloodshed. No gains are greater than those of peace and
prosperity.
On the journey to peace and
prosperity, the inhabitants of Sri Lanka, and their leaders, will
need the solidarity of the international community. It must
mobilize political and financial support for peace and
reconciliation. Norway will continue to accompany the parties in
this demanding process.
I shall now provide some more
detail about the ceasefire agreement.
First, it outlines the modalities
of the ceasefire, including the total cessation of all offensive
military operations, the separation of forces, and increased
freedom of movement for unarmed troops on both sides.
Second, measures to restore
normalcy for all the inhabitants of Sri Lanka – Sinhalese, Tamils,
Muslims and others - putting an end to hostile acts against
civilians, allowing the unimpeded flow of non-military goods,
opening roads and railway lines, and a gradual easing of fishing
restrictions.
Third, a small international
monitoring mission, led by Norway. The mission will conduct
international on-site monitoring of the fulfilment of the
commitments made by the Parties. Let me underline, however, that it
is up to the parties to respect the agreement and to impose
sanctions on those individuals on either side who act contrary to
the agreement.
