COLOMBO July 15 Kyodo Scandinavia...

COLOMBO July 15 Kyodo

Scandinavian temporary peace monitors said Monday they will rethink the nature of their activities at sea after separatist Tamil Tiger rebels forcibly held sum of two units of their members on a trawler the pair had boarded to inspect.

''This is a remarkably serious incident,'' said Hagrup Haukland, substitute head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) ''We will have to evaluate and rethink the way we are conducting our activities at sea.''

Haukland asserted, however, that their monitoring work in succession land will not be affected.

The Norway-led Nordic mission solely started its maritime operations in June after couple near-clashes at sea between navy and rebel boats.

Members usually travel in succession navy patrol craft or arrive at the pageant on request.

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militants forward Saturday forcibly held pair monitors after they boarded a Tiger-controlled fishing trawler to search for any items banned beneath a cease-fire deal signed between the LTTE and the control in February.

The tube had been among two earlier intercepted at Sri Lanka's navy near the tiny island of Talaimannar in Palk Strait between Sri Lanka and India.

The monitors, a man and a woman, were released after midnight in the rebel-controlled town of Kilinochchi. It was the first time monitors from the Nordic mission had been forcibly held according to the rebels.

Maj. Gen Trond Furuhovde head of the Norway-led Nordic mission, onward Sunday castigated the rebels for their action, calling it a serious violation of a suspension of hostilities deal and accusing the LTTE of having mistreated the monitors.

Haukland said the LTTE had subsequently sent the monitors a report forward their version of events if it were not that stressed the SLMM would move by the account submitted by dint of its own members.

The LTTE-associated TamilNet Web site reported Monday that the incident had occurr after navy bottoms attacked an LTTE fishing trawler in what amounted to a ''serious violation'' of the cease-fire agreement and blamed the navy for ''provocative actions.''

The recently made knowns site, which provided excerpts of a literal sense sent by LTTE political wing leader P Thamilchelvam to Furuhovde also claimed that the monitors had been assured of their safety forward board the boat.

subject to the cease-fire deal signed between LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but parties to the conflict are responsible for the protection and security of SLMM members. the pair parties must also ensure their freedom of movement

The LTTE have been fighting since 1983 for a separate Tamil homeland in a war that has left at least 60000 dead in succession both sides.

The Norwegian restraint which brokered the cessation of hostilities, has been trying to start direct negotiations between the pair sides for the first time since 1995 unless differences over the implementation of an of the truce deal seasons have delayed the start of talks to be held in Bangkok.

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