Return to War - Human Rights Watch

II. Background
2002 ceasefire agreement
Under the auspices of the Norwegian government, the LTTE and the Sri Lankan
government signed a Cease-Fire Agreement (CFA) in February 2002. Under the CFA,
both sides agreed not to engage in any offensive military operation on the ground,
air, or sea. They also committed to respect international law and abstain from hostile
acts against the civilian population, including torture, intimidation, abduction,
extortion, and harassment. The Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission (SLMM), led by
Norway and staffed by military and civilian personnel from Nordic countries, was
established to monitor compliance with the CFA. 14
The parties engaged in six rounds of talks over a six-month period from September
2002. On the agenda were issues relating to federalism and internal self-government
for the north and east. These efforts were widely endorsed by concerned
governments and were backed by a large, but conditional, aid commitment from
other countries. The CFA brought a respite from hostilities, but not an end to serious
abuses. From February 1, 2002, through December 31, 2006, the SLMM reported over
4,000 violations of the CFA, many of which involved targeted killings and other
violence and intimidation against civilians, and the vast majority being committed by
the LTTE. 15 Members or suspected members of anti-LTTE Tamil political parties, which
were required to give up their arms under the CFA, were particularly subject to attack.
Instability in Sri Lanka’s mainstream politics was exacerbated by a revolt within the
LTTE in early March 2004. Led by its chief military commander in the east, V.
Muralitharan, known by his nom de guerre Colonel Karuna, the revolt led to a fierce
confrontation between the breakaway group and the Vanni-based LTTE command.
The reasons for the split are unclear, but Karuna accused the leadership of
14 The Agreement on a Ceasefire between the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam, signed on February 21, 2002, had the stated objective to “find a negotiated solution to the ongoing
ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka.” The agreement set up modalities of the ceasefire, measures to restore normalcy, and the Sri
Lanka Monitoring Mission. The agreement can be viewed at http://www.slmm.lk/documents/cfa.htm (accessed May 15, 2007).
15 According to SLMM, the LTTE committed 3,827 ruled violations; the GOSL committed 346 ruled violations.
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Human Rights Watch August 2007