Conservative estimates put the civilian death toll of the current fighting in Sri Lanka at more than 40 and the Red Cross warned late last week that more than 22,000 people had already been displaced from their homes in Muttur, a town near Trincomalee in the island’s east which has a mixed population of Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims. But this fighting goes on amidst what the government and the LTTE claim is still a ceasefire. Violence has never really stilled in the past four years but this marks the first ground offensive after that ceasefire of February 23, 2002, specified government and LTTE-controlled territory.

What exactly set off this confrontation?

The Tigers last month closed a sluice gate — in area controlled by them — thereby blocking irrigation water to farmers near Muttur in territory under government control. Having the gate opened subsequently has proved to be difficult as the area around it has been intensively mined. The LTTE accuses the government of going slow on its pledge to upgrade the water supply system in the region. The government holds that the Tigers’ intent is to change the demographic profile of the Muttur area.

What’s changed since February 2002?

The Norway-facilitated ceasefire led, first, in September to the ban on the LTTE being lifted and then six rounds of talks in venues as varied as Thailand, Norway, Japan and Germany between September 2002 and March 2003. In April the LTTE pulled out of talks, saying their demands were not being taken seriously enough.

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