Tamil parties have been campaigning for support against Emergency. TULF MPs led by Joseph Pararajasingham walked out of Parliament during the debate. Mr Pararajasingham told US Congress members and UN officers on a visit in late July to Washington, that Emergency regulations and the Prevention of Terrorism Act were catalysts for grave violation of human rights. He pointed out that in the 18,100 days since independence in 1948, Sri Lanka has been under Emergency rule for 8,760 days.
Giving reasons for the extension of Emergency in the North-East, Mr Ratwatte referred to the hijacking of a North Korean ship. Sea Tigers seized the vessel Moran Bong off Alampil in Mullaitivu District on 7 July and shot dead a crew member. The vessel had been hired by the government to transport goods to Jaffna. The LTTE has accused the government of using merchant ships to ferry weapons.
Mystery surrounds another ship Stillus Limmasul which disappeared on 25 May in the Mozambique Channel between Africa and Madagascar. The vessel was carrying 32,400 motar bombs for Sri Lanka from Zimbabwe. Sri Lankan press reports say that on 15 July, a fax message purported to be from the LTTE to a Western embassy claimed that the ship had fallen into Tiger hands. Acurate description of the deadly cargo and its source in the fax have led to speculations that the Sri Lankan government may have hired a Tiger ship to transport ammunition for war against the Tigers.