01-08-2004, 10:56 AM
<b>LTTE is beefing up its strength: Kumaratunga</b>
Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has alleged the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam increased its military strength during the truce period by recruiting over 11,000 guerrillas.
"The LTTE has increased its cadre by three times from around seven thousand to over 18,000. Quite a few of them are small children and forcible recruitment was going on," she said.
Kumaratunga, whose decision to take over the powerful defence portfolio triggered a major political crisis with Wikremesinghe a few months ago, said the military consolidation of LTTE went on unabated as Norwegian facilitators appeared helpless in stopping rebels from beefing up their military strength.
"The Norwegians can not stop them. The LTTE has opened up several military training camps, many new ones, in violation of the MOU and they are going on regardless," she alleged.
Since the beginning of the peace process last year, the separatist Tamil rebel group killed around 100 cadre and local leaders of the moderate Tamil parties, Kumaratunga alleged.
"With great impunity, they killed a lot of Sri Lankan military personnel," she said. "Still, there is a cause to think that there may be a little chance to keep trying with LTTE for peace."
Kumaratunga also said talks between her and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe over sharing power have not broken down and a new round of dialogue would commence later this month.
"Discussions between us have not broken down. Discussions are ongoing. Talks will start after New Year holidays. I truly hope that we can come to a truly negotiated settlement," Kumaratunga, who was here to attend the SAARC summit, told PTI in an interview before she left for home.
"There is another problem, whether I have to take the defence portfolio. Prime minister has decided that he does not want to do the peace process, unless he gets defence portfolio back lock stock and barrel. This is not possible," she said.
She said it was her fault to part with the defence portfolio in the first place when Wikremesinghe formed his government after securing majority in Parliament.
"Constitutionally I did something, I should not have done, in giving the defence portfolio two years ago with all the other ministries, because the constitution stipulates that president was the sole authority to exercise defence powers in the country," she said.
"But I gave it fully aware of this simply because I was not keen to have it. But there were problems that arose because of the problems of mismanagement due to which I have taken it back," she added.
Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has alleged the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam increased its military strength during the truce period by recruiting over 11,000 guerrillas.
"The LTTE has increased its cadre by three times from around seven thousand to over 18,000. Quite a few of them are small children and forcible recruitment was going on," she said.
Kumaratunga, whose decision to take over the powerful defence portfolio triggered a major political crisis with Wikremesinghe a few months ago, said the military consolidation of LTTE went on unabated as Norwegian facilitators appeared helpless in stopping rebels from beefing up their military strength.
"The Norwegians can not stop them. The LTTE has opened up several military training camps, many new ones, in violation of the MOU and they are going on regardless," she alleged.
Since the beginning of the peace process last year, the separatist Tamil rebel group killed around 100 cadre and local leaders of the moderate Tamil parties, Kumaratunga alleged.
"With great impunity, they killed a lot of Sri Lankan military personnel," she said. "Still, there is a cause to think that there may be a little chance to keep trying with LTTE for peace."
Kumaratunga also said talks between her and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe over sharing power have not broken down and a new round of dialogue would commence later this month.
"Discussions between us have not broken down. Discussions are ongoing. Talks will start after New Year holidays. I truly hope that we can come to a truly negotiated settlement," Kumaratunga, who was here to attend the SAARC summit, told PTI in an interview before she left for home.
"There is another problem, whether I have to take the defence portfolio. Prime minister has decided that he does not want to do the peace process, unless he gets defence portfolio back lock stock and barrel. This is not possible," she said.
She said it was her fault to part with the defence portfolio in the first place when Wikremesinghe formed his government after securing majority in Parliament.
"Constitutionally I did something, I should not have done, in giving the defence portfolio two years ago with all the other ministries, because the constitution stipulates that president was the sole authority to exercise defence powers in the country," she said.
"But I gave it fully aware of this simply because I was not keen to have it. But there were problems that arose because of the problems of mismanagement due to which I have taken it back," she added.