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The Dutch government Tuesday announced it was granting nearly half a million dollars to help a mine-clearing project in Sri Lanka although the island had not ratified the Ottawa treaty banning land mines.

The money is to go to the British charity, the Halo Trust, which is currently carrying out mine clearing operations in the island's embattled northern peninsula of Jaffna.

The Dutch embassy said in a statement here it would normally not support mine clearance programs in countries that have not signed the Ottawa Treaty on mines.

"However, an exception has been made for Sri Lanka since the thousands of citizens returning to their homes in north Sri Lanka shouldn't fall victim to mines," the embassy said.

It added that the Dutch government expected Sri Lanka to join the Ottawa Treaty in the near future.

The embassy said the money will be used for de-mining activities of the Halo Trust until the end of this year.

"This contribution is a sequel to the discussion between Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Dutch Development Co-operation Minister, Agnes van Aardenne in September last year where they met in New York during the UN General Assembly," the statement said. (AFP)

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