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by Uditha Kumarasinghe

PA Media Spokesman Dr. Sarath Amunugama on Friday challenged the Government to disclose what steps it had taken against the two LTTE members who had recently gone to Laos to purchase military items for the LTTE.

The LTTE intention in trying to acquire anti-aircraft missiles is to enhance its ability to destroy aircrafts in the event of any future confrontation, Amunugama told the PA weekly media briefing.

He said the Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Mikhail G. Karpov, in a Non-paper he handed over to the Foreign Ministry has already informed the Sri Lankan Government about the abortive LTTE attempt to acquire anti-aircraft missiles. Amunugama said: "In his Non-paper, the Ambassador has said according to the information received from the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Laos, two LTTE members had contacted a Russian State Company dealing with military technological co-operation in Laos to buy these weapons."

One of the LTTE members holding the Sri Lankan passport No. 444392 has been identified as Thangarajah. Russian authorities are deeply concerned about this matter, he said.

He said the IGLA is one of the most dangerous military equipment which can target any aircraft. "This is a dangerous situation, in the context of the LTTE denial that they have not imported any arms after the MoU." "We would like to know the response of the Foreign Ministry to the Non-paper submitted by the Russian Ambassador. The PA challenges the Government Media Spokesman Prof. G.L. Peiris to disclose the decision taken by the Government regarding this issue at the next Cabinet press briefing," Amunugama said.

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