Cynical agenda behind LTTE A-9 demand

Defence Spokesman:

Ranil Wijayapala

COLOMBO: The LTTE's refusal to allow the food convoy to Jaffna via Muahamalai clearly manifests the cynical agenda behind their demand for the re-opening of the A-9 at Muhamalai, Government Defence Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said.

Addressing the media at the weekly press briefing yesterday in Colombo the Minister said the Government has not moved from its earlier stance on the closure of Muhamalai entry exit point despite its decision to open the checkpoint as a once-only measure.

"The Government has not deviated from its stance since LTTE has not remedied the situation there," the Minister added.

However, the Minister said the Government has not said at anytime that Muhamalai will be closed permanently adding that the Government was ready to open the Muhamalai entry exit point at anytime.

"For that the Government needs verifiable guarantees on the proposals forwarded by the Government to relevant authorities," the Minister said.

He said President Mahinda Rajapaksa took a decision on November 19, to open the Muhamalai checkpoint once to facilitate the entry of the food convoy to Jaffna after carefully considering appeals by religious and civil society organisations.

"Despite the LTTE's refusal the Government has not given up the idea of taking the food convoy to Jaffna since the request came from religious and civil society organisations," Minister Rambukwella said.

He said if the LTTE was genuinely concerned about the plight of the civilian population they could have agreed to the offer made by the Government.

The Minister also pointed out that the LTTE also rejected the Government proposal to have an alternative route to bypass the Muhamalai checkpoint but failed to propose another alternative.

"This is a clear manifestation that LTTE is not genuine in their request to open the A-9 road," the Minister added.

Donors misled by UN envoy, monitors - Defence Spokesman

COLOMBO: Nordic truce monitors and a UN envoy have misled Sri Lanka's main financial donors about alleged ceasefire violations by the military, Defence Affairs Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said.

"The Co-Chairs would have been influenced by UN envoy Allan Rock and the SLMM (Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission) and that is misleading," Rambukwella told Reuters hours after the C-Chairs issued their damning statement.

Rambukwella said neither Rock nor the SLMM had provided the Government with proof of troop involvement in abuses, despite requests. "Obviously on the basis of national security, we have to react on certain issues. That can be ... systematic erosion or violation of the ceasefire," he added. "But this becomes inevitable unless the LTTE changes their stance of terror."