LTTE, a band of looters - Military Spokesman

Rafik Jalaldeen

COLOMBO: Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said yesterday that the LTTE is a terrorist outfit which has a long history of looting from civilians and aid agencies and make use of the ill gotten resources to strengthen its cadres and terror activities against Security Forces.

Speaking to the Daily News, Brigadier Nanayakkara said the UN office had lodged a complaint that its premises had been looted by suspected LTTE cadres. “There is no doubt about the LTTE looting the UN office in the uncleared areas. We are certain that it is only the LTTE who are in a position to loot the UN office and steal its property”, he added.

He said the Security Forces have no access to the uncleared areas where the looting of the UN office took place, adding that according to the UN officials suspected LTTE cadres had looted the UN office after it was vacated by UN staff following a Government order.

“The Security Forces can take their decision only after the UN informs the Government with details of the losses”, Brigadier Nanayakkara said.

However, Human Rights and Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told the Daily News that the UN office had brought the incident to the notice of his Ministry and they had informed about this to the Defence Secretary.

The Minister said the LTTE had stolen three dish antennas and some cables belonging to the UN office. The UN had asked the LTTE to return these items and are hopeful that the request would be acceded to. The UN said that they have disabled the items before leaving their premises in the uncleared area.

These items cannot be used by unauthorised persons and can be operated by only the UN officials. They were used for humanitarian purposes and cannot be used for any other purposes, Minister Samarasinghe said.

Brigadier Nanayakkara described the LTTE as a terrorist organisation with a long history of looting from civilians and aid agencies. “Whenever we send things including food, fuel and medical items for the civilians in the uncleared areas, the Tiger cadres grab and use them to sustain their movement. There were many instances where the LTTE used food, shelter and other items provided by the aid agencies to civilians for their purpose,” he added.

The LTTE are facing a severe shortage of fuel and other logistical needs in the wake of battle field losses in the Wanni.