Lanka says no to UN peacekeepers

Oppn had said Govt's failure to curb violence could result in UN force deployment, writes PK Balachandran.

The Sri Lankan government said on Saturday that it had no plans to invite a UN peacekeeping force.

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"There is no proposal for deployment of United Nations forces," said the Minister of Information, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa in a statement issued here.

Opposition United National Party (UNP) MP, Dr Rajitha Senaratne, had made a statement that if the government failed to curb violations of the ceasefire, deployment of a UN peacekeeping force might become inevitable.

Reacting to this, Yapa wondered if the UNP was in an "unholy alliance with the LTTE to divide the country."

The UNP MP's statement on UN forces was "causing irreparable damage to the sovereignty and unity of the country," the Minister said.

He wondered if the rest of the UNP shared Dr Senaratne's view.