E-Paper
No use of aid money to buy arms: Lanka
LTTE had claimed Lankan Govt was using international aid for post-tsunami relief to buy arms.
The Sri Lankan Government on Sunday vehemently denied claims by Tamil Tiger rebels that it is using international aid for post-tsunami relief to purchase arms.
"We deny it strongly," Defence Ministry spokesman Brigadier Daya Ratnayake said.
A report on the Tamilnet website said Velupillai Prabhakaran, leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), had raised the issue with Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Petersen, when they met in the northeastern town of Kilinochchi on Saturday.
"Our leader (Prabhakaran) has brought to the notice of the Norwegian delegation that the international aid coming to the country due to sympathy following tsunami disaster is being misused by the Government," LTTE chief negotiator Anton Balasingham was quoted by Tamilnet as saying.
"Our leader has pointed out that the (Government) has taken steps to purchase arms from Iran at a cost of 150 million US dollars. This act is considered as an attempt to tilt the balance of military power."
Defence Ministry spokesman Ratnayake said talks with Iran had been going on for some time and there was no deal yet. "Nothing is finalised."
He declined to say what weaponry is being discussed or the sums involved.
"We have a regular armed force and procurement is a national requirement," Ratnayake said. "But as for using aid money -- we deny it."
Tiger rebels and troops have been observing a truce, which peace broker Norway arranged in February 2002 but peace talks have remained deadlocked since April 2003.
Attempts by Norway to break the impasse have since failed and both sides have accused the other of using the truce to rearm.
Almost 31,000 people were killed on December 26, when the tsunamis ravaged three-quarters of the tropical island's coastline, 5,637 are still missing and some 403,000 are still displaced.
