The Hindu : Battle fatigue material seized at Colombo port

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 26, 2004

International

International

Battle fatigue material seized at Colombo port

By V. S. Sambandan

COLOMBO, MARCH 25. Sri Lankan authorities on Wednesday seized two container loads of "battle fatigue material'' similar to those used by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as they were being smuggled into the island.

The consignment of 1.2 lakh yards of cloth, worth around Rs. 6 millions, includes the striped `Tiger' camouflage worn by LTTE cadres, khaki and blue materials "similar to those used by Sea Tigers'' and bed sheet fabric used in LTTE hospitals, the Daily News said.

The seizure comes close on the heels of the March 3 revolt by the LTTE's eastern military commander, V. Muralitharan alias `Col.' Karuna.

Mr. Muralitharan said he had opposed a request by the LTTE leader, V. Prabakaran, to send 1,000 additional eastern cadres for deployment in the rebel-held northern Sri Lanka, indicating the LTTE's preparation for war. Sri Lankan military sources see the seizure as an indication of the continued state of preparedness being maintained by the Tigers.

Six persons, including a businessman in Colombo have been arrested following the seizure and investigations are on. The consignment, which arrived at the Colombo port on March 15, was detected yesterday at the container yard during a "routine inspection''. The consignment, sent by a Sri Lankan Tamil in Malaysia, was described as containing 40,000 packs of "photocopy paper", the newspaper said.

Ranil hopeful of talks

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is seeking re-election in the April 2 Parliamentary elections, last night said he was hopeful of resuming talks with the LTTE before the end of April, if his United National Front (UNF) was voted back to power.

Speaking to private television channels, Mr. Wickremesinghe said the peace process was "temporarily suspended'' and had "not failed''. The UNF, he said, "would form the next government, with a stronger mandate''.

The UNF is pitted against the United People's Freedom Alliance, comprising the two main Opposition parties — the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, headed by the President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna.

Peace and the economy have emerged as two major planks in the elections. Both Mr. Wickremesinghe and Ms. Kumaratunga have pledged to carry forward negotiations with the LTTE. With barely a week to go for the election, the third in four years, there are no clear indications yet of any significant shift in favour of either party. The Opposition has said it would continue the peace negotiations.

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