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LTTE’s financial nerve centre hit: Colombo

COLOMBO: The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) on Thursday claimed to have pounded the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam’s (LTTE) “financial nerve centre” located at Puthukuduiruppu in the Mullaithivu area in the north.

A statement by the Defence Ministry said the target of SLAF fighter jets was a vital strategic location of the LTTE. It claimed that the centre was accurately hit by the Kfir and MiG 27 fighter jets around 8.20. a.m.

“Defence intelligence sources described the target as the operational base of the LTTE’s financial wing leader Thamilendi. The attack followed gathering of information through both ground and air surveillance carried out for a long period”, the Ministry said.

Quoting civilian sources in Wanni, the Ministry said Thamilendi is known to be one of the “most corrupt” LTTE leaders after its intelligence wing leader, Pottu Amman. The Ministry said since the LTTE’s global fund-raising mechanism was badly hit by counter-terror measures taken by various countries, the financial wing of the LTTE is said to have encountered a serious shortage of money to pay its cadre as well as to maintain the “luxurious lives” of its leaders. The Ministry said, to overcome the difficulties, the LTTE increased its illegal tax collections and set up gangs to rob civilians.

The Ministry, however, chose not to refer to its claim about the arrest of Kumaran Pathmanathan, considered to be chief of the LTTE’s overseas procurement, by the Bangkok authorities earlier in the week.

Separately, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama on Thursday handed over an aide memoire to Dominic Chilcott, British High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, who is also currently representing the European Union (E.U.) Presidency in Sri Lanka in the absence of a resident embassy of Portugal which currently holds the E.U. Presidency. It made a strong case against any “proposed action” by the E.U. against Sri Lanka on human rights violations on the plea that such a development would not only undermine the position of the Government but also be abused by the LTTE for propaganda purposes.

Observers here are surprised over the decision of Colombo to hand over such an aide memoire to the E.U. considering that the E.U. has so far not indicated that it is contemplating action against Sri Lanka for human rights violations. The aide memoire has come at a juncture when human rights organisations are gathered in Geneva to take stock of the situation in different conflict zones, including Sri Lanka.

The aide memoire presented by Sri Lanka to the E.U. said, “As a founding member of the HRC, Sri Lanka will be ready to subject itself for the Universal Periodic Review mechanism of the Council for a comprehensive review of its human rights obligations. Sri Lanka’s 2-year term in the Council will end in May 2008”.

It argued that in view of the improvement in the rights situation in the country, there is no rationale for the E.U. to initiate any action on Sri Lanka within the context of the Human Rights Council, at this stage. “Such action will go against the letter and spirit in which Sri Lanka has been cooperating with U.N. human rights mechanisms. This is also a counter-productive measure as it would negatively impact on the GOSL [government of Sri Lanka] position aimed at maintaining a constructive engagement with U.N. human rights mechanisms”.

It said the LTTE is a terrorist organisation and international agencies must avoid providing a lifeline to the organisation at a time when it is under pressure.

“Therefore, the proposed E.U. initiative cannot be regarded as an appropriate way to constructively engage a country, which has a long-standing policy of openness and cooperation with U.N. human rights mechanisms and ready to engage with the international community in further promotion and protection of human rights.

“With regard to the strengthening of the presence of the Senior Human Rights Adviser to the U.N. Country Team in Sri Lanka and her assistant, the GOSL is ready to discuss the views and recommendations of the High Commissioner on this subject during her visit to Sri Lanka”, it said.

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