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Troop strength to go up

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka on Tuesday announced that a process was on to recruit at least 50,000 more personnel to the 2-lakh strong armed forces.

Defence spokesperson and Minister Keheliya Rembukwella told a news conference here that the government had no plans to reduce the size of the forces though Eelam War IV was over.

The Minister said troops were needed to protect the around 16,000-sq.km area the LTTE had controlled in the past few decades. “This entire area has now been freed from the terrorists and therefore the three forces play a vital role in securing and administrating [and] protecting these areas. It is absolutely necessary that the forces are kept in good spirits so as to accomplish this,” he said.

The Minister said two new security forces headquarters had been raised in Kilinochchi and Mullathivu, apart from the Wanni headquarters. He said that since January 2009, 22,130 persons had been recruited into the Army.

Nearly 28-30 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country was spent on the war during the past few years, said Mr. Rembukwella. In the next few years, Sri Lanka’s GDP would increase as the eradication of terrorism had opened many avenues, he said.

Joining the media briefing, Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said during the operation, more than 22,000 LTTE cadres were killed while around 10,000 were wounded, had surrendered or were arrested. Around 4,000 soldiers died while 20,000 were wounded. He said troops in the North and the East had, during the past few weeks, uncovered a large haul of weapons, explosive devices and other equipment used by the LTTE based on intelligence reports or confessions of arrested LTTE cadres.

Mr. Rembukwella added that the top priority of the government now was ensuring that conditions of the three lakh war displaced improved.

Meanwhile, Internews reported that the Special Task Force for development in the North had ordered the military to expedite resettlement under Vadakkin Vasantham plan. Mullathivu GA Emilda Sukumar said Special Task Force President Basil Rajapaksa had ordered preparations for the initial stage of resettlement in selected areas within Mullathivu.

Resettlement and Disaster Management Minister Rishard Badiudeen said landmines were a big challenge to resettlement in the North.

The government has undertaken to resettle the war displaced in Vavuniya within 180 days and a discussion was held on Tuesday at the Vavuniya military headquarters on the subject. “It has been planned that relevant officials and engineers will go with the military forces to visit Pandiyankulam, Thunukkai and Oddusudan areas to do a damage assessment,” said an official.

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