Sri Lankan government increases war spending

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — On September 23, Sri Lanka's ruling party asked parliament for 12.2 billion rupees (A$184 million) more than the 44 billion rupees ($665 million) which was budgeted for the military for 1998. Parliament is likely to approve the 28% increase, officials said.

The government vowed to crush the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam guerrillas and ruled out talks to end the 15-year insurgency. "We will never give the LTTE another chance to reorganise on the pretext of peace talks. We pledge to fight until we destroy the last terrorist", the state-run Daily News quoted Anuruddha Ratwatte, the junior defence minister, as saying at a public meeting this month.

The government did not give a reason for the increase, which brings total defence spending to 56.2 billion rupees ($850 million).

President Chandrika Kumaratunga has repeatedly said that she will not negotiate unless the guerrillas give up their weapons, but parliamentary opposition leader Ranil Wickremasinghe recently urged the government to hold unconditional talks with the LTTE.

Meanwhile, government official confirmed on September 21 that the government has asked all state employees to donate at least one week's salary to boost its war against the LTTE. The government says the money will be paid into the National Defence Fund and that the "voluntary" contribution is necessary because the war against the LTTE was at a "decisive stage" and its troops would soon regain rebel-held areas.

A letter went out to all heads of ministries, departments and state firms in the second week of September asking for help to collect the week's pay from all employees.

Some unions and workers immediately voiced opposition to the move and the powerful Ceylon Bank Employees' Union has decided against making further donations.

[Abridged from Australasian Federation of Tamil Associations web site at <http://www.ozemail.com.au/~eelam>.]

From GLW issue 336